Trained Planaria Retain Memories Through Head Regeneration
MacrinePhD · x · 2026-08-12
A preprint study led by high school researchers alongside Michael Levin at Tufts University found that planaria retain learned avoidance behavior even after complete head and brain regeneration.
Using a consistent, low-cost light-to-food associative conditioning protocol, the research supports a model where behavioral patterns can regenerate alongside anatomical structures. This reopens fundamental questions about non-synaptic memory storage and offers a new model system for studying memory resilience and neurodegenerative diseases.
Related event: Decapitated Planarians Retain Memories After Regeneration(2 posts)→
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