Despite what you may think, there is some glamour in the science world. There’s hot and the’re not; there’s in and there’s out, and right now, “Molecular Neurobiology”—my current focus—is having a major moment.
It’s not just the scientific community that follows these trends; I’ve been told my research is “hot” by academics, New York Times science section aficionados and dentists alike.
I shudder at this assessment. Molecular neurobiology, trendy? Mainstream? Certainly not. I’d like to think I found this DNA and astrocyte-dominated world before it was cool.
“Translational research” is also in vogue. People want to see projects bridge the gap between basic science and practical applications to healthcare.
“Translation” is the new sexy term. It wins press coverage, and, more importantly, research grants. And in science research, grants drive progress.
An aside: the Society for Neuroscience must have sensed I was writing about the importance of research grants because I received an email just an hour ago warning “Research is Facing Deep Cuts…25 percent fewer grants from NIH and NSF next year” and urging me to “Contact Congress Today!”
I’m all for research that works towards solving human health dilemmas, but let’s not forget the less-glamorous, less-amply-funded basic research that’s actually really cool, and still garners national press coverage. This research takes place right in our own backyard. Well, Bowdoin’s backyard: Kent Island.
A few years ago, a pair of comparative physiologists from Iowa State University in Ames collaborated with Bowdoin biology professor Chuck Huntington to study the unusually long life span of a bird species inhabiting the island, the Leach’s storm petrel.
At 40 years, the birds live about 4 times as long as scientists would expect of animals with their body mass. To investigate this anomaly, the team collected and tested blood samples in order to measure the birds’ “telomeres.”
In every biology book I’ve seen, telomeres are likened to shoelace caps. They “cap” the ends of chromosomes—tightly wrapped configurations of DNA—to “protect the ends from fraying.” Each time a cell divides, however, these telomere caps shorten, ultimately resulting in the cell’s inability to continue to replicate. Shortening telomeres are correlated with the aging process.
The researchers up at Kent Island discovered that the storm petrel’s telomeres not only shortened more slowly than those of other birds; but also that they lengthened over time. This seems to be the first reported case of telomere elongation.
If this doesn’t immediately cause your eyes to bulge and your jaw to drop, I’ll also point out that Discover magazine (January 2004, Vol. 25, No. 1) included this study in its guide to the top 100 science stories of 2003, as did Science and New Scientist magazines.
The findings may have future relevance to humans as the Science article covering the findings suggests: Do subsets of human populations have telomeres that vary as much as bird species? What does the aging process look like for these individuals?
Now that’s glamorous.