These Extraordinary Fruit Flies Can Detect Cancerous Cells
Michael Baxter — February 3, 2014 — Social Good
References: aktuelles.uni-konstanz.de & psfk
We've seen cancer-sensing robots before but what about a cancer-sensing fruit fly? These fruit flies have been genetically engineered to sense cancerous cells.
Cancer is still one of, if not the biggest scientific anomaly in the world of healthcare. While advances in technology have helped us understand the disease and even slow it down, there can always be more done.
Animals have long been known to have disease-sensing abilities, but the common fly was never thrown into that conversation. It turns out though that flies have the innate ability to sense cancerous cells. Researchers at University of Konstanz in Germany have genetically engineered fruit flies to have antennas that light up when they sense cancer. While dogs have a sort of ability to communicate when they find something, flies do not and that's why genetic modification was necessary.
Cancer is still one of, if not the biggest scientific anomaly in the world of healthcare. While advances in technology have helped us understand the disease and even slow it down, there can always be more done.
Animals have long been known to have disease-sensing abilities, but the common fly was never thrown into that conversation. It turns out though that flies have the innate ability to sense cancerous cells. Researchers at University of Konstanz in Germany have genetically engineered fruit flies to have antennas that light up when they sense cancer. While dogs have a sort of ability to communicate when they find something, flies do not and that's why genetic modification was necessary.
Trend Themes
1. Genetic-modification-of-animals - The advancement in gene-editing technology now allows scientists to modify animals to gain new abilities and functions.
2. Disease-sensing-animals - The incorporation of animals' innate disease-sensing abilities into healthcare can improve disease detection, diagnosis, and treatment.
3. Bioengineering-sensor-organisms - The emerging field of bioengineering sensor organisms can lead to the creation of living biosensors that can detect and respond to various signals and cues in real-time.
Industry Implications
1. Healthcare - The development of disease-sensing animals such as fruit flies can revolutionize disease screening and diagnostics in the healthcare industry.
2. Agriculture - The application of genetic modifications to create more disease resistant crops and livestock is one of the most important innovation needs in the agriculture industry.
3. Environmental Monitoring - The use of bioengineering sensor organisms can help monitor and respond to various environmental changes, including air and water pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss.
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