Sea Worms May Help Us Preserve Organs Pre-Transplant

Marine biologist and CEO of French biotech company Hemarina, Franck Zal has been digging up sea worms along the coast of Saint Jean du Doigt commune of northern France. Zal has been digging up these worms that have buried themselves below the surface of the sand and studying them for their qualities.

Zal has done some research and from his observations has declared that these worms have some aspects that could potentially help a transplant organ survive for longer periods of time. The sea worms he has been researching have the ability to breathe both under water and breathe in air.

Their capacity to breathe in the air is due to oxygen reserves that the worms develop during high tide, these reserves are enough to be able to last them until the next tide rolls in. Zal has developed an oxygen graft that will be able to help organs preserve some of their oxygen, helping them extend their viability. The graft is still in its testing stages.