- Safi Bello
Scientists use sound to track tiny organisms in the body
The Verge --------- Our bodies are home to tiny organisms called microbes that play a big role in health, and scientists have developed a new way to track these organisms using sound. They’ve only tested the technique in mice so far, but it could one day be used to enhance treatments for gut disease and cancer. In mammals, the microbiome consists of an ecosystem of various bacteria and fungi that live inside our bodies. More and more, research finds that microbes affect everything from digestion to infection to birth, and one promising application is to send special microbes inside the body to deliver medicine. In a study published today in the journal Nature, scientists engineered microbes to make specific sounds when they come into contact with ultrasound. This makes it possible to easily track these microbes, which could come in handy when doctors need to figure out whether they’ve reached the right location to deliver medicine. To learn more click on the picture below to read the article.