Researchers at the University of the Basque Country have developed a technique that allows them to 3D print pharmaceutical tablets using different types of starch. By modifying the types of starch used and the shape of the tablets, the team can fine-tune drug release to be either rapid or slow. This includes full release of […]
Tag: Materials
Granular Hydrogels for Improved Bioinks
Researchers at Penn State have developed a granular hydrogel that contains both hydrogel microparticles and self-assembling nanoparticles, and which could be highly suited for bioprinting purposes. The concept involves the nanoparticles becoming adsorbed onto the hydrogel microparticles and reversibly adhering the microparticles together, providing (Read more...)
Surface Coating Rapidly Kills Pathogens, Lasts Months
A team at the University of Michigan has developed a coating for frequently touched surfaces that can rapidly kill a wide array of pathogens, including MRSA and SARS-CoV-2. The technology incorporates polyurethane that contains crosslinked compounds from essential oils with wide-spectrum anti-microbial action. The researchers fine-tuned the crossli (Read more...)
EEG Caps for Brain Organoids
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have created tiny EEG caps for brain organoids. The team was inspired by full size EEG caps that are used to measure brain activity in human patients. Previously, the Hopkins researchers were forced to use flat electrode arrays that were originally designed to take recordings from cell monolayers, but applyin (Read more...)
Bioengineered Cornea Restores Sight
Scientists at Linköping University in Sweden have developed a collagen-based corneal implant that can restore sight to blind patients with corneal disease. The breakthrough could pave the way for such patients to receive effective treatment for corneal disease without requiring a corneal transplant from a human donor. There is a shortage of do (Read more...)
Tough Ultrasound-Controlled Bioadhesives
Scientists from McGill University in Canada created a technique of using ultrasound-mediated cavitation to make bioadhesives better stick to body’s tissues, including wet surfaces that are typically challenging for such materials. The new method involves ultrasound to create microbubbles within the adhesive. The bubbles burst, which then temp (Read more...)
Light-Activated Hydrogel Disrupts Oral Biofilms, Whitens Teeth
Researchers at Nanchang University in China developed a photodynamic hydrogel treatment for teeth that disrupts bacterial biofilms, helps to prevent cavities, and whitens teeth. The gel is applied to the teeth and is then activated using green light, which is less harsh on nearby skin than the high intensity blue light that is sometimes used [&hell (Read more...)
Upcycling CDs as Flexible Biosensors
A team of scientists at Binghamton University in New York State have developed a technique that lets them salvage material from old CDs to make flexible biosensors that are inexpensive and relatively simple to produce. The method involves using a chemical process and sticky tape to peel off the metal coating from the disks, and […]
Spray Coating Fights Viruses and Bacteria
Researchers at the University of Sydney in Australia engineered a new spray coating for surfaces that provides long-term protection against bacterial and viral contamination. The material is intended as a long-term alternative to disinfectant sprays and combines hydrophobic properties with antimicrobial nanoparticles to reduce microbial contaminati (Read more...)
Face Mask Deactivates SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein
Researchers at the University of Kentucky created a novel membrane that can enzymatically degrade the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, rendering the virus inactive. The membrane is intended to act as an insert within face masks, providing extra protection for groups at high risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure, such as health care staff. The researchers functional (Read more...)
Microparticle Vaccine Provides Boosters Automatically
Researchers at MIT have created a microparticle vaccine that can provide booster doses automatically. The hollow microparticles resemble a coffee cup with a lid, and are made using poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), otherwise known as PLGA. The polymer breaks down over time in the body, releasing the contents of the hollow particles. By changing the co (Read more...)
Biosynthetic Trilayered Ventricle Pumps Blood
Biomedical engineers at the University of Toronto have developed a method to create a small-scale biosynthetic left ventricle that can pump blood within a bioreactor. While the construct is too small to act as replacement for a human heart, it could lead to full-sized biosynthetic organ transplants. In fact, the man-made ventricle already showed a (Read more...)
Surgical Dressing Helps Kill Melanoma, Regenerate Healthy Cells
Scientists at the University of Nottingham in the UK have created a surgical dressing that is specifically designed to facilitate and enhance photothermal therapy following melanoma resection. The dressing allows for near-infrared photothermal therapy that lasts just 15 seconds every 48 hours. The concept involves killing any remaining melanoma cel (Read more...)
Artificial Ventricle Mimics Helical Muscle Fibers
Researchers at Harvard developed a technique that lets them recreate the helical arrangement of cardiac muscle fibers within the heart ventricles in a bioengineered construct. The breakthrough could pave the way for artificial bioengineered hearts. The researchers used a technique called Focused Rotary Jet Spinning (FRJS) that allows them to deposi (Read more...)
Smart Textiles Recognize Body Movements
Engineers at MIT have developed smart textiles that can detect and recognize body movements. The garments fit snugly, and contain a network of pressure sensors that can detect movement, and in conjunction with machine learning approaches, the technology can learn to recognize specific movements in wearers. The fabric contains conductive yarns and p (Read more...)
Artificial Muscles are Stronger and More Flexible than Real Muscle
Engineers at the University of California Los Angeles created artificial muscles that are stronger and more flexible than the real thing. The new material is an example of a dielectric elastomer, which is an electroactive polymer that can change its shape or size when stimulated using electricity. The researchers tweaked the crosslinking between po (Read more...)
Magnetic Microrobots to Brush and Floss Teeth
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a technique to manipulate magnetic microrobots into bristle and string shaped-structures that can brush and floss teeth. The iron oxide nanoparticle-based microrobots also activate hydrogen peroxide to release bacteria-killing free radicals to further target bacterial populations in the m (Read more...)
Carbon Monoxide-Loaded Foam as Inflammatory Disease Treatment
Researchers at MIT have created a carbon monoxide-loaded foam intended for therapeutic use against inflammatory disease. While the gas is toxic if inhaled in large quantities, in small doses it has potent anti-inflammatory effects. However, delivering it to the gastrointestinal tract to treat inflammatory diseases, such as colitis, is a challenge. (Read more...)
Soft Bioresorbable Implant Controls Pain by Cooling Nerves
A team of engineers at Northwestern University led by John Rogers, the person responsible for many advances in flexible electronics, created a drug-free implant that can control pain by cooling nerves. The soft implant is intended to be wrapped around a nerve during surgical procedures that would typically involve opioid-based analgesia afterwards. (Read more...)
Self-Powered Implant Tracks Spinal Fusion Healing
Engineers at the University of Pittsburgh created a self-powered implant that can track spinal healing while also providing mechanical support. The device can be 3D printed so that it fits a given patient perfectly and the mechanical properties can also be easily tuned to customize for each situation. The spinal fusion cage contains a triboelectric (Read more...)