Monday, July 23, 2012

An artificial jellyfish made from rat heart cells



Is this the first cybernetic life form? Researchers at Harvard University have made an artificial jellyfish using a sheet of silicone and rat heart cells.
This cybernetic life form, named a medusoid was created using a thin layer of rat heart muscle cells grown on top of a layer of elastic silicone, this makes the medusoid swim like an ordinary jellyfish. The medusoid's muscle cells which are rat heart cells, contract when exposed to an electrical current in water. Then the silicone part of its body springs the creature back into a flat shape. Each time the rat heart cells cycle, the jellyfish moves forward.

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