Biohacking our way to health with robot cells | Michael Levin

This biologist built a living robot from frog cells — and it could hold the key to the future of regenerative medicine: This interview is an episode from @The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business Listen To This Next: Adam Grant's #1 phrase to unlock potential The science of super longevity Beat anxiety with the most addictive experience on Earth -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Developmental biologist Michael Levin proposes an alternative approach to regenerative medicine: one that involves communicating with cells to trigger specific associations and induce changes in tissues. He envisions a future where biomedicine relies less on chemistry, and looks more like behavioral science. By leveraging the native competencies of cells, Levin thinks researchers can achieve complex outcomes without micromanagement. He demonstrates this through the regeneration of frog legs by simply prompting cells towards the regenerative state. Levin introduces “xenobots,” bio-robots formed by self-assembling frog skin cells. These xenobots are key to the regenerative medicine of the future, with the potential to create solutions for birth defects, reprogramming tumors — even creating new organs. Levin emphasizes the moral imperative to pursue this research to address pressing medical needs. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Get Smarter, Faster. With Episodes From The Worlds Biggest Thinkers. Follow The Podcast And Turn On The Notifications Share This Episode If You Found It Valuable Leave A 5 Star Review Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices