A six-year-old girl from Massachusetts has rescued a Harvard University research project on axolotls after the team lost almost all its federal funding. Marianne Cullen, of Springfield, raised about $1,000 through a fundraiser to support the lab led by Jessica Whited, an assistant professor of stem cell and regenerative biology at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute.
Whited described the donation as leaving everyone “flabbergasted.” The funds helped sustain the research on axolotls, which are aquatic salamanders capable of regrowing limbs. The team aims to uncover the “molecular secrets” behind this ability, with potential applications for human limb regeneration.
Marianne, who loves axolotls and recognises them from the video game Minecraft, said: “They can grow back any limb… And there’s way other animals that need saving, but this one is my destiny to save.” Her efforts had a positive effect on the lab, according to Whited.
Federal funding for the research has since been restored following court rulings, but Whited noted the importance of the girl’s contribution. “Not a lot of people get how important it is to save this animal,” Marianne added.
