Create an artificial jellyfish with rat heart cells

2012/07/25 Etxebeste Aduriz, Egoitz - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Bioteknologia
• Biologia
• Ingeniaritza

It is a piece of silicone covered with cells of the heart of rats that, under the influence of an electric current, swim like a jellyfish. Created by bioengineers at the California Institute of Technology and Harvard University, it is known as “medusoid.”

Aurelia has been inspired by the medusa aurita. The jellyfish bell is a layer of muscle cells in which the muscle fibers are aligned around a central ring and along eight radii. Medusa contraction occurs by an electrical signal that extends along the wave-like bell (such as by throwing a stone into the water).

In fact, the muscle cells of the heart work the same way. Thus, the journal Nature Biotechnology has explained that medusoid has been created by growing a layer of muscle cells of the heart of rats in a jellylike silicone support. And when placed in the water between two electrodes begins to swim, like the real jellyfish.

Now researchers intend to do the same with human cells and have already patented the design to use it as a drug test platform, for example, to test drugs that can improve the functioning of heart muscle cells. Also, like the heart does, they want to come up with a system that works with their inner signals. This would allow systems to operate in the human body without the need for batteries.