Researchers at Memorial University have discovered sea cucumber tissue that can survive, heal and function independently for years after being removed from the original animal – an unprecedented finding that challenges the boundaries between life and death. 

The study, led by PhD student Sara Jobson in the Department of Ocean Sciences, Faculty of Science, documents what may be the first known case of long-term tissue survival and growth outside a living organism under natural conditions. 

Working with the cold-water sea cucumber Psolus fabricii, the team found that small fragments of tissue taken from tube feet, tentacles and the main body did not decay as expected. Instead, the fragments repaired themselves, reorganized and remained biologically active for more than three years in flowing, non-sterile seawater. 

“We’re seeing something that hasn’t been documented before in this kind of environment,” said Ms. Jobson. “These fragments aren’t developing into new individuals, but they are continuing to function as self-sustaining biological units.” 

Sea cucumbers are well known for their ability to regenerate lost body parts, but scientists previously assumed that any detached tissue would quickly die. This research overturns that assumption, showing that excised tissue can maintain cellular activity, heal wounds and carry out metabolic processes independently of the organism. 

The phenomenon, nicknamed “zombie” tissue by the research team, raises fundamental questions about what it means to be alive. 

Published in Science Advances, the findings could have broader implications for biological and biomedical research by offering a new model to study tissue survival, regeneration and cellular resilience in natural environments. 

The research was conducted in Dr. Annie Mercier’s lab at Memorial University’s Ocean Sciences Centre in Logy Bay, N.L. 

Read the full story in Memorial University’s Gazette.