Curious Cases Immortal Jellies
Nov 28, 2025
Miranda Lowe, a Principal Curator at the Natural History Museum, and Alex Cagan, a genetics expert from Cambridge, explore the astonishing abilities of the 'immortal jellyfish.' This jellyfish can reverse its aging process under stress, raising intriguing questions about human longevity. They discuss the challenges of studying this delicate creature and compare it to other regenerative animals like axolotls. Alex also reveals insights into the genetics of long-lived species, including the remarkable adaptations of the naked mole-rat, suggesting potential pathways for human health.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Jellyfish Rewind Their Life Cycle
- Turritopsis dohrnii can revert from adult medusa back to a juvenile polyp via trans-differentiation under stress.
- This process effectively restarts its life cycle and could, in theory, repeat indefinitely.
Field Encounters With Tiny Reversing Jellies
- Maria Pia Miglietta described collecting tiny Turritopsis in southern Italy and watching reversals under a microscope.
- She emphasised the challenge of keeping full life cycles healthy in lab conditions for long-term study.
‘Immortal’ Is Not The Same As Robust
- Despite their name, immortal jellyfish are fragile and notoriously hard to maintain in labs.
- This fragility severely limits experimental study of their regenerative mechanisms.