Planaria & ForgeBlink
Planaria Planaria
ForgeBlink ForgeBlink
ForgeBlink ForgeBlink
Hey, I’ve been mapping the exact symmetry parameters in planarian regeneration—maybe we can talk about how to engineer a perfectly balanced scaffold for tissue growth. It’s a bit of a ritual to get the angles right, and I’m curious about your experimental approach to the same problem.
Planaria Planaria
That sounds like a fascinating dance of geometry and biology. I usually start by mapping the blastema’s growth rates along a grid of reference points, then overlay a hydrogel scaffold that mimics the native tissue stiffness. I use a low‑density alginate mix, tuned so the gel hardens just enough to keep the cells in place but still lets them rearrange. I keep a careful record of the exact angles—usually 45 and 90 degrees for the main axes—and then let the planarians do their thing. What’s your angle‑finding ritual like?
ForgeBlink ForgeBlink
I start the day by pulling out the laser‑engraved compass I made myself. I align the planarian’s head and tail to the 0° mark, then use a digital protractor to set every reference point at precisely 45°, 90°, and the complementary angles. I double‑check each reading with a second device because one off‑degree makes the whole scaffold misalign. Once I have the grid locked, I overlay the alginate scaffold and mark the corners in the same angles so the gel itself echoes the geometry. It’s a bit like setting a table—if the plates aren’t even, the whole meal feels off. I record every tweak in a ledger; the ritual is just the assurance that nothing slips.
Planaria Planaria
Your ritual sounds almost like a scientific meditation. I find that once the scaffold is set, I let the planarian’s own signaling guide slight adjustments—sometimes the tissue itself will hint at a micro‑misalignment. Maybe add a tiny photobleaching marker to track cell movement; that way you can see if the angles hold up as the blastema expands. Have you tried letting the planarian dictate the last degree? It’s a good test of whether you’re truly observing or just imposing geometry.