09.2018 | THE SCIENTIST 27
as a form of communication during spawn-
ing events, or as a way to attract prey. But
fluorescence might be useful for under-
water robots, too, where other communica-
tion channels such as radio waves are imprac-
tical, the researchers suggest in their paper.
The eel-inspired device isn’t quite ready
for use in the oceans, though. The current
prototype moves forward at 1.9 mm per
second while the electronics package that
applies the voltage floats on the surface
of the water of the tank. “The speed with
which it’s moving is quite slow,” says Stefan
Williams, who works on marine robotics at
the University of Sydney in Australia and
was not involved in the research. “I think
there’d be a few challenges around power
and building these things at a scale.”
Power’s not the only obstacle stopping
the eelbot from competing with existing
models being used in marine research. Cur-
rently available underwater devices can be
remotely operated, launched from ship or
shore, and can stay in the water for weeks or
months. They also possess sensors that allow
scientists to record several parameters such
as water salinity, pH, and temperature.
Christianson says the team plans to
make its robot “untethered,” thus freeing
it to travel farther. In the future, the soft
robot could also be modified to have sen-
sors and cameras, although this may alter
the eelbot’s weight and translucency.
James Bellingham, the founding direc-
tor of the Center for Marine Robotics at
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution,
who was not involved in the research, says
these are “early stages” for the use of soft
robots in the marine arena. “The people
who are doing this work are still develop-
ing the basic tools and exploring the design
space. But it’s very exciting to see progress.”
—Sukanya Charuchandra
Exceptional Human
Antibody Discovery
Technology
HUMAN
Amino Acid position
Amino Acid frequency
TRIANNI
Amino Acid position
Amino Acid frequency
CDR-H3 residue utilization in antibodies derived from human samples and the
Trianni transgenic Ig Mouse. In the naive Trianni Mouse, heavy chain CDR3 (CDR-H3)
aa utilization frequency is eectively the same in humans and in The Trianni Mouse.
The Trianni MouseTM platform is the only transgenic antibody discovery
platform ever developed that oers the entirety of human antibody variable
gene diversity in a single organism.
The V-gene segments in The Trianni Mouse are chimeric, but the variable
domains of antibodies made by the mouse are entirely human. The result is
human antibody leads generated from antibody genes optimized for
function in the mouse. Or, in the simplest terms, The Trianni Mouse is a more
human mouse.
To learn more about this innovative platform and how it can help you leave
your mark on therapeutic antibody discovery and development, visit
Trianni.com.
Trianni Mouse Antibodies are a Match for Humans
The Best Antibody Discovery
Technology Is Now at Your Fingertips
Exceptional Human
Antibody Discovery
Technology
HUMAN
Amino Acid position
Amino Acid frequency Amino Acid frequency
CDR-H3 residue utilization in antibodies derived from human samples and the
Trianni transgenic Ig Mouse. In the naive Trianni Mouse, heavy chain CDR3 (CDR-H3)
aa utilization frequency is eectively the same in humans and in The Trianni Mouse.
platform is the only transgenic antibodyTM The Trianni Mouse
platform ever developed that oers the entirety of
gene diversity in a single organism.
The V-gene segments in The Trianni Mouse are chimeric, but the
domains of antibodies made by the mouse are entirely
human antibody leads generated from antibody
function in the mouse. Or, in the simplest terms, The Trianni Mouse is a more
human mouse.
To learn more about this innovative platform and how it can
your mark on therapeutic antibody discovery and
Trianni.com.
Trianni Mouse Antibodies are a Match for Humans
The Best Antibody Discovery
Technology Is Now at Your Fingertips
Exceptional Human
Antibody Discovery
Technology
HUMAN
Amino Acid position
Amino Acid frequency
TRIANNI
Amino Acid position
Amino Acid frequency
CDR-H3 residue utilization in antibodies derived from human samples and the
Trianni transgenic Ig Mouse. In the naive Trianni Mouse, heavy chain CDR3 (CDR-H3)
aa utilization frequency is eectively the same in humans and in The Trianni Mouse.
The Trianni MouseTM platform is the only transgenic antibody discovery
platform ever developed that oers the entirety of human antibody variable
gene diversity in a single organism.
The V-gene segments in The Trianni Mouse are chimeric, but the variable
domains of antibodies made by the mouse are entirely human. The result is
human antibody leads generated from antibody genes optimized for
function in the mouse. Or, in the simplest terms, The Trianni Mouse is a more
human mouse.
To learn more about this innovative platform and how it can help you leave
your mark on therapeutic antibody discovery and development, visit
Trianni.com.
Trianni Mouse Antibodies are a Match for Humans
The Best Antibody Discovery
Technology Is Now at Your Fingertips
We want to make a soft robot
that can swim around coral
reefs without damaging them.
—Caleb Christianson
University of California, San Diego