Video—Blue beetle could be key to fountain of youth

Wright State researcher Dean Rider wants to sequence the blue beetle's DNA to learn why it lives so long.

It’s not a magical water source or a fantasy fountain, but Wright State University researchers may be close to finding a fountain of youth.

Wright State researchers are on a mission to find the fountain of youth and it’s all thanks to a beetle.

“There are reports that it can live up to 17 years in captivity,” said Research Assistant Professor Dean Rider from Wright State University. “If we were to understand why this species was able to live that long, it might give us cues about ourselves and what we can do to manipulate our own behavior or diet to improve our own lifespan.”

Watch the report from WKEF-TV.