How Lemurs Are Laying the Groundwork for Interstellar Travel
By Duke Today
From fairy tales – such as Sleeping Beauty and Rip Van Winkle – to science fiction films, including Planet of the Apes and Alien, people have long been fascinated by the concept of humans undergoing prolonged periods of sleep.
Ana Breit’s fascination started with her studies of body temperature regulation and hibernation. Her early research focused on bats, which can double their weight before entering a months-long hibernation state. A year ago, when she joined the Duke Lemur Center as a research scientist, she began studying Malagasy fat-tailed dwarf lemurs. “Being able to study hibernation in the closest relatives to humans able to hibernate is an incredible opportunity,” said Breit, who, along with Duke Lemur Center colleagues, received a $30,000 NC Biotech Flash Grant to study hibernation at warmer temperatures.