The age of cyborgs is here!!! Sort of…
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
In science fiction, cyborgs are part-human, part-machine. In the real world, technology hasn’t become quite that advanced yet. But we are certainly getting closer… How close?
Enter Xenofon Strakosas and team from Linköping University in Sweden.
They haven’t created a cyborg, but get this! They developed a gel that reacts with natural sugars in the body. The reaction converts the gel into an electrode that can conduct electrical signals IN tissue!
To test the electrode gel, they injected it into zebrafish who lived with it for a few days. They also dissected leeches – sorry leeches – where the electrodes were successfully used to stimulate nerves.
The electrodes appeared to have no negative effects and successfully conducted electrical signals! Durable, stable, and non-toxic! The team anticipates this technology can be used in medicine and research, like brain stimulation therapy.
Now who’s ready to be the next terminator? Hasta la vista, baby!
Reference
Strakosas, X., Biesmans, H., Abrahamsson, T., Hellman, K., Ejneby, M. S., Donahue, M. J., Ekström, P., Ek, F., Savvakis, M., Hjort, M., Bliman, D., Linares, M., Lindholm, C., Stavrinidou, E., Gerasimov, J. Y., Simon, D. T., Olsson, R., & Berggren, M. (2023). Metabolite-induced in vivo fabrication of substrate-free organic bioelectronics. Science, 379(6634), 795–802. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adc9998