How Butterflies Can Help Scientists Detect Cancer

There are many creatures on this planet that are useful for way more than you think.

Butterflies can perceive a broader range of colors than humans can. Scientists have discovered

that butterflies can successfully navigate the ultraviolet spectrum effortlessly. By mimicking the

butterfly’s compound eye, and tiered photoreceptor structure, researchers have been able to build

imaging sensors to delve into the ultraviolet range.


A team led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers Viktor Gruev and

Shuming Nie have developed this sensor that can detect multiple UV regions. They do this by

employing stacked photodiodes and perovskite nanocrystals to capture different UV

wavelengths. The camera essentially absorbs or re-emits UV photons as visible light. With this,

researchers have been able to distinguish between cancer cells and normal cells with 99%

accuracy, as cancer cells have different concentrations of spectral signatures.


The UV imaging sensor holds promise in diverse fields. With the ability to differentiate

between cancerous and healthy cells, it could aid surgeons in ensuring clear margins during

tumor removal. This breakthrough technology opens up possibilities not only in healthcare but

also in exploring the habits of UV-sensitive species and underwater environments. The sensor

offers unique opportunities for biologists to study UV-sensitive species' behaviors, mating habits,

and hunting techniques. Submerging the sensor underwater may unveil new insights into aquatic

ecosystems, as some animals underwater also rely on UV light. The butterfly-inspired technology stands at the forefront of scientific progress, bringing the unseen into focus across

various domains.

Posted by Nicole Matthews (8)

University of Illinois Grainger College of Engineering. (2023, November 7). Seeing the unseen:

How butterflies can help scientists detect cancer. ScienceDaily.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/11/231103170637.htm


Comments

  1. AnonymousNovember 15, 2023 at 1:02 PM

    Hi Nicole, this was fascinating to read. It is crazy to think about all the new technology and discovery that scientists are finding. This made me really interested to see how it actually works. Is it able to be used to distinguish all types of cancer cells? Or do not all cancer cells have a distinguished concentration of spectral signatures.
    -Payton Carroll

    ReplyDelete
  2. Haley SampsonNovember 15, 2023 at 4:54 PM

    Great job, Nicole! This is such a cool finding that I could totally see becoming more utilized and popular in the field of oncology research and treatment. It is so interesting that creatures such as butterflies possess qualities that they use for certain niche things for their survival, and how we can use similar mechanisms for entirely different reasons. Nice work!

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousNovember 17, 2023 at 9:21 AM

    Hi Nicole! This is a super interesting and innovative technique. The 99% detection accuracy is incredible and I am curious as to what other animals traits we can apply to our lives to improve our technology.
    - Chloe Springer

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ryan HorriganNovember 17, 2023 at 12:16 PM

    Hi Nicole! It is truly incredible how the cures for so many diseases can be found hidden in nature. Nature has so many places where it can potentially help us detect, or maybe treat, cancer.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousNovember 20, 2023 at 10:10 AM

    Hi Nicole! This was an awesome read! It is very interesting how we are able to use a butterfly's compound eye to aid our progression in the medical field. I wonder if it's able to help is other fields as well. I also wonder if this can be used for all types of cancerous cells, or if there are some that qualify as an exception?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jill GobbiNovember 20, 2023 at 7:01 PM

    Hi Nicole! It is truly fascinating that UV light could be the key to early, noninvasive cancer detection. I wonder if cancer cells emit different wavelengths of light than normal cells because of the difference in the physical composition of DNA in cancer cells. I wonder if things like blebs in cells can cause a difference in light refraction.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousDecember 5, 2023 at 8:56 AM

    Hi Nicole! This was a great post with some really interesting information. I find it really cool that UV light can be used to detect things like cancer. It would be a game changer in cancer detection and hopefully in the future differentiating benign, malignant, or precancerous.
    -Lyssa Cunha

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Strain-Induced Jamming in a Spirostomum Ambiguum Cell

Spirostomum ambiguum are single-celled organisms that reside on sediment beds of brackish water habitats. These worm-like organisms range in size from 1 to 4 mm and feast on surrounding bacteria. However, there is more to meet the eye regarding this tiny aquatic organism. In a fraction of the time it takes to blink, Spirotomum ambiguum can shrink to more than half its original length. This contraction generates a gravitational force equivalent (g-force - a measure of acceleration) that is 10,000 times greater than that experienced by any other contracting cell. The energy produced is large enough to destroy the internal structures of a cell. However, this single-cell organism manages to dissipate this energy. Manu Prakash and Ray Chang of Stanford University noticed after imaging the insides of Spirostomum ambiguum cells before and after they had undergone a contraction event that their internal structures vacuoles (fluid-filled sacs) appear to entangle in the folds of a membrane-like ...
Read more

Did Corona Virus Feel Much Longer than it Actually Was? It May Have Also Changed Your Personality

 Everyone knows of those big historical events in which each person knows exactly where they were and what they were doing when they got the news. The release of the first iPhone, the announcement of the first African American president, and the national legalization of same-sex marriage are just to name a few. Endless monumental events help shape our society and give us a sense of community. Each is revolutionary in its own ways and vary per person, but some happen to make a more direct impact on all of us. Unfortunately, repeated time and time again these events are typically negative due to a trauma stress response. Coronavirus beginning 2020 is and will always be a unifying factor for every person who can recall the events. Its unique, sudden, and unpredictable nature makes it prominent in our government, healthcare, and local communities. What I’ve come to the realization of is that Coronavirus also had a drastic effect on our life order and even our personalities. In an artic...
Read more

Slimy Skincare: The Effects of Snail Mucin on Skin

If you’ve been on the right side of TikTok for a decent amount of time, you’ve definitely noticed an uptick in the popularity of snail mucin in skincare. The skincare industry never fails in shifting the goalposts for women all over the world. There is always some new fad or brand that is the “must-have” for the week and then vanishes into obscurity. Even worse, some of these fads can end up negatively impacting your skin. I definitely don’t need to remind anyone of the tragedy that was the St. Ives scrub (holy microtears). Usually, trends in beauty and skincare are driven by brands rather than particular ingredients or additives, which makes the popularity of snail mucin even more notable. Are the beauty influencers finally onto something, or is this yet another damaging trend that no one will remember in a month? A study done in May 2022 using hairless mice as a proxy for human skin showed that snail mucin does in fact lessen the effects of aging. In this study, exposure to UV rays w...
Read more