WOrM Podcast: Whole Organism Analytics Podcast19 Nov 2025

EPISODE 33: The Longevity Latte – Low Caffeine, Long Life

Can a tiny dose of caffeine help a worm live longer? In this episode, we explore how C. elegans responds to the world’s favourite stimulant. Researchers show that low-dose caffeine extends lifespan, while higher doses flip into toxicity — revealing a fine balance between metabolic stress, development, and purinergic signalling.

We cover:

How small amounts of caffeine boost survival in C. elegans
Why high doses shorten lifespan and slow development
Effects on growth, body size, and reproduction
How adenosine signalling partially controls caffeine’s impact
Why the DAF-2 insulin/IGF-1 pathway is required for the longevity effect
What this teaches us about conserved stimulant–ageing biology

It’s the worm equivalent of a perfectly measured flat white — just enough buzz to help you thrive.

Based on the research article:

“Lifespan Extension Induced by Caffeine in Caenorhabditis elegans is Partially Dependent on Adenosine Signaling”

José C. Bridi, Arthur G.A. Barros, Laura R. Sampaio, João C.D. Ferreira, Fabiano A. Antunes Soares & Marcos A. Romano-Silva.

Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience (2015)

🔗 https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2015.00220

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This podcast is generated with artificial intelligence and curated by Veeren. If you’d like your publication featured on the show, please get in touch.

📩 More info:

🔗 ⁠⁠www.veerenchauhan.com⁠⁠

📧 veeren.chauhan@nottingham.ac.uk

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Avsnitt(53)

EPISODE 53: Worms on Pause

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EPISODE 52: Worms in Space: Microbiomes in a Capsule

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EPISODE 50: Fed by Mum, Built by Ribosomes

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EPISODE 49: Glowing up the Worm Proteome

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EPISODE 48: Murder Mode: How a Worm Evolved the Urge to Kill

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EPISODE 47: When Bacteria Fight Back: Bioplastic Kills the Worm

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29 Apr 21min

EPISODE 46: Turning in Time: Neural Sequences in the Worm Brain

Welcome to the next episode of the WOrM Podcast 🪱Today we’re looking at something deceptively simple: a turn.But not just that a worm turns —how the brain decides to do it.⸻🧬 The central ideaTurning...

22 Apr 19min