Bioelectricity, Morphogenesis, and Two-Headed Worms | Michael Levin

About this episode

How can a flatworm regenerate a complete head after being cut in half? In this episode, we speak with Michael Levin, developmental biologist and director of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, about the emerging field of developmental bioelectricity. Levin explains how voltage gradients, ion channels, and gap junctions form a layer of biological control that operates alongside genetics and biochemistry to regulate embryonic development, regeneration, and anatomical patterning. We explore the experimental foundations of bioelectricity research, including the use of voltage-sensitive dyes, ion channel manipulation, and computational models to read and write electrical information in living tissues. Levin discusses how bioelectric signals help establish left-right asymmetry in embryos, coordinate communication across developing tissues, and encode large-scale anatomical information that individual cells cannot possess on their own. The conversation examines classic and surprising experiments from the field, including the creation of two-headed planarian worms, the induction of ectopic eyes in frog embryos, and the restoration of normal development after severe genetic a