Dr. Burnett, Professor of Biology here at CofC, and David Scholnick rigged a treadmill for shrimp to more accurately simulate a real-world environment vs. just sitting there in a tank – but who would call a “shrimp running on a treadmill” real-life?

“We have a treadmill for blue crabs, and are making one for lobsters too” Dr. Burnett said on The Today Show this morning.

Anyway, here is their short explanation of the process before watching the shrimp exercise to “The Final Countdown”:

The central hypothesis underlying my research is that infectious disease can compromise the respiratory systems of lower vertebrates and invertebrates and thereby limit the ability of animals to sustain and recover from normal activities. Working with colleagues at College of Charleston’s Grice Marine Laboratory and Hollings Marine Laboratory in Charleston, South Carolina, we have demonstrated that in resting animals bacterial infection can compromise normal metabolic function.

Of course, if “The Final Countdown” isn’t your type of music, you can always pick another shrimp on a treadmill video.