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Cyborg Cockroaches Are Teaching Neuroscience. Here's How.
Marquette students use Roboroach kits to grasp neuron-driven behavior, preparing future health professionals with technology akin to prosthetic limbs and cochlear implants.
- At Marquette University, students in an upper-level biology course are using Roboroach technology equipped with Bluetooth backpacks to study neuroscience. The activity allows them to observe how the nervous system creates behavior through controlled antenna nerve stimulation.
- Developed by Backyard Brains, a Midwest company specializing in educational science tools, the Roboroach activity provides hands-on neuroscience training. Students use a phone app to stimulate antenna nerves, allowing them to control the insects' movement during studies.
- Chelsea Cook, an assistant professor in biological sciences at Marquette, noted the technology mirrors electronic devices like cochlear implants and prosthetic limbs. The experiment does not harm the insects, which behave normally once the Bluetooth backpack is removed.
- Despite initial hesitation, student Monica Stinson-Hernandez found the hands-on experience invaluable for future research. She said, "So, I hate roaches. I hate bugs," yet emphasized the wiring work would help in grad school or research roles.
- Cook believes these lessons prepare students for future health care roles, noting many will become doctors, dentists, and nurses. She stated the principles learned will apply to their jobs and treatments of patients later.
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