The keys to longevity have been a source of curiosity and the basis of many research studies for years, yet the mechanisms underlying a person’s ability to live a long life are still not fully understood.

Vanderbilt University researchers have found a genetic mutation that causes pulmonary hypertension in cattle grazed at high altitude, and which leads to a life-threatening condition called brisket disease.

Human cells are constructed in large part from proteins whose activity can be altered by the incorporation of oxygen in what are known as redox modifications.