It is predicted that 1/5 people in the U.S. will be over 65 by the year 2030. The growing older adult population, along with the scientific technology that is available today, together call for exciting new discoveries in understanding the process of aging, as well as how to increase the healthy years of our lives. Just like today we no longer need to worry about diseases such as Polio, scientists hope that in the future we will no longer worry about conditions such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, and arthritis. Right now there are three main institutes in the world that are moving forward in this research- one in Tokyo, one in Austria, and finally the Buck Institute, located in Novato, Marin County, California.
I went on one of two tours offered weekly at Buck to get a peak at their cutting edge research facility, which just won one of the five Nathan Shock Awards for being a top research institute in the US, which is especially exciting considering they have only been around for 8 years! At Buck, about 200 researchers with varying areas of expertise from 18 different countries interact to detect, prevent and treat Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, cancer, heart disease, strokes, arthritis, vision impairment, osteoporosis, diabetes, depression, and mobility loss. They use cutting edge technology to analyze genes, proteins, and hormones in order to predict susceptibility to these conditions as well as to understand WHY people age. Research ‘subjects’ include yeast cultures, worms, flies, mice, and rats. Also, recent funding from the National Institute of Health is allowing exciting stem cell research.
One interesting area of research is that of neurodegenerative diseases and cell death. In 2006, Dr. Galvin did Alzheimer’s research with rats. In Alzheimer’s, the plaque making up the brain has specific breaks in it’s protein chains. By preventing this break in these rats, Dr. Galvin reversed the memory problems in the rats.
What is unique about Buck is the interaction and collaboration between scientists, which allows for unique points of view and integrated theories. A professor in one of my college courses once said, “Innovation happens at the edge of different disciplines.” The Buck tour guide reconfirmed this statement, pointing out that the most stimulating and exciting findings come about in “the cracks,” when a neuroscientist, a biologist, and a geneticist sit down in the tiny temporary lunchroom downstairs at the Buck Institute and discuss their latest research, findings, and theories. Also, Buck is very open to collaborating with other researchers around the world, including the Alzheimer’s Association, the Ellison Foundation, etcetera.
Also, an on-site team called Discovery Translation takes things a step further by taking the published results and findings coming out of Buck and applying and sharing it with pharmaceutical companies, as well as those working with behavioral applications. For example, after studying muscle tissue cells and observing that they were appearing younger after 6 months of weight bearing exercise, the word had to get out to support practices such as occupational therapy!
Seminars presenting the latest research findings, as well as guest expert speakers from around the world are open to the public in the onsite Fred Drexler auditorium. These are presented at the layman’s level, so even if you do not have a scientific background you will be able to understand and appreciate these groundbreaking advancements.
