About This Project

The aim of this project is to discover how Vespa Amino Acid Mixture (VAAM), a metabolic accelerant, impacts cellular repair mechanisms. Previous studies have shown that VAAM can effectively give insects super-powers, but also seems to “burn them out” and dramatically shorten their life. Help us look at how VAAM impacts cellular repair mechanisms, with the aim of both discovering why it leads to an early grave and with the hope of preventing the negative consequences while maximizing endurance!

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

VAAM is a chemical mixture produced by Japanese giant hornets which has been shown to increase their endurance during long flights. Research in our laboratory has shown that it accelerates the activity of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, the powerhouse of the cell. Our studies have shown that VAAM treatment in house flies results in an impressive 276% increase in physical endurance. Though these results are impressive, they come at a BIG cost – massively increased mortality. In test after test VAAM has been shown to increase mortality rates by over 60%, and to cut lifespans in half or more! We are currently studying how VAAM might affect the cell itself, specifically investigating whether or not it damages DNA or alters markers of cell repair.

What is the significance of this project?

People spend billions of dollars every year on nutritional supplements, energy drinks and pills that promise to boost performance without delivering. VAAM and other natural compounds like it show great promise for actually improving metabolic function, providing extra energy, and increasing endurance. But their cost seems to be equally great: rapid aging and cellular degeneration. By further exploring the impact of VAAM on cellular repair and aging factors such as telomerase and heat-shock proteins we can come to a better understanding of how VAAM actually works and why it’s so costly. We will also expand our understanding of the basic interactions between metabolism, activity and aging.

What are the goals of the project?

The specific goals of this project are to: a) measure the impact of VAAM on molecular markers of cell repair and aging, and b) to study the impact of other modulating factors such as cold, anesthesia and growth-regulating hormones, on the effects of VAAM with the hope that we can find a method to decrease the negative consequences of VAAM exposure.