Rat cells grown on silicon: Let the twisted experiments begin

A group of scientists have successfully grafted rat cells onto silicon, creating mini cyber beasts that move as the living cells contract.  What's more, the living cells are successfully growing on the microscopic silicon chips.  They say this could be the beginning of a whole new kind of creature, half silicon, half biological cell.  We don't have any pictures, but the descriptions are straight out of a Cronenberg nightmare: "A microdevice had two 'legs' extending from the body at 45-degree angles; each leg had a 'foot' extending at a 45-degree angle."  Yum.

[Tony @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

Can you say Terminator? It's just a matter of time...

[Michael Day @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

There is an image in the BBC version of the story

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4181197.stm

[Jpanimator @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

Hmmm.. Can you say BORG?? :)

[A @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

"RESISTANCE IS FUTILE! You too will be assimilated" Very Borg-ish. Fascinating, but frightening in a way

[Chris @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

Cool. I instantly thought - silicon skeleton.

[Tyme @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

damn, all those scifi movies really are the future...
pretty soon, you'll really have to wonder if you are in the matrix...

[agb @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

"The same thing we do every night, try to take over the WORLD! MuhuhuHAhahaha!!"

[CRWhitehead @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

This is low grade stjuff compared to the rat brains they grew on a chip and got to control a flight simulator on a computer... http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/11/02/brain.dish/
but yes combined with the above, our cyborg-rat overlords will be very impressive!

[blore40 @ Dec 19th 2005 2:10AM]

First mice with balls, next optical mice, now mice with legs?