Have you ever wondered if you could use your brain waves to control gene expression in a mouse?
More than likely, you haven't, but scientists have figured out a way to do it regardless, by using a new gene network that enables brain waves associated with specific thoughts to control gene expression, or the metamorphosis of genes into proteins.
"For the first time, we have been able to tap into human brainwaves, transfer them wirelessly to a gene network and regulate the expression of a gene depending on the type of thought," says Martin Fussenegger, Professor of Biotechnology and Bioengineering at the Department of Biosystems in Basel. "Being able to control gene expression via the power of thought is a dream that we've been chasing for over a decade."
Although it seems like science fiction, the solution for pulling off such a feat was relatively simple. Inspired by a game called Mindflex, which has players wearing headsets with sensors that records brain waves via electroencephalogram (EEG). In the game, the EEG data powers a fan that guides a ball through an obstacle course.
In this new study, bioengineers placed implants inside mice that held small chambers of genetically modified cells. Humans wearing EEG headsets used their thoughts, creating brain waves. The resulting EEG data went to a controller that created a magnetic field that charges the implant. This caused an LED light to go off in the near-infrared range, which isn't harmful to cells or tissue. This light hit the chamber of cells, resulting in the cells producing the protein.
The experiment was a success: human brain waves affected the genes of mice.
"Controlling genes in this way is completely new and is unique in its simplicity," says Fussenegger.
Of course, this experiment wasn't just about affecting gene expression in mice. The hope is that this technology can someday help humans. In the future, such a brain wave implant could tackle chronic pain, by detecting brain waves associated with that pain early and triggering proteins that stop the pain before it happens.
This isn't the first research using the power of brain waves. Last week, scientists announced success with a brain-to-brain interface allowing two brains to communicate directly with each other.
"Current technology is sufficient to develop devices for rudimentary brain-to-brain information transmission in humans," writes the authors of that study. "Such devices (which have been long cherished by science fiction writers) have the potential to not only revolutionize how humans communicate and collaborate, but also open a new avenue for investigating brain function."
[Photo Credit: Nevit Dilmen, Wiki Commons]
