NASA

Sept. 24, 2003

Light-Emitting Diodes and Planaria

The Effect of Light-Emitting Diodes on Planaria Regeneration
Roy James Gross, 14, Lansdale, Pa.
Travel Channel "Dream Science Trip" Award, Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge, 2002

Project background: Roy knew he had found a topic for this year’s science project after reading an article in Popular Science magazine about NASA’s research on how light-emitting diodes speed wound healing. He decided to work with common brown planaria and hypothesized that light-emitting diodes could be used to speed up the regeneration of planaria.

Tactics and results: Roy began his experiment by cutting each planarium in half and carefully recording its size and shape. He exposed the planaria to a light-emitting diode device daily for 60 seconds. The control planaria received no treatment.

Roy found that the light-emitting diodes did aid in the regeneration process of planaria, and those treated twice daily demonstrated even more development than those treated only once daily. He attributes the success to the interaction of light energy and molecules within the cell that created cellular activity.

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