Who is Michael Levin? Summary

• A Visionary Biologist: Michael Levin is a distinguished professor of biology at Tufts University, known for his groundbreaking work on bioelectricity and its role in development, regeneration, and cancer.
• Beyond Genes: He’s a leading figure in a paradigm shift in biology, moving beyond a purely gene-centric view to understanding the “software” of life – the bioelectric signals that shape organisms.
• The Bioelectric Code: His research focuses on understanding how patterns of voltage across cells and tissues act as a kind of “code” that controls cell behavior and large-scale anatomical structure.
• Planaria, Frogs, and Beyond: His lab uses a variety of model organisms, including planarian flatworms and *Xenopus* frogs, to study these bioelectric phenomena.
• Regeneration Pioneer: He’s made major contributions to our understanding of regeneration, showing how bioelectric signals can be manipulated to trigger the regrowth of lost limbs and organs.
• Xenobots and Anthrobots His lab is notable for making important fundamental discoveries of basal cognition on unusual life forms.
• Cancer Insights: His work also sheds new light on cancer, suggesting that disruptions in bioelectric communication can contribute to tumor formation and that restoring normal patterns might be a way to treat the disease.
• The Anatomical Compiler: He envisions a future where we can “program” biological form using bioelectric signals, leading to revolutionary advances in medicine and bioengineering.
• Interdisciplinary Thinker: Levin’s work extends beyond biology, influencing fields like computer science, robotics, and philosophy. He collaborates with scientists across various science disciples, even engaging regularly with AI researchers, philosophers.
• Communicator and Educator: He is known to share many science ideas across accessible platforms like talks, podcasts, and similar mediums to raise awareness.

Michael Levin: Rewriting the Rules of Life

Michael Levin is not your typical biologist. He’s a visionary scientist who is challenging some of the most fundamental assumptions about how life works. His research, focused on the surprising role of *bioelectricity* in shaping organisms, is opening up entirely new possibilities for medicine, bioengineering, and our understanding of ourselves.

Dr. Levin directs multiple centers, and is also professor:

• Distinguished Professor, Biology, Tufts University.
• Director, Allen Discovery Center at Tufts.
• Director, Tufts Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology.
• Associate Faculty, Wyss Institute at Harvard University

Beyond the Gene-Centric View: The “Software” of Life

For much of the 20th century, biology was dominated by a gene-centric view. We focused on DNA as the “blueprint of life,” believing that genes held the primary instructions for building and operating an organism. Levin’s work is part of a growing movement that recognizes the limitations of this view.

He argues that genes are like the “hardware” of a computer – the physical components. But to understand how the computer *works*, you also need to understand the *software* – the instructions that tell the hardware what to do. In biology, Levin proposes, bioelectricity acts as a crucial part of this “software.”

Cracking the Bioelectric Code: Voltage as Information

Levin’s research focuses on understanding how patterns of voltage across cells and tissues act as a kind of “code” that controls cell behavior and large-scale anatomical structure. He’s trying to “crack” this bioelectric code, to learn how to read and write the electrical language of cells.

His lab uses a variety of techniques to study bioelectricity:

• Voltage-Sensitive Dyes: These dyes change color or brightness depending on the voltage across a cell membrane, allowing researchers to *visualize* bioelectric patterns in real-time.
• Ion Channel Manipulation: They use drugs and genetic techniques to control the opening and closing of ion channels, the “gates” that regulate the flow of ions and thus the cell’s voltage.
• Computational Modeling: They develop computer models to simulate bioelectric networks and predict their behavior.
• Microelectrodes. For applying or measuring.

Model Organisms: From Planaria to Frogs

Levin’s lab uses a variety of *model organisms* to study bioelectricity and its role in development and regeneration. Each organism offers unique advantages:

• Planarian Flatworms: These remarkable creatures can regenerate their entire bodies from tiny fragments, making them ideal for studying the role of bioelectricity in regeneration. Levin’s work with planaria has provided some of the most striking evidence for bioelectric memory – the ability to store and retrieve information about body shape in electrical patterns.
• Xenopus Frogs: Frog embryos are a classic model system for studying development. Levin’s lab uses frog embryos to investigate how bioelectric signals control the formation of organs like the brain and face, and how manipulating these signals can lead to birth defects or, surprisingly, *correct* them. They’re also the source of the cells used to create *xenobots*.
• Other organisms: such as zebrafish, chicken embryos, among others. They have a very broad and wide range of projects spanning from cancer research, computational models, and etc, but a strong underlying theme involves the bioelectricity effects and cognition level.
• Xenobots: Frog-cells freed, then combined by cutting and joining together with surgical tools, in the lab.
• Anthrobots Another project under Levin’s, from normal human adult tracheal cells; spontaneously assembling after liberation from natural tissue; The freed group forming multi-cellular “bots”, moving in its environment (propelling using body structure – cilia). Anthrobot experiments showed emergent problem solving capability: these tiny group-form can induce neuron growth in lab tissues with defects; and that these cillia behaviors, self-structuring processes aren’t coded inside gene or traditional top-down blueprint – these new traits had zero genetic manipulations, and normal human respiratory (lung area) do not possess nerve-repair instructions.

Regeneration: A Major Focus

One of the major themes of Levin’s research is *regeneration* – the ability of an organism to regrow lost or damaged body parts. He’s shown that bioelectric signals are not just *correlated* with regeneration; they are *actively involved* in controlling the process. This discovery led toward the creation of multi-drug, with key ionopore signals, delievered temporarily using wearable bioreactors; adult frogs were successfully demonstrating limb-regrowth behaviours they had long since lost during tadpole phase.

By manipulating these signals, his lab can:

• Trigger regeneration in animals that normally don’t regenerate (like adult frogs).
• Alter the pattern of regeneration (creating two-headed planaria, for example).
• Even induce the formation of entirely new structures (like extra eyes in tadpoles).

Cancer: A New Perspective

Levin’s work also has implications for our understanding of *cancer*. He views cancer not just as a disease of mutated genes, but also as a disease of *disrupted bioelectric communication*. Cancer cells often disconnect from the normal electrical network of the surrounding tissue, reverting to a more primitive, “selfish” state.

Dr. Levin’s experimentals show they could manipulate and cause normal (wild-type) cell to become melanoma. Melanoma involve 2 phases: they rapidly become highly motile (metastatic), but they did so without traditional growth increase or cancer-proliferation stage. And bioelectric pattern manipulation also shows tumors that may become restored to the usual normal behavior.

His research suggests that restoring normal bioelectric patterns might be a way to suppress tumor growth or even revert cancer cells to a more normal state.

The “Anatomical Compiler”: A Vision for the Future

Levin’s long-term vision is to develop an “Anatomical Compiler” – a system that would allow us to “program” biological form using bioelectric signals. Imagine being able to specify a desired structure (like a limb, an organ, or even an entire organism) and have the cells build it, guided by a set of electrical instructions.

This is a bold and ambitious goal, but Levin’s research is making significant progress towards it. He’s showing that bioelectricity is not just a passive byproduct of life; it’s an active, controllable force that shapes organisms.

Beyond Biology: Interdisciplinary Connections

Levin’s influence extends beyond biology. He actively collaborates with computer scientists, roboticists, and philosophers, exploring the broader implications of his work. His ideas about basal cognition, collective intelligence, and the “software” of life are influencing:

• Artificial Intelligence: Inspiring new approaches to designing AI systems based on biological principles. He discusses it frequently on popular outlets like podcasts and news
• Robotics: Leading to the development of more adaptable and “life-like” robots.
• Philosophy of Mind: Challenging our assumptions about consciousness and where it resides. Dr. Levin discusses frequently with expert leaders from diverse backgrouneds:
  • AI experts on concepts of “goals”, and how do systems scale and show behaviors not strictly hardwired/limited to simple, component levels.
  • Ethics/Philosopher leaders: On crucial discussions regarding consciousness. Dr Levin and many pioneers recognize this has never before seen risks, potential suffering, of novel synthetic forms that researchers can/might accidentally be developing (even before knowing much). The risks includes ethical “responsibility”, such as doing-nothing also has profound harm considerations when dealing with problems such as cancer, development defects.

迈克尔·莱文 (Michael Levin) 是谁？摘要

• 一位有远见的生物学家： 迈克尔·莱文是塔夫茨大学的杰出生物学教授，以其在生物电及其在发育、再生和癌症中的作用方面的开创性工作而闻名。
• 超越基因： 他是生物学范式转变的领军人物，超越了纯粹以基因为中心的观点，转向理解生命的“软件”—— 塑造生物体的生物电信号。
• 生物电密码： 他的研究重点是了解细胞和组织之间的电压模式如何充当一种控制细胞行为和大规模解剖结构的“密码”。
• 涡虫、青蛙及其他： 他的实验室使用各种模式生物，包括涡虫和*非洲爪蟾*青蛙，来研究这些生物电现象。
• 再生先驱： 他对我们对再生的理解做出了重大贡献，展示了如何操纵生物电信号来触发失去的四肢和器官的再生。
• 异种机器人和人造机器人： 他的实验室因在不寻常的生命形式上做出重要的基础认知基础发现而闻名。
• 癌症见解： 他的工作也为癌症提供了新的视角，表明生物电通讯的中断会导致肿瘤形成，恢复正常模式可能是治疗该疾病的一种方法。
• 解剖编译器： 他设想了一个未来，我们可以使用生物电信号“编程”生物形态，从而在医学和生物工程方面取得革命性的进步。
• 跨学科思想家： 莱文的工作超越了生物学，影响了计算机科学、机器人学和哲学等领域。他与各种科学学科的科学家合作，甚至定期与人工智能研究人员、哲学家交流。
• 沟通者和教育家： 众所周知，他通过演讲、播客和类似媒介等可访问的平台分享许多科学思想，以提高认识。

迈克尔·莱文：改写生命规则

迈克尔·莱文不是典型的生物学家。他是一位有远见的科学家，正在挑战一些关于生命如何运作的最基本假设。他的研究侧重于*生物电*在塑造生物体中的惊人作用，为医学、生物工程和我们对自身的理解开辟了全新的可能性。

莱文博士领导多个中心，同时也是教授：

• 杰出教授，生物学，塔夫茨大学。
• 主任，塔夫茨大学艾伦发现中心。
• 主任，塔夫茨大学再生和发育生物学中心。
• 副教员，哈佛大学维斯研究所

超越以基因为中心的观点：生命的“软件”

在 20 世纪的大部分时间里，生物学主要以基因为中心的观点为主。我们专注于 DNA 作为“生命的蓝图”，相信基因包含了构建和操作生物体的主要指令。莱文的工作是认识到这种观点局限性的日益增长的运动的一部分。

他认为基因就像计算机的“硬件”—— 物理组件。但要了解计算机是如何*工作*的，你还需要了解*软件* —— 告诉硬件做什么的指令。在生物学中，莱文提出，生物电充当了这种“软件”的关键部分。

破解生物电密码：电压作为信息

莱文的研究重点是了解细胞和组织之间的电压模式如何充当一种“密码”，控制细胞行为和大规模解剖结构。他试图“破解”这种生物电密码，学习如何读写细胞的电语言。

他的实验室使用各种技术来研究生物电：

• 电压敏感染料： 这些染料会根据细胞膜上的电压改变颜色或亮度，使研究人员能够实时*可视化*生物电模式。
• 离子通道操纵： 他们使用药物和基因技术来控制离子通道（调节离子流动并因此调节细胞电压的“闸门”）的打开和关闭。
• 计算建模： 他们开发计算机模型来模拟生物电网络并预测其行为。
• 微电极。 用于施加或测量。

模式生物：从涡虫到青蛙

莱文的实验室使用各种*模式生物*来研究生物电及其在发育和再生中的作用。每种生物都提供了独特的优势：

• 涡虫： 这些非凡的生物可以从微小的碎片中再生出整个身体，这使得它们非常适合研究生物电在再生中的作用。莱文对涡虫的研究为生物电记忆（在电模式中存储和检索关于身体形状的信息的能力）提供了一些最引人注目的证据。
• *非洲爪蟾*青蛙： 青蛙胚胎是研究发育的经典模型系统。莱文的实验室使用青蛙胚胎来研究生物电信号如何控制大脑和面部等器官的形成，以及操纵这些信号如何导致出生缺陷，或者令人惊讶的是，如何*纠正*它们。它们也是用于制造*异种机器人*的细胞的来源。
• 其他生物： 如斑马鱼、鸡胚等。他们有非常广泛的项目，涉及癌症研究、计算模型等，但一个重要的基本主题涉及生物电效应和认知水平。
• 异种机器人： 在实验室中通过切割和连接工具将青蛙细胞游离，然后组合在一起。
• 人造机器人： 莱文领导下的另一个项目，来自正常的人类成人气管细胞；从天然组织中解放出来后自发组装； 释放的群体形成多细胞“机器人”，在环境中移动（使用身体结构 —— 纤毛推动）。人造机器人实验显示出涌现的问题解决能力：这些微小的群体形式可以诱导实验室缺陷组织中的神经元生长；这些纤毛行为、自结构化过程并非编码在基因或传统的自上而下的蓝图中 —— 这些新特征没有基因操作，正常的人类呼吸（肺部区域）不具有神经修复指令。

再生：一个主要焦点

莱文研究的主要主题之一是*再生* —— 生物体重新生长失去或受损的身体部位的能力。他已经表明，生物电信号不仅仅与再生*相关*；它们*积极参与*控制过程。这项发现导致了使用含有关键离子载体信号的多药物的创造，这些信号通过可穿戴生物反应器暂时提供；成年青蛙成功地展示了它们在蝌蚪阶段早已失去的肢体再生行为。

通过操纵这些信号，他的实验室可以：

• 在通常不 再生的动物（如成年青蛙）中触发再生。
• 改变再生的模式（例如，创造双头涡虫）。
• 甚至诱导全新结构的形成（如蝌蚪中额外的眼睛）。

癌症：一个新的视角

莱文的工作也对我们对*癌症*的理解产生了影响。他认为癌症不仅仅是一种基因突变的疾病，也是一种*生物电通讯中断*的疾病。癌细胞经常与周围组织的正常电网络断开连接，恢复到更原始、“自私”的状态。

莱文博士的实验表明，他们可以操纵并导致正常（野生型）细胞变成黑色素瘤。黑色素瘤涉及两个阶段：它们迅速变得高度运动（转移），但它们这样做没有传统的生长增加或癌症增殖阶段。生物电模式操纵也显示肿瘤可能会恢复到通常的正常行为。

他的研究表明，恢复正常的生物电模式可能是抑制肿瘤生长甚至使癌细胞恢复到更正常状态的一种方法。

“解剖编译器”：对未来的展望

莱文的长期愿景是开发一个“解剖编译器”—— 一个允许我们使用生物电信号“编程”生物形态的系统。想象一下，能够指定一个所需的结构（如肢体、器官，甚至整个生物体），并让细胞在电指令集的引导下构建它。

这是一个大胆而雄心勃勃的目标，但莱文的研究正在朝着这个目标取得重大进展。他表明，生物电不仅仅是生命的被动副产品；它是一种塑造生物体的活跃、可控的力量。

超越生物学：跨学科联系

莱文的影响力超越了生物学。他积极与计算机科学家、机器人专家和哲学家合作，探索其工作的更广泛意义。他关于基础认知、集体智慧和生命的“软件”的想法正在影响：

• 人工智能： 激发基于生物原理设计人工智能系统的新方法。他经常在播客和新闻等热门媒体上讨论这个问题
• 机器人学： 导致开发更具适应性和“类生命”的机器人。
• 心智哲学： 挑战我们关于意识及其所在位置的假设。 莱文博士经常与来自不同背景的专家领导者进行讨论：
  • 与人工智能专家讨论“目标”的概念，以及系统如何扩展并显示不仅仅是硬连线/限于简单组件水平的行为。
  • 伦理学/哲学家领导者：关于意识的关键讨论。莱文博士和许多先驱者认识到，这是前所未见的风险，新合成形式的潜在痛苦，研究人员可能/可能意外地开发出来（甚至在了解很多之前）。这些风险包括道德“责任”，例如，在处理癌症、发育缺陷等问题时，什么也不做也会产生深刻的危害。