9 replies to this topic

[APBT]

PALO ALTO LONGEVITY PRIZE:  http://paloaltoprize.com/

 

http://www.genengnew...-code/81250314/

 

$1M Competition Challenges Researchers to "Hack The Aging Code"

·         A life sciences competition is challenging teams of researchers worldwide to “hack the aging code” for a $1 million cash prize. The Palo Alto Longevity Prize aims to encourage researchers to discover novel ways to slow the aging process, with the ultimate goal of extending the average lifespan by 50%.

In addition to the $1 million prize, the Palo Alto Longevity Prize organization is partnering with several VC firms, angel investors, corporate venture arms, institutions, and private foundations, which will provide additional capital to participating research teams during the competition.

Joon Yun, Ph.D., president of Palo Alto Investors and the primary benefactor for the prize, believes, based on previous research, that it is inevitable that we are going to solve aging. "Now that we've got the process started, this is going so fast," he comments in a video made about the prize (see below for the video). "We've got a world-class board of advisors, and it keeps growing."

The competition will officially be launched on September 9 at the Golden Gate Club in San Francisco. The launch event is being held from 12–5 PM PST (3–8 PM EST) and will feature presentations from Dr. Yun and several team leaders. 

For more on the prize, check out the video below, which features interviews with Dr. Yun and other prominent researchers including Aubrey de Grey, Ph.D., from the SENS Foundation and Peter Diamandis, M.D., founder and chairman of the X PRIZE Foundation. (If you're having trouble viewing the video, click here.)

[caliban]

well, its PR at least 

 

 

 

The $1 million will be awarded in two prizes, and teams may compete for one or both prizes.  

A $500,000 Homeostatic Capacity Prize will be awarded to the first team to demonstrate that it can restore homeostatic capacity (using heart rate variability as the surrogate measure) of an aging reference mammal to that of a young adult. A $500,000 Longevity Demonstration Prize will be awarded to the first team that can extend the lifespan of its reference mammal by 50% of acceptable published norms. Demonstration must use an approach that restores homeostatic capacity to increase lifespan.

 

Homeostatic Capacity... 

 

http://paloaltoprize.com/#science

 

 

[niner]

Hmm.  Kind of obsessed with the autonomic nervous system.  Well, like caliban said, it's PR.  I'm really impressed with how much effort is starting to go into aging research.  The next twenty years or so should prove to be very interesting.

[YOLF]

http://paloaltoprize.com/

 

I'm thinking we could do this quickly by measuring the heart rates of mice or rats using NAD+ and a few other supplements for good measure. Plus we'd be reproducing the NAD+ experiment. What do you think? We could get some press and alot of money to put towards research for this.

[YOLF]

Considering how easy the goal on this is looking, I think they want us to get involved with other orgs. They want to see a team of collaborative orgs and scientists get involved. Otherwise there will be lots of losers (they only award to the first group, then I'm guessing the goals change).

[Mind]

Good video and text, but I can't find the technical parameters of what constitutes "winning" the prize.

[YOLF]

Can't copy and paste it, but AFAICT the goals are pretty simple. Restore heart rate variability and extend the life of a mammal by 50%.

Edited by PerC, 20 September 2014 - 07:44 PM.

[niner]

I'm curious about the goals of the Palo Alto organization.  Why are they so obsessed with HRV?   There are medical device companies involved in vagal nerve stimulation, and I'm wondering if there isn't a connection between this effort and those companies.  The teams that have signed up so far don't seem to come from the known anti-aging labs.  There's just something weird about it.  A million bucks is a million bucks, and that's a non-trivial sum of money, presuming the contest isn't somehow rigged.  I don't think any of us have any expertise in measuring rodent HRV.

[YOLF]

I thought HRV would be easy to measure. What's involved?

[corb]

I thought HRV would be easy to measure. What's involved?

ECG.

An easy cheap way to increase HRV and potentially increase lifespan is exercise.

How you get old mice fit enough to exercise is up to you though.