Biogenic Electric Currents
10/20/2011
One of the interesting research activities involving physics students is a collaboration with the New Paltz Developmental Bio lab. Investigators in this lab work with the flatworm planaria, an amazing creature that develops into two complete planaria a short time after being cut in half. The physics part of this is an effort to measure minute electrical signals that are believed to exist in the vicinity of the wound site. The heart of the system is a homebuilt device called a vibrating probe. When connected to the appropriate electronic equipment, it can sense voltage differences across points that are only 50 – 100 microns apart. Given the small size of the signals, this will be no easy task, but the investigators, faculty and students alike, are enjoying the challenge.
Seated on the floor is physics faculty member Richard Halpern; he is conferring with physics student Tom Donovan about how a particular connection should be made.
Biology student Cori Ridgeway offers a helping hand - in fact, two helping hands - to Tom as he attempts to make an adjustment on the equipment.
This is a “test worm”, a simple device for calibrating the vibrating probe (pointed to by the arrow) so that the readings taken with it are interpreted properly.
