The Key to Immortality...Jellyfish!!!

    Turritopsis dohrnii, also known as The Immortal Jellyfish, is exactly the magical creature it sounds like. This little jelly is often found in temperate and tropical water such as the Mediterranean Sea. Like many other animals it has developed specialized survival techniques, in this case, immortality. When threatened, The Immortal Jellyfish is capable of reverting into its polyp form (literally reversing its age/physical development).  To be clear, there are other jellyfish with similar abilities. Multiple jellyfish species are capable of "rewinding" themselves. The Immortal Jellyfish, however, is the only one capable of doing so repeatedly and after entering the medusae phase of development.

    In Comparative Genomics of Mortal and Immortal Cnidarians Unveils Novel Keys Behind Rejuvenation, a research team attempts to uncover what specific genes give The Immortal Jellyfish its rejuvenation ability. This was done by comparing the Immortal Jellyfish's genome to Turritopsis rubra, its non-immortal cousin. Overall, their finding suggest that gene amplification, replication efficiency, DNA repair, and telomere activity are primary differences and potential contributors to increasing rejuvenation abilities. With further study, this research has the potential change the way we think of human aging. Maybe one day in the future the information we learn from The Immortal Jellyfish can be used to extend human life!