(Photo by Kindel Media)

Do you ever wonder why your stomach sometimes feels upset when you get nervous? It’s not just butterflies, that’s your gut and brain having a little chat! Imagine your brain and stomach as best friends constantly texting each other: “Hey, I’m stressed!” says the brain. “Got it, I’ll tighten up!” replies the gut. Scientists call this the gut-brain connection, and it’s one of the coolest conversations happening inside your body right now. These messages don’t just tell you when you’re hungry, your brain can also send messages that make your stomach feel upset before a big test, and your gut can send signals back that affect your mood, energy, and even how you think. These messages are primarily sent through the vagus nerve, a nerve that connects the digestive tract and the central nervous system (which is the system that your brain is part of!). In fact, your gut is home to trillions of tiny organisms, called bacteria, that make up what scientists call the gut microbiome.  

But how important is the gut microbiome? It turns out, it’s super important! The bacteria in your gut help break down the food you eat so your body can use it for energy. But that’s not all they do! They also make special chemicals that talk to your brain, called neurotransmitters. Some of these neurotransmitters can boost your mood, help you sleep better, or keep you from getting sick. Scientists have even found that when the gut microbiome is out of balance, something we call dysbiosis, it can affect how we feel emotionally, not just physically. 

Think of it like this: your gut microbiome is a team of tiny little helpers that keep the “text messages” between your brain and stomach clear and positive. When you eat healthy foods and foods with probiotics, like fruits, vegetables, and yogurt, you’re feeding that team what it needs to do its job well. When you eat too much junk food or don’t get enough sleep, the messages can get confused, which can make you feel tired, cranky, or stressed. That’s why it’s critical to take care of your “second brain”! That’s right, some scientists are coining the gut as your second brain because it can work on its own and communicate directly with your actual brain. So next time your stomach flips before a big event or your mood feels off, remember: your gut and brain are in constant conversation. Every healthy choice you make, like getting enough sleep, getting exercise, or eating well, helps the friendship between your gut and brain stay strong. Treat your gut like your best friend, it’s got a lot of gut feelings about what’s best for you! 

Hannah Bentz 
MS student in Bioethics, Harvard Medical School

Trivia time! 🤔 

The blood brain barrier plays an important role in the wellbeing of your brain. What does it do? (Hint: read on to learn the answer!) 

A. It stores extra nutrients for when your brain is depleted  
B. It filters harmful germs and chemicals before they reach brain cells  
C. It keeps too much fluid from entering the brain ​​​​​​​
D. It cushions the brain from being jostled around 

Scroll to the bottom for the answer to this week's trivia! 

(Photo by MART PRODUCTION)

Imagine sticking electronic devices inside your brain to treat diseases for which we have no cure.  

It sounds like science fiction, but it’s already becoming a reality: deep brain stimulation has been used to treat symptoms related to Parkinson’s disease, Tourette’s syndrome, and even Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Electronics implants have even been used to help translate thoughts into speech.  

But the process of actually getting those electronics into the brain is a different story. Simply put, brain implants require brain surgery, and brain surgery comes with a lot of medical baggage.   

“More than 3 billion people around the world suffer from different neural conditions, and existing implants can only help less than 1% of the patients because of the surgery related costs and invasiveness,” says Deblina Sarkar, PhD, associate professor at MIT and director of the Nano-Cybernetic Biotrek research lab.  

For the last seven years, Sarkar and her team have been developing a new kind of implant: injectable, nanoscopic electronics that function autonomously, completely bypassing the need for surgery. Most recently, she successfully tested the devices in mice, the results of which were published in Nature Biotechnology last week.  

The devices are so small that even something as large as a speck of dirt could destroy them, Sarkar tells me during our recent conversation for “The Big Question.” “If you think of a grain of rice, this would be a million times smaller than that.” 

Not only do the devices have to be small, but they also have to be sneaky. Our brains are surrounded by a special network of cells called the “blood brain barrier,” which acts like a security guard to stop potentially harmful substances from entering our mind. It’s easy to bypass the blood brain barrier when you’re drilling a hole into the side of someone’s head, but Sarkar’s surgery-free devices travel through body fluids instead. The devices have to be small enough to slip between cells, and they have to be sneaky enough to trick the blood brain barrier into letting them in.  

Sarkar’s solution? Give the electronics biomolecular disguises by conjugating them with cells. And once inside the brain, the devices actually use that biomolecular machinery to autonomously recognize the disease-causing “problem areas.” By wirelessly converting applied electromagnetic fields into electric fields, they then provide the electrical stimulation needed to modulate faulty signaling between diseased neurons.  

The implications of this technology are far-reaching, Sarkar says. Her lab has already shown how the technology has applications for diseases like brain cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, and chronic pain, and they’re currently exploring how the devices could be used to treat other diseases like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, and even brain injury.  

“The applications are limitless,” Sarkar says. “By completely defying the need for surgery, we are breaking the barriers of age, health risks, and costs, which are currently preventing millions from getting treatments.” 

Our full conversation of “The Big Question” will be released tomorrow, you can watch it – and tons more exciting and informative videos from the Museum of Science – on our YouTube channel here. 

Eva Cornman
Education Associate I, Museum Programs
Museum of Science 

• More researchers are focusing on antibody therapies in the quest to treat infectious diseases like HIV and bird flu, developing treatments that recognize parts of the virus and spur the immune system to faster action. This promising research could soon lead to stronger treatments and vaccines. 💪 💉 

• Through a collection of studies, scientists participating in the BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network have assembled the most detailed brain map to date. This “atlas” helps researchers understand far more about early brain development and could lead to new insights to treat brain disorders. 🧠 🗺️ 

And the answer is...

B. It filters harmful germs and chemicals before they reach brain cells 

Just as Eva Cornman described above, the blood brain barrier is a tight layer of cells that protects your brain from potentially harmful substances, germs, and the like. By lining the inner surfaces of blood vessels in the brain, it is able to act as a bodyguard for your brain. 

Ellie Pharo
Coordinator, Centers for Public Science Learning
Museum of Science

Join us Sunday, November 16 at 3:00 pm to meet Nils Korte from Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and the Broad Institute. This presentation will focus on the cells at the interface between the blood and the brain, collectively referred to as the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which act as gatekeepers to control what enters and exits your brain. Learn more!

Join the Museum of Science and The Boston Club Wednesday, November 12 at 7:00 pm
for an essential evening focused on women’s brain health. Through expert insights and personal stories, we’ll explore the gender gap in research, care, and diagnosis—and what it means to center women in brain health conversations. RSVP!
 

Join the Museum of Science Saturday, December 6, for our annual showcase, focusing on equitable workforce development in STEM careers. The showcase includes a job fair, mentorship opportunities, panels, talks, headshots, activities, and more throughout the Museum. The event will focus on our Centers for Public Science Learning. Register now!

Join us for visit at the Museum of Science and make sure to explore stop by Perceptions Playground and the Hall of Human Life, to explore what it means to be human! Or consider a membership for special savings!