Recent evidence has indicated that electric eels' secret power can add to what we already know about electroporation. The technique of electroporation allows researchers to manipulate cells by using electric shock to aid entry of genetic material. In other words a creative tool used for gene delivery. A research group from Nagoya University in Japan found electric eels can release enough electricity to genetically modify small fish larvae. Researchers now can utilize key findings from electric eels to better understand and expand the use of electroporation far beyond laboratories.
The study was primarily focused on electric eels. However, it is hypothesized that any organisms that generate electricity could affect genetic modification in nature. Sounds unbelievable. Any organisms and natural occurring fields have demonstrated genetic manipulation outside the laboratories. Resulting in environmental DNA fragments, foreign genes, and genetic recombination from electric shock. One of the researchers from Nagoya University elaborate on this mind-boggling evidence by alluding to the idea of being more creative to generate new discoveries. As this can highlight complex organisms and their use for the next generation.
It is interesting to discover that electric eel's secret power can add to available knowledge on electroporation. Usually, electric shocks are considered harmful and triggering but seeing that it can be used to manipulate cells to aid entry of genetic materials provides a twist to how the rest of the world including myself will begin to see electric shocks. This was a nice read!
ReplyDeleteI really love the picture you chose because of how it matched the topic of this blog post and it being colorful. I never knew of the term electroporation until reading how using electric shock to aid entry of genetic material help researchers manipulate cells which can be a benefit for eels instead of the pain that these eels can bring. Do you think that this would be harmful to the eels?
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your blog on about eel's secret power. Everyone knows what electricity can do, but the fact that eels can release enough electricity to be able to modify small fish larvae is very interesting. What is even more interesting is that any organism that can generate electricity in nature can modify organisms. I find this very interesting and can't wait to see more research done on it.
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