Scientists have made a breakthrough in the field of bioelectronics by successfully injecting gel polymers inside leeches and zebrafish, which organized themselves into functional electrodes.  The study was published in Science journal. It was revealed that when the gel molecules came in contact with enzymes inside an animal's body, they became electrically conductive.  This innovation could lead to better treatments for people with neurological conditions such as Parkinson's and epilepsy by allowing scientists to stimulate areas of the body with an external voltage. Professor Magnus Berggren at the Laboratory for Organic Electronics, LOE, at Linköping University, Sweden, noted that for decades, they have tried to create electronics that mimic biology, but now they let biology create the electronics for them.

Blackworms are ultra-fast swimmers, and they tangle up into worm balls to protect themselves from predators – but leeches have an ingenious method of catching them called “spiral entombment”

Thanks to a recent reassessment of specimens preserved in jars of alcohol at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, New Hampshire is now on […]

The post Discovery in Smithsonian collection broadens understanding of rare North American leech appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Brrr.

Possibly the most awesome business card ever by John "Pathfinder" Lester (cc by)

I've been dispensing leeches at my hospital for at least a decade, so that makes me something of a self-styled leech expert ... codex99 discusses working with leech therapy in ChuraChura's post the leech triumphantly oozed its way back into the hospital

The 1996 Ig Nobel Prize for biology was awarded to Anders Barheim and Hogne Sandvik of the University of Bergen, Norway, for their tasty and tasteful report, “Effect of Ale, Garlic, and Soured Cream on the Appetite of Leeches.” Recently, Bradley Allff, writing in Atlas Obscura, looked at the role medical leeches sometimes play in medicine in the USA. […]

Allen Leech's wife Jessica Blair Herman debuted her baby bump as the couple hit the red carpet for Downton Abbey's world premiere, held in London on Monday.

Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael and Allen Leech are Town & Country's October 2019 cover stars, appearing in a sumptuous photoshoot that captures the nostalgia of the period drama.

Allen Leech's wife Jessica Blair Herman looked absolutely glowing as they attended the New York premiere of the Downton Abbey movie on Monday.

Allen Leech from Downton Abbey stopped by the kickoff even over the weekend at the Barnsdall Theatre in Hollywood. The actor left his standard dapper suits from his hit TV series at home.

The Coronation Street star, 24, who plays Bethany Platt in the ITV soap, shared a sweet throwback snap from one of their holidays and wrote: 'You may be 29, but you're still looking fine xxxxx'.

Allen Leech and wife Jessica Blair Herman put on a loved-up display at the 25th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Cham, Switzerland : Springer, [2019]

Hippos are tough animals with tough hides. So tough that there's a species of leech that has evolved to live and feed in the only part of the hippo where the sun don't shine. Ladies and gentlemen, the life and times of the hippo butt leech.

Rotch Library - DS119.76.L435 2017