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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This podcast is generated with artificial intelligence and curated by Veeren. If you’d like your publication featured on the show, please get in touch.

📩 More info: 🔗 ⁠⁠www.veerenchauhan.com⁠⁠ 📧 [email protected]