Using Eels to Detect Disease

This week I found an article on how a protein found in eels will glow when it interacts with a pigment known as bilirubin.

Bilirubin:


Eel Glowing:

This pigment is usually destroyed by the body, but in the case of liver disease, the bilirubin levels will rise, resulting in jaundice, and other harmful effects such as brain damage or even death. Although their is much research to be done, this could be used to help detect when a body is malfunctioning before the full effects of high bilirubin levels do their damage.