U of O prof's 'crazy idea' to grow cells on apples nets TED talk

It's said that an apple a day keeps the doctor away but whoever came up with that phrase likely wasn'texpecting someone to use that apple to grow a new spinal cord.

• 'Biohacker' Andrew Pelling wows TED crowd with an apple ear

But that's what University of Ottawa professor and self-described "biohacker" Andrew Pelling is trying to do.

That's what we do all day, is test crazy ideas.- Andrew Pelling

Pelling is one of 21 people worldwide,and just one of two Canadians,who havebeen chosen to be a 2016 TED fellow.

That meansPelling will leave for Vancouver today to deliver a TED Talk next week on his "biophysical manipulation" lab'sresearch into using apples and pears to raisenew cells.

"That's what my lab is really good at. That's what we do all day, is test crazy ideas. And a lot of times it fails, but every now and then we get a real gem," Pelling told CBC Ottawa's Hallie Cotnam.

The "biomaterial" normallyused torepair muscles or skin can cost thousands of dollarsand often involves getting that materialfrom cadavers or animals, said Pelling.

So when Pelling's lab discovered that theapples and pears you can buy in the grocery store for a few loonies"behave in almost an identical fashion," they knew they were onto something big.

"We actually think aboutthis as an open-source biomaterial," said Pelling.

"If I can invent something that helps, that has that potential for changing health care, then maybe we should just give that back to the public."

• Listen here for Pelling's full interview on Ottawa Morning.