Thoughts on the AGEMAP
Some punchy thoughts on the AGEMAP project by the Grailsearcher: "Databases are usually quite dull. They are filled with tedious gobs of data like shoe size, date of birth and other boring tidbits that are meaningless on their own. Having to work with them on a day to day basis can sometimes makes you want to bore a hole in your head with a spoon. The AGEMAP database kicks ass though and I'll tell you why. ... 906 gene expressions were shown to change with age across the various mouse tissues. Who cares? You do. It sets the stage for similar human studies and understanding why gene expressions change will lead to therapies that will very likely extend your healthy lifespan in the coming decades. Significantly. ... This is the century where the human race will see significant and perhaps even radical extensions in lifespan due to research taking place now. Decoding the human genome was a big step in that direction and the subsequent leaps such as the AGEMAP database which details specific gene expressions are already taking place." Unvarnished enthusiasm is a good thing, for it it is inenvitably the enthusiasts who help to make progress happen.