Scientists discover “electric spiking” communication in previously thought to be mute cells, paving the way for bioelectric innovations. For years, scientists believed that only nerve and heart cells relied on electrical impulses for communication, while epithelial cells, which form the linings of the skin, organs, and body cavities, were thought to be passive barriers, primarily absorbing and secreting substances. However, researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst have challenged this assumption, demonstrating that epithelial cells do, in fact, communicate through slow electrical signals. The study, led by Steve Granick, Robert K. Barrett Professor of Polymer Science and Engineering, and postdoctoral...