• Home
  • News
  • World
  • Politics
  • Money
  • Lifestyle
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Travel
  • More
    • Tech
    • Web Stories
    • Spotlight
    • Press Release
What's On

Today’s horoscope for August 3 as Cancer reconsiders a friendship

3 August 2025

American living in UK visits Poundland for the first time and shares honest verdict

3 August 2025

Jamie Vardy shares feelings on Wrexham transfer as ambitious Premier League move eyed up

3 August 2025

British tourists urged to check hotel mirrors to avoid a holiday from hell

3 August 2025

Olivia Attwood says she got ‘so many compliments’ on this £39 pendant necklace

3 August 2025

Davina McCall raves this collagen supplement makes ‘a noticeable change to skin and joints’

3 August 2025

Lovely seaside home looks completely normal – until you spot the underground tunnels

3 August 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Trending
  • Today’s horoscope for August 3 as Cancer reconsiders a friendship
  • American living in UK visits Poundland for the first time and shares honest verdict
  • Jamie Vardy shares feelings on Wrexham transfer as ambitious Premier League move eyed up
  • British tourists urged to check hotel mirrors to avoid a holiday from hell
  • Olivia Attwood says she got ‘so many compliments’ on this £39 pendant necklace
  • Davina McCall raves this collagen supplement makes ‘a noticeable change to skin and joints’
  • Lovely seaside home looks completely normal – until you spot the underground tunnels
  • Parents warned that all children under 7 should never have popular drink
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
England TimesEngland Times
Demo
  • Home
  • News
  • World
  • Politics
  • Money
  • Lifestyle
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Travel
  • More
    • Tech
    • Web Stories
    • Spotlight
    • Press Release
England TimesEngland Times
Home » Stinging insect may hold secret to slowing ageing – it can ‘press pause’ on time
Lifestyle

Stinging insect may hold secret to slowing ageing – it can ‘press pause’ on time

By staff3 August 2025No Comments4 Mins Read

Scientists believe these insects can undergo a ‘time-out’ on ageing

Person looking in the mirror at wrinkles
The University of Leicester unveiled new research on ageing(Image: Getty Images)

Using insects to ‘pause ageing’ may sound like something straight out of a science fiction movie. But specialists now claim a specific bug could potentially do just that, amidst new research that is certainly not for the squeamish.

The new study, led by the University of Leicester, examined a species called the ‘jewel wasp’, which is thought to have first arrived in the UK in 1998. While these wasps do not sport the familiar yellow and black exoskeleton we are accustomed to, do not be fooled.

These metallic-coated stingers are ruthless within the insect world, laying eggs in other insects’ nests so their larvae can devour whatever is inside. Nonetheless, scientists certainly looked past these traits and instead focused on how they age over time.

Despite their short lifespan, the team noted that jewel wasps are actually surprisingly similar to humans due to their ‘functioning DNA methylation system’. In essence, this refers to a key part of cell differentiation – determining which cells serve different functions in the body.

Emerald cockroach wasp or Jewel wasp with prey
Jewel wasps lay eggs in the nests of other insects to allow their larvae to consume whatever’s inside(Image: Kittichart La-id/Getty Images)

READ MORE: ‘I’m a doctor, reduce bloating with this free and easy tip’READ MORE: Mariah Carey says ageing ‘just doesn’t happen’ to her in candid admission

Thanks to this, experts saw that jewel wasp larvae could undergo a remarkable sort of ‘time-out’ on ageing before emerging into adulthood. Those who underwent this essentially hit a ‘pause button’ on getting older and reportedly saw their lifespan extended by over a third.

Senior author and evolutionary biology professor Eamonn Mallon explained: “It’s like the wasps who took a break early in life came back with extra time in the bank. It shows that ageing isn’t set in stone, it can be slowed by the environment, even before adulthood begins.”

As part of the project, researchers exposed jewel wasp mothers to cold and darkness, which activated a hibernation-like state in their babies called diapause. This refers to the natural ‘pause button’ that ultimately increased the offsprings’ overall life expectancy.

What’s more, wasps that experienced diapause aged 29 per cent more slowly at a biological level than their counterparts. However, it is key to note that biological ageing is distinctly different from chronological ageing – they are two separate measures.

While ‘chronological age’ is simply a count of how many birthdays you have celebrated, ‘biological age’ delves into the actual condition of your cells and tissues.

Young hand and old hand, beside each other, wearing matching green/blue nail polish.
Biological ageing is different to chronological ageing(Image: Getty Images)

READ MORE: UKHSA alert over 10 symptoms that could signal ‘life threatening’ summer illness

If your biological age surpasses your chronological age, you are ageing faster than the calendar suggests. In humans, outward signs, such as wrinkles or greying hair, are easy to spot, but other indicators, like cellular deterioration, only become visible through more detailed testing.

The University of Leicester’s results mark the first direct evidence that biological ageing can be tuned in an invertebrate. Now, scientists believe it may be key to evolving research on human ageing, too.

Professor Mallon continued: “Understanding how and why ageing happens is a major scientific challenge. This study opens up new avenues for research, not just into the biology of wasps, but into the broader question of whether we might one day design interventions to slow ageing at its molecular roots.

“With its genetic tools, measurable ageing markers, and clear link between development and lifespan, Nasonia vitripennis is now a rising star in ageing research. In short, this tiny wasp may hold big answers to how we can press pause on ageing.”

What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Tumblr Email

Related News

Davina McCall raves this collagen supplement makes ‘a noticeable change to skin and joints’

3 August 2025

Clean your microwave in less than 5 minutes with no scrubbing using 1 kitchen scrap

3 August 2025

Banish rats ‘far away’ and for good with three garden plants they ‘hate’

3 August 2025

Huge car brand returning to the UK selling all EV line-up only available in four countries

3 August 2025

American buys first Tesco meal deal and people have same comment about his choices

3 August 2025

Bananas will stay fresh for weeks longer when kept in one kitchen spot

2 August 2025
Latest News

American living in UK visits Poundland for the first time and shares honest verdict

3 August 2025

Jamie Vardy shares feelings on Wrexham transfer as ambitious Premier League move eyed up

3 August 2025

British tourists urged to check hotel mirrors to avoid a holiday from hell

3 August 2025

Olivia Attwood says she got ‘so many compliments’ on this £39 pendant necklace

3 August 2025
Stay In Touch
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Vimeo
Don't Miss
Lifestyle

Davina McCall raves this collagen supplement makes ‘a noticeable change to skin and joints’

By staff3 August 20250

Davina McCall has been raving to fans this week about this best-selling collagen supplement, which…

Lovely seaside home looks completely normal – until you spot the underground tunnels

3 August 2025

Parents warned that all children under 7 should never have popular drink

3 August 2025

Easy ways to find spare cash every month plus best treats if you’re on a budget

3 August 2025
England Times
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
© 2025 England Times. All Rights Reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

Go to mobile version