Investigate the seabed today It is a real challenge for science for the need to have expensive and Submarine spectators that resist high pressure to which they can be exposed. But now, a research group has found The way to obtain real -time data On the temperature, pH and health of our seas in a sustainable and efficient way. And this future is closer to what it seems and its protagonists are unexpected allies: Cyborg jellyfish.
Turn a jellyfish into an oceanic explorer. In a laboratory of the University of Colorado in Boulder, the engineer Nicole Xu and her team are converting to the jellyfish Luna (Aurelia Aurita) in the final oceanic explorer. And it is not dealing with science fiction. What is discussed in this case is a great innovation in the Biohbrid robotics field which promises to revolutionize the way in which those areas of the planet can be studied that are inaccessible.
A “pacemaker” to guide the explorer. The idea, as bright as simple in its concept, consists in equipping these jellyfish with a small microelectronic device. This device works in a way similar to a Cardiac pacemakers. The research leader, Nicole Xu, points to what is sought is to stimulate “the swimming muscle to cause contractions and direct animals towards a certain direction.”
By selectively activating each muscle, researchers will be able to determine the direction of the jellyfish, making it a remote control vehicle capable of carrying sensors to collect crucial data. The objective is to send them to remote areas of the ocean, too deep or dangerous for conventional human exploration and obtain vital information on the impact of climate change in the deepest waters of the planet.
The jellyfish stands out for being ‘Simplona’. Among all the living beings that exist, the jellyfish has been selected. The reason is quite simple: they have maintained their simple structure For more than 500 million years And they are the most efficient swimmers on the planet.
Precisely as invertebrate, it lacks brain or spinal cord and its nervous system is based on a pair of superimposed neural networks, which simplifies the interaction with the device that will be installed. In other animals with great nervous complexity, the process could become too convoluted and not be a success.
Extreme resistance and harmless beings. Although during this summer they have been protagonists of our coasts, this concrete type of Medusa have been found in the most extreme depths of the earth. Here is included for example Mariana pitwith a depth of almost 11,000 meters under the surface.
Another positive point that can have the use of this jellyfish is how easy it is to work with them, since the efficient cells of their small tentacles cannot penetrate human skin, so they are harmless to us. So much so that researchers have already tried to work with these jellyfish successfully in 2020 in shallow waters, and now the goal is to go to the next level.
Ethics and future: beyond exploration. Nicole Xu’s work does not stop at the control of jellyfish. Your team is also deeply committed to Ethical considerations To be able to work with these invertebrates. And although the ‘scientific tradition’ pointed out that invertebrates could not feel pain because they have no nociceptors, the most recent scientific evidence suggests something different.
Studies suggest that some invertebrate species If you can feel painalthough in this case the XU team points to that all signs are positive. They do not show an increase in mucus secretion (a stress indicator) and are even actively reproducing, with small polyps (baby jellyfish) covering the wall tanks walls. That is why they are concluding that their studies are not causing suffering in these living beings.
Beyond exploration. The XU team sees great potential in the study of these animals. Analyzing the flow of water around it with biodegradable particles such as corn starch, they seek to unravel the secrets of their incredible efficiency. The researcher herself points to the following:
“There is something really special in the way Luna’s jellyfish swim. We want to unlock that to create more energy efficient new generation vehicles”
In this way, what begins in a dark aquarium illuminated with neon lights could not only give us the keys to understand the health of our oceans, but also inspire the next generation of submarine robots.
We know very little of the seabed. The background of our seas remains a great mystery, to the point that We know more information from the planet Mars itself. Research right now focuses on this part of our planet using advanced technology such as THE MAPEADO TO SEEK GANNES or even determine why There is a great structure in the seabed of Peru.
Images | Marath Gilyadzinov
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