Distributed Dirt Digging for Life-Extension Research

ReasonAtFightAging writes "When was the last time you really looked down at the ground you walk upon? The soil from your backyard - or the next street over, or a nearby graveyard, or the park across the way - could contain the key to advancing real anti-aging science: bacterial enzymes capable of repairing biochemical damage that accumulates with time and leads to age-related disease. So the dirt you stand on could contain a scientific breakthrough, and scientists want you — all of you, all around the world — to send a sample for analysis! One of the funding organizers notes: 'We're working hard to secure more funding to bring more manpower onto the project, so there is no danger of your sample being discarded because the researchers are swamped!'"

Comments

Re:total rubbish

[oddwick11]

I'm not sure what you do in the domain, but you certainly can analyze samples in short periods of time and without millions of dollars... it depends on what you are trying to do. I believe they are doing some variant of restriction plating, which is a fairly quick and inexpensive screen for bacteria which digest specific media.

I met the researcher at a seminar, as he works at my university, and they are analzying all of the donated samples. In fact, they have already isolated one target enzyme from a donated soil sample, one that degrades 7-ketocholesterol.