Growing old healthily: a woman from Salzburg researches worms
Science
To answer the question of how to age healthily, scientists are currently studying a tiny worm. Corina Madreiter-Sokolowski, who was born in Salzburg, is also part of the project group. The 32-year-old examines mitochondria and thus tiny building blocks of the cell. The nematode serves as a model system and as an indicator for aging processes.
Mitochondria are considered the powerhouses of the cells, depending on the age of the cell and the potassium intake, which, according to scientist Corina Madreiter-Sokolowski, change their activity. Using the nematode, which is only one millimeter long, she is investigating how the activity of mitochondria can be influenced in order to maintain physical fitness in old age and prolong life.
What worms and humans have in common: functional proteins
Regarding the aging processes, the tiny worm and human share the proportion of modular proteins in common. “For us it is particularly important that the nematode only lives three to four weeks and not 80 years like humans. This allows us to test in a very short time how active ingredients are recognized over the lifespan,” explains Madreiter-Sokolowski.
See-through worm: see proteins
Another advantage is the transparency of the worm, which is only one millimeter long: the scientists can, so to speak, observe the marked proteins identified in the worm at work. For her research on cell aging processes, the Salzburg molecular biologist was awarded the Elisabeth Lutz Prize by the Austrian Academy of Sciences. This is the most valuable award for young researchers.