Magnetic Nanoparticles Can Remotely Control Worms

Magnetic Nanoparticles Can Remotely Control Worms
By Jess McNally
July 7, 2010
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/07/magnetic-nanoparticles-can-remotely-control-worms/

Live Remote Controlled Worms

By attaching magnetic nanoparticles to cell membranes near the "mouth" of the worms, scientists can heat the cells remotely thus affecting their behavior. (VN: what does that suggest for us? Remember an article Vatic did about the nano particles that can now manipulate our DNA. If that is the case, imagine what it can do to our brains. hmmm. I wish I trusted those in control of this technology, but I don't. If they begin to experiment on us without our permission, get the name of the unethical scientist or doctor who did that to you and we can discuss later what to do about it that will send a good message to all those willing to participate in these evils upon our bodies and minds)

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid90402333001?bclid=90190339001&bctid=110173949001



Using magnetic nanoparticles, scientists have found a way to remotely control neurons and affect animal behavior.  The nanoparticles, which are targeted to attach to cell membranes, heat up when exposed to a magnetic field. Researchers have demonstrated that the heat can open calcium ion channels in cells, activate neurons and even cause C. elegans worms to recoil, according to a paper released in Nature Nanotechnology June 27.

“This research will help us unravel the signaling networks that control animal behavior,” physicist Arnd Pralle of the University of Buffalo, co-author of the study, said in a press release July 6.

The work could also have applications in cancer treatments and diabetes therapies. If the nanoparticles can be targeted to specific proteins or cells, it may be possible to kill cancer cells by overheating the cell wall, or to stimulate the pancreatic cells to release insulin. The method only affects cell walls, so patients wouldn’t actually feel the heat.

“It would take forever to heat up [a] whole cell since it is cooled so well by all the water around it,” Pralle said.  One of the major questions for using the technique in human applications is where the heat-sensitive ion channels are in the body. In the C. elegans worms, the researchers were able to target known ion channels that opened up at 93 degrees Fahrenheit, which caused the recoil response.

In humans, similar ion channels in fingers open up at 122 degrees Fahrenheit, which is what causes our fingers to jump back when we touch something too hot, but little is known about other places where this happens in the body.

See Also (go to article link for live links for these subjects, well worth the read):
Metal Bits Self-Assemble Into Lifelike Snakes
Brain-Machine Interfaces Make for Tricky Ethics
Panel Releases Deep Report on Brain-Computer Interfaces
Laser-Controlled Humans Closer to Reality
The Next Hacking Frontier: Your Brain?

Read More http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/07/magnetic-nanoparticles-can-remotely-control-worms/#ixzz0tD1bGmTw

---

The article is reproduced in accordance with Section 107 of title 17 of the Copyright Law of the United States relating to fair-use and is for the purposes of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.