Cells lining your skin and organs can generate electricity when injured − potentially opening new doors to treating wounds

Your cells constantly generate and conduct electricity that runs through your body to perform various functions. One such example of this bioelectricity is the nerve signals that power thoughts in your brain. Others include the cardiac signals that control the beating of your heart, along with other signals that tell your muscles to contract.

As bioengineers, we became interested in the epithelial cells that make up human skin and the outer layer of people’s intestinal tissues. These…