Queensland Brain Institute researchers are inspired by shrimp to detect the disease.
Queensland University researchers are exploiting a new discovery that the eyes of mantis shrimp can see polarised light, which can be used to detect cancerous tissue. The technology was developed with the help of researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine, the University of Maryland Baltimore County and Bristol University.
The camera, built at the Queensland Brain Institute, mimics the shrimp’s biological feature and creates a technological solution that could be used by oncologists. Polarised light is reflected differently by cancerous tissue than it is by healthy tissue so the camera allows for a non-invasive way to identify tissue for treatment.
The concept is not new. In fact, polarised light is already used in cancer detection today, but the shrimp-inspired technology could dramatically improve results and reduce the need for invasive procedures such as biopsies and surgeries.
A timeline for the commercialisation has not been announced yet, although the researchers are already imagining a world in which smartphone cameras could have the feature built in, allowing anyone to self-monitor for cancer.
Justin Marshall, professor at the Queensland Brain Institute, said: “Humans cannot see [polarised light], but a mantis shrimp could walk up to it and hit it. We see colour with hues and shades, and objects that contrast – a red apple in a green tree for example – but our research is revealing a number of animals that use polarised light to detect and discriminate between objects. The camera that we have developed in close collaboration with US and UK scientists shoots video and could provide immediate feedback on detecting cancer and monitoring the activity of exposed nerve cells. It converts the invisible messages into colours that our visual system is comfortable with.”