Can a Jellyfish Unlock the Secret of Immortality? (The New York Times)

In a New York Times story about research on a hydrozoan known as the “immortal jellyfish,” Dartmouth’s Kevin Peterson, associate professor of biological sciences and adjunct professor of earth sciences, says there is a “shocking amount of genetic similarity between jellyfish and human beings.” The genetic similarities, Peterson tells the Times, may have implications for medicine, especially in terms of longevity and cancer research.

“Immortality might be much more common than we think,” Peterson tells the Times. “There are sponges out there that we know have been there for decades. Sea-urchin larvae are able to regenerate and continuously give rise to new adults.” He adds, “This might be a general feature of these animals. They never really die.”

Read the full story, published 11/28/12 in The New York Times.