Photo-and thermo-regulation by photonic crystals for extended longevity of C. elegans

Methods allowing light energy to be modulated in a controllable fashion are potentially important for finding the correlation between light-related environmental factors and aging-related lifespan. Here, we report photo- and thermo-regulation based on photonic crystals (PCs) for extended longevity of C. elegans. We show that PCs can function as a regulator of visible spectrum to tune photonic energy received by C.elegans. We provide direct evidence that lifespan depends on photonic energy, and the use of PCs reflecting blue light (440-537 nm) gives 8.3 % increasement in lifespan. We demonstrate that the exposure to modulated light alleviates photo-oxidative stress and unfolded-protein response. We realize reflective passive cooling temperature using PCs, and favorable low temperature could be created for worms to extend lifespan. This work offers a new path based on PCs to resist negative effects light and temperature for longevity, provides an available platform for studying the role of light in aging.