In this episode, we ask: can a heartless worm model arrhythmia? Turns out — yes. Using Caenorhabditis elegans as a stand-in for cardiac muscle, researchers tested the effects of polypyrrole nanoparticles (Ppy NPs) on pharyngeal pumping rhythms, revealing fascinating insights into how bioengineered materials might impact human-like tissues.
We explore:
How the worm pharynx mimics cardiac function
Why mutants with sluggish pumps were rescued by Ppy NPs
Long-lasting effects, even after the nanoparticles were expelled
Calcium imaging showing altered Ca²⁺ dynamics in real time
The power of C. elegans for safe-by-design nanomedicine screening
📖 Based on the research article:
“Arrhythmic Effects Evaluated on Caenorhabditis elegans: The Case of Polypyrrole Nanoparticles”
Sumithra Yasaswini Srinivasan, Pilar Alvarez Illera, Dmytro Kukhtar, et al.
Published in ACS Nano (2023).
🔗 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.3c05245
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