Scientists have created artificial jellyfish
Bioengineers from Caltech and Harvard University, led by Kit Parker, created the world's first artificial jellyfish. A biorobot, called a “medusoid” ( Medusoid ), consists of a mixture of polymers and rat muscle fibers.
Scientists reproduced an artificial muscle on a polymeric matrix with the help of cells of rat heart tissue, applied to a drawing from a protein solution. Polydimethylsiloxane was used as a polymer; it is close in mechanical properties to a jellyfish mesoglue. With a diameter of just under one centimeter, the quasi-organism repeats in shape the contours of the young eared aurelia (Latin Aurelia aurita).
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Meduzoid is able to move with the help of jet propulsion in an electrically conductive salt solution. Under the action of a pulsating electric discharge, the quasi-organism simultaneously reduces the muscle cell layer, straightening due to the elasticity of the polymer during the pause between discharges. Biorobot imitates the technique of movement of its biological counterpart, moving an average of 0.6 - 0.8 times the length of its own body in one contraction. The authors also succeeded in reproducing the mechanics of fluid movement during the movements of the medusoid, which form vortex flows, which in jellyfish adjust the food to the mouth opening.
Due to the fact that the contraction mechanism repeats the movements of the heart during blood pumping, such developments are of interest for creating an artificial model of cardiac tissue. They shed light on the principle of the work of the cells of the heart muscle, which will help create heart valves that do not need to be connected to the source of electricity. In addition, according to researchers, such developments can be used in the pharmacological industry to test various drugs and their impact on the work of the heart muscle.
In the future, the researchers plan to reproduce more complex behaviors, “teaching” it to make turns and react to external stimuli, moving in a certain direction to the source of light or food. To do this, they intend to introduce into it a control device, a kind of “brain” capable of reacting to the environment.
Scientists reproduced an artificial muscle on a polymeric matrix with the help of cells of rat heart tissue, applied to a drawing from a protein solution. Polydimethylsiloxane was used as a polymer; it is close in mechanical properties to a jellyfish mesoglue. With a diameter of just under one centimeter, the quasi-organism repeats in shape the contours of the young eared aurelia (Latin Aurelia aurita).
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Meduzoid is able to move with the help of jet propulsion in an electrically conductive salt solution. Under the action of a pulsating electric discharge, the quasi-organism simultaneously reduces the muscle cell layer, straightening due to the elasticity of the polymer during the pause between discharges. Biorobot imitates the technique of movement of its biological counterpart, moving an average of 0.6 - 0.8 times the length of its own body in one contraction. The authors also succeeded in reproducing the mechanics of fluid movement during the movements of the medusoid, which form vortex flows, which in jellyfish adjust the food to the mouth opening.
Due to the fact that the contraction mechanism repeats the movements of the heart during blood pumping, such developments are of interest for creating an artificial model of cardiac tissue. They shed light on the principle of the work of the cells of the heart muscle, which will help create heart valves that do not need to be connected to the source of electricity. In addition, according to researchers, such developments can be used in the pharmacological industry to test various drugs and their impact on the work of the heart muscle.
In the future, the researchers plan to reproduce more complex behaviors, “teaching” it to make turns and react to external stimuli, moving in a certain direction to the source of light or food. To do this, they intend to introduce into it a control device, a kind of “brain” capable of reacting to the environment.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/148421/
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