Wrinkle in Time

The tiny C. elegans worm is a model organism popular in studies ranging from nerve cell development to ageing. Now, researchers have used atomic force microscopy to capture highly detailed images of the worm’s cuticle – the equivalent to our skin – and on it performed highly sensitive stiffness measurements, the equivalent of testing our tissues’ ability to withstand external pressure during ageing. Like in humans, where wrinkles imply old age and the skin hangs loosely, in old worms, both the quality of the cuticle and stiffness of the worm decrease with age (young worm cuticle pictured top, old below). However, when worms were subjected to different diets, drugs and alterations to their genetics that could increase lifespan, not all led to a stiffer worm with ‘better skin’ – measures of extended healthspan. Ultimately, the work implies that for healthy ageing we may need separate interventions; one to increase longevity, and one to make sure we stay healthier for longer.

Read more about this research at the MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences here

Written by Sophie Arthur

Sophie Arthur

former Science Communications Officer MRC LMS

Formerly a stem cell biologist, Sophie has since moved into science communication working at the MRC LMS. She also writes an award winning science and education blog Soph talks science.

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• Image from work by Clara Essmann and colleagues
• Host Microbe Co-Metabolism group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, UK
• Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
• Published in Nature Communications, February 2020