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Title : Can We Keep Neurons Active…with Algae?
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Can We Keep Neurons Active…with Algae?

Can We Keep Neurons Active…with Algae?

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Tiny microbes, like cyanobacteria, can produce a lot of oxygen through photosynthesis. In fact, these critters are thought to be the main reason for Earth to have enough oxygen to kickstart multicellular life. And now, researchers in Germany are harnessing that power for another reason. They’re looking to reactivate oxygen-starved neurons with the hopes that one day they can deliver oxygen to the brain when it needs it the most. Brains need a constant supply of oxygen to do their work properly. And when not enough oxygen reaches the brain, cells start dying out. So, scientists started to look at ways to deliver that precious oxygen to the brain using things that can produce lots of oxygen on-site, like green algae and cyanobacteria, collectively referred to as microbes.

To test out the hypothesis, researchers used Xenopus tadpoles, tiny critters that have see-through bodies. So, when the moment came to kick off photosynthesis, scientists only needed to shine a light on the tadpoles’ translucent little noggins. After the tadpoles were anesthetized, the microbes were injected into the heart. The circulatory system then moved the tiny microbes throughout their blood vessels. Then, the head was severed while in a solution that kept the cells alive. After changing the solution to one with low oxygen, the microbes in the blood vessels surrounding the brain were able to produce enough oxygen to jump-start the brain. And when the neurons struggled to fire, the microbes helped restore the neuronal activity, kind of like little internal generators. But since this study only used tadpole heads, there wasn’t a way to measure whether having these microbes in the blood vessels surrounding the brain had any sort of negative impact on the rest of the organism. 

And the authors bring up the point that an intact organism’s immune system might not appreciate the presence of a foreign entity like a microbe and attempt to attack it. So, careful consideration would be needed when selecting a microbe to use in future trials, as some species might trigger a severe immune response. As for when we’ll be able to use this technique in humans, well, this is a long way off from being tested in people for multiple reasons. First, this study would need to be done on a whole human, not just ahead. On top of that, humans aren’t very similar to baby frogs, I mean, our heads are definitely not see-through. However, our skin is, at least somewhat. The same researchers have suggested that if you inject the microbes into the cardiovascular system, they could get exposed to sunlight as they travel through the veins and arteries just under the skin. But there’s a real risk of these microbes clogging up an artery because they have a tendency to clump together in one spot. Also, too much oxygen can be as bad as not enough oxygen, and how much is produced by microorganisms is hard to control. 

 So, unfortunately, right now, this type of research is only proof of concept. And a lot of work needs to be done for trials to move to creatures larger than tadpoles. Luckily, other technologies have been proposed to help with oxygen deprivation in humans, like injecting tiny gas-filled microparticles directly into the bloodstream to rapidly oxygenate the blood. And although this isn’t quite as cool as having algae living in your bloodstream, it could help in a pinch in the future! Something else that can help in a pinch is problem-solving, and today’s sponsor, Brilliant, has all you need to get you started. They’re an online learning platform with courses about science, engineering, computer science, and math. 

 They have a recently updated course on Scientific Thinking with hands-on experiments that let you discover the world in a new way. Like, you might know that the water boils at a certain temperature, but what happens when you add salt, does the temperature change? If you want to find out, visit brilliant.org/scishow or click on the link in the description. The first 200 people will get 20 percent off Brilliant's annual premium subscription, and checking them out also helps us, so thank you!

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