Hyderabad University Researchers Discover Flatworms Can Sense Light Without Eyes

The researchers wish to explore use of such sensitive natural light sensing proteins for helping patients with vision disabilities to 'sense' light and to control inner working of cells/tissues with light (optogenetics), according to a release.

Researchers from the University of Hyderabad (UoH) have found that planarian flatworms can sense light, even without eyes, with the help of an eye-independent system (extraocular) lining the periphery of the worm's body. Prior research has shown that planarians can survive decapitation (removal of the head) and retain the ability to move away from the light source when exposed to low doses of ultraviolet light, a UoH release said on Monday. Dr. Akash Gulyani, Associate Professor at the Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, @HydUniv, research discovered an extraocular light sensing system in flatworms.Read more at https://t.co/Rh4LpKDGfh pic.twitter.com/d4y1VTFbxN The researchers wish to explore use of such sensitive natural light sensing proteins for helping patients with vision disabilities to 'sense' light and to control inner working of cells/tissues with light (optogenetics), according to the release. The researchers sought to ascertain as to how these organisms sense the light without eyes and is there any other light-sensing system that is helping them to sense the light. "In a breakthrough discovery, a research team led by Dr Akash Gulyani from Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences at UoH showed that an eye-independent system(extraocular)lining the periphery of the worms body allows even a headless flatworm to move like an intact worm with incredible coordination," it said.