Scientists got an animal to breathe without Oxygen

A team of scientists has discovered a technique to keep tadpoles alive despite removing their capacity to breathe by injecting algae into the little froglets’ brains, turning their heads a bright, almost neon, green. 

Scientists inserted photosynthetic algae into tadpoles, then removed the Oxygen from their water to starved them of Oxygen until their brain shut down.

The idea was that the algae would form a mutually beneficial relationship between the frog and the microbe that would keep them both alive, even without environmental Oxygen — like a little Oxygen factory right in pollywog’s brain. 

Then they shone a light on the tadpoles, activating the brain-algae, which began to photosynthesize and produce Oxygen. Sure enough, the tadpole’s brain cells became active again.

The algae actually produced so much Oxygen that they could bring the nerve cells back to life.

Conceivably, this could lead to medical benefits, like keeping someone alive after a stroke blocked the Oxygen flow to their brain.