Google has begun manufacturing human skin for research at its Life Sciences facility, and it actually has nothing to do with designing disguises for the cyborgs that walk among us. That technology’s already perfected, thank you.
According to Business Insider, Google Life Sciences is manufacturing skin as part of their push to design magnetic nanoparticles that can comb the body for diseases and ultimately help patients develop a proactive attitude towards health. Head of Life Sciences Andrew Conrad explains, “the central thesis of what we’re trying to do […] is change medicine from being episodic and reactive (like, I go to the doctor when my arm hurts), to proactive and preventative.”
That’s a lofty goal, but Google the All-Seeing Eye certainly has the resources to make it happen (including skin. Lots and lots of sweet, sweet skin). Over the past three years, the company has built a state-of-the-art research facility and hired over 100 doctors and scientists dedicated to designing a pill filled with thousands of nanoparticles that, when swallowed, will detect specific cells, proteins, and other molecules. Should the nanoparticles attach themselves to the skin of a tumor cell or detect other signs of trouble within the body, the particles will then “light up,” triggering a wristband that can help the patient identify the problem.
Business Insider says that the pills and accompanying wristband are a long way from becoming reality, but that understanding how light passes through different kinds of skin will be essential to perfecting the technology. According to Conrad, “We’re making good progress. But the journey is long and hard. So I think we will get there and I hope it’s years, not decades.”
To learn more about Google’s health initiatives, you can check out the rest of Conrad’s interview and some handy-dandy graphs over on Business Insider. Or, you know, just talk to your local Google-Certified Cyborg—as long as you’re willing to provide samples, that is.
Are you following The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +?
