7 replies to this topic

[Mind]

Have you been wondering lately how things are progressing at the SENS Research Center. In particular, how has the Academic Initiative been developing? Have former interns found positions at major research centers? What new ideas are being brought to fore?

Wonder no more! This week I will be interviewing Daniel Kimbel, the Academic Initiative director along with three interns - Jennie Sims, Connie Wang, and Sam Curran. It will be interesting finding out how young researchers are finding their way into rejuvenation science and any new ideas they bring to the table

The podcast will be recorded on Thursday August 9th. Please feel free to post any SENS and SENSFAI related questions you might have here in this forum, and I will be sure to ask them during the podcast.

Attached Files

•  kimbel.jpg   4.66KB   0 downloads

Edited by Mind, 16 April 2013 - 07:54 PM.

[Mind]

Just for reference, here is the SENS website.

Here is more information about the Academic Initiative.

Past news about available grants.

[Danail Bulgaria]

In one of their projects, they were trying to find microorganisms from cemetries, that produce enzymes, that metabolise cholesterol and other molecules, that accumulate with the aging process. I want to ask them specially about the cholesterol degradation enzymes. I wondered what exactly is their progress in this search. Are there found microorganisms, that degradate the cholesterol? If so, are there found the enzymes, that degradate the cholesterol? If the necessary enzymes are found are there developed technologies for the production of the enzymes? If the enzymes can be produced relatively easy, then are they tested on animals? If so, are they tested on humans.

[Mind]

File Name: LongeCityPodcast_SENSFAIKimbelInterns2012_A01
File Submitter: Mind
File Submitted: 03 September 2012
File Category: Podcasts
Guest: Daniel Kimbel, Connie Wang, Jenny Sims, Sam Curran

Description: Mind interviews the current SENSFAI coordinator and 3 different interns about their recent activities. Find out how SENSFAI has grown and progressed as well as what the interns have done and learned during their time at SENS.

http://www.longecity.org/media/LongeCityPodcast_SENSFAIKimbelInterns2012_A01.mp3

Download from SendSpace here if needed: http://www.sendspace.com/file/9wilcm

Edited by Mind, 03 September 2012 - 06:50 PM.

[Mind]

This is a real interesting podcast because we find out what is going on with the future of aging research. The youthful budding researchers give us a lot of insight into what might lie ahead for SENS and anti-aging pursuits.

Some Highlights:

* SENSFAI needs students more than anything else. They have a $30,000 annual budget and now need to find more students to make full use of the funds. I am surprised that more students are not jumping at the chance for an internship, grant, or scholarship.

* Maybe it is because, as Connie describes, students she is enrolled with at University do not know or do not care about curing aging. Surprisingly, they are not being exposed to the idea, even in major bio-medical programs....YIKES!

* Connie says she found out about SENSFAI through social media, so maybe this deserves a little extra focus in Longecity outreach efforts.

* All three interns seemed to have gained an attitude of doing research toward a definite quantifiable end of helping the human condition, and doing it efficiently.

* Daniel describes what is coming up for SENSFAI, including a free lecture series and ways to promote their efforts a bit more.

Edited by Mind, 05 September 2012 - 04:39 PM.

[Mind]

File Name: LongeCityPodcast_SENSFAIKimbelInterns2012_A01.mp3
File Submitter: Mind
File Submitted: 03 Sep 2012
File Category: Podcasts
Guest: Daniel Kimbel, Connie Wang, Jennie Sims, Sam Curran

An interview with the 2012 SENSFAI coordinator and 3 interns about current research and SENSFAI activities.

Click here to download this file

Edited by Mind, 05 September 2012 - 04:39 PM.

[dkkimbel]

In one of their projects, they were trying to find microorganisms from cemetries, that produce enzymes, that metabolise cholesterol and other molecules, that accumulate with the aging process. I want to ask them specially about the cholesterol degradation enzymes. I wondered what exactly is their progress in this search. Are there found microorganisms, that degradate the cholesterol? If so, are there found the enzymes, that degradate the cholesterol? If the necessary enzymes are found are there developed technologies for the production of the enzymes? If the enzymes can be produced relatively easy, then are they tested on animals? If so, are they tested on humans.

SENS Foundation hasn't been working with this specific 'microorganisms from soil' approach much recently, either at the SENSF Research Center or in any SENSF-funded university lab. We have actively been working to use enzymes to degrade A2E and 7-Ketocholesterol (7KC), though, to help treat age-related macular degeneration and atherosclerosis, respectively. The A2E work is ongoing at the SENSF Research Center, but none of the interns were involved with that project. The 7KC work is being done at Rice University, and it's moving along. To my knowledge they aren't testing on animals yet, though I'm not fully up-to-date on that project. There was actually a publication that came out of it pretty recently, which you could check out: http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/22447444.

[Danail Bulgaria]

Thank You for the answer.