Heart beating spinach leaves

  • spinach leaves to create a miniature beating heart
spinach leaves to create a miniature beating heart
 

In a leap forward for heart surgery, Joshua Gershlak co-reports on a team of scientists stripping spinach leaves of their cells. The remaining tough cellulose framework is submerged in a solution of live human heart cells. These cells grow into a miniature beating heart, which is capable of pumping injected fluids through the leaf's veins. The team hopes that larger versions can eventually be used in heart patients.