Scientists from the University of Manchester, United Kingdom, have found that nanoscale cellulose from tunicates, more commonly known as sea squirts, can be used to create skeletal muscle tissue. Tunicates can be found growing on rocks and man-made structures in coastal waters around the world. Cellulose extracted from the creatures is well suited for making muscle tissue due to its unique properties. Researchers found that by chemically extracting the cellulose in the form of nanowhiskers, and then aligning the nanowhiskers and placing them parallel to each other, they cause rapid muscle cell alignment and fusion. The method, which is simple and relatively quick, could lead to the ability to create the normal aligned architecture of skeletal muscle tissue. This tissue could then be used to help repair existing muscle or even grow muscle from scratch. According to Dr. Stephen Eichhorn, “Although it is quite a detailed chemical process, the potential applications are very interesting. Cellulose is being looked at very closely around the world because of its unique properties, and because it is a renewable resource, but this is the first time that it has been used for skeletal muscle tissue engineering applications. There is potential for muscle precision engineering, but also for other architecturally aligned structures such as ligaments and nerves.” The article can be viewed online at the link below.