A recent study published in the journal Nature Aging indicates that genetically modified mitochondria can transform solar energy into chemical energy that cells can utilise. The research illuminates key ageing pathways, even though the idea of sunlight-charged cells in humans is more science fiction than reality.
According to this study, merely increasing metabolism by employing mitochondria powered by light made laboratory worms live longer and in better condition. We can now better understand mitochondria and create new treatments for diseases associated with ageing and healthier ageing thanks to these discoveries and new research methods.
In the new study, charged ions moved across the mitochondrial membrane by proton pumps when exposed to light, charging the mitochondria with the light’s energy. The roundworms lived 30–40% longer thanks to this procedure, which the researchers called mitochondria-ON (mtON), which enhanced ATP synthesis and membrane potential.
“We essentially connected a solar panel to the infrastructure of the already-existing power plant. The solar panel in this case serves as the mtON optogenetic instrument. The usual mitochondrial machinery can then use the light energy in addition to the typical combustion pathway to produce ATP.”
The work is significant because it gives researchers more understanding of the intricate biological functions that mitochondria perform in the human body, a subject that science is only just beginning to comprehend. The research also develops a novel technique for studying and manipulating mitochondria in the context of a living cell. This might be a crucial starting point for research into mitochondria and the discovery of strategies for assisting function.