What if science could bridge the gap between life and death, creating organisms that don’t fully belong to either state? It may sound like the premise of a zombie movie, but researchers have taken a step into this eerie middle ground by developing a “third state” of existence. These engineered organisms, described in a study published in the journal Physiology, are neither entirely alive nor entirely dead—but something altogether new.

Biologists Peter Noble and Alex Pozhitkov, co-authors of the study review, explain that these “biobots” challenge our understanding of what it means to be alive. Using cells from both living and deceased sources, the researchers have crafted organisms that defy nature’s rules, even exhibiting abilities that go beyond what they were originally designed for.

Unlike the shambling, decaying corpses of fiction, these biobots are far from mindless. They’ve been observed repairing damaged neuron cells, an impressive feat that wasn’t programmed into them. While natural transformations, like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, follow predictable patterns, these biobots chart their own paths, performing tasks no one anticipated.

This discovery forces us to rethink the boundaries of life itself. Could these “zombie-like” creations represent a glimpse into the future of biology and technology? While they don’t roam around seeking brains, their ability to function beyond life and death raises profound questions about the potential for reanimating life—or even creating entirely new forms of existence.

Scientists believe this third state could revolutionize medicine and robotics, allowing for living machines capable of tasks like healing injuries, regenerating tissue, or even cleaning up environmental disasters. However, much remains unknown about these mysterious creations, and researchers are just beginning to explore their full potential.

For now, these biobots represent a step into the unknown—a blend of life, death, and something altogether stranger. It’s not the zombie apocalypse, but it might just be the beginning of a new frontier in science.