Caitlin Linville

Caitlin Linville

Mar 30, 2016

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VAAM....what is it?

Vespa amino acid mixture is said to do all kinds of things - from maintaining blood sugar levels to preventing lactic acid formation in the muscles in order to allow for heightened endurance. But what is it exactly?

To put it simply, VAAM is a mixture of 17 amino acids that increase cellular productivity. It has been isolated and analyzed from the larval saliva of giant Japanese hornets. From our previous lab experiments with VAAM, we have found the product to be efficacious in producing a 276% increase in endurance when tested on our model organism. But how, and at what cost? Thus far, the cost seems to be cellular death triggered by mitochondrial burnout.

But can we keep the effects and avoid the price? Can we super-charge the cell and avoid the burn?

That is what we are trying to discover by studying this little known product from the forests of Japan!

Check out more of what our lab has done with VAAM below!


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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!

More Lab Notes From This Project

Blast off!

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