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Articles tagged with: ‘bioengineering‘

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Modifying cyanobacteria for better biofuel production

By Damir Beciri
15 January 2013

anne-ruffing-algae-biofuelMicro-algal fuels might be one way to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels, and they could reduce carbon dioxide emissions since they use photosynthesis.  Sandia National Laboratories researcher has engineered two strains of cyanobacteria to produce free fatty acids, a precursor to liquid fuels, but she has also found that the process cuts the bacteria’s… »

Bionics| Tech»

Injectable shape-memory sponge delivers drugs, cells, and structure

By Damir Beciri
25 November 2012

seas-injectable-sponge-1Harvard University researchers have developed a biocompatible sponge made out of a gel-based material that can be molded into any shape and compressed to a small fraction of its size. This ability allows it to be delivered via injection and restore its original shape and size while gradually releases its cargo. Since it is biocompatible… »

Bionics»

Medusoid – artificial jellyfish swims in a heartbeat

By Damir Beciri
29 July 2012

medusoid-jellyA team of researchers at Harvard University and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) managed to combine inanimate silicon and living cardiac muscle cells into a freely swimming “jellyfish”. Aside proving reverse engineering of variety of muscular organs and simple life forms, it suggests a broader definition of what counts as synthetic life and it… »

Bionics| Tech»

Modified plant protein can be used as drug-delivery vesicle

By Damir Beciri
13 July 2012

sesame-and-sunflower-seedsResearchers from the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) have developed a new approach for making biocompatible vesicles that can carry drugs to their targets in the body. By starting with a protein that is found in sunflower seeds, they used genetic engineering to make a variety of protein molecules that assemble into biocompatible vesicles and other… »

Tech»

3D printed vascular network templates made from sugar

By Damir Beciri
2 July 2012

penn-3d-printed-sugarResearchers from the University of Pennsylvania have developed an innovative solution that allows creation of 3D printed templates of filament networks which can be used to rapidly create vasculature and improve the function of engineered living tissues. Unlike other approaches which involve 3D printing in layers, Penn researchers decided to accelerate this delicate process and… »

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Hydrogel that can self-heal in aqueous environment

By Damir Beciri
12 March 2012

ucsd-self-healing-hydrogel-1University of California, San Diego bioengineers have developed a smart and easy-to-synthesize self-healing hydrogels that consist of linked chains of polymer molecules which are capable to self-heal in aqueous environment. This jello-like material’s ability to self-heal, bind in seconds and form a bond strong enough to withstand repeated stretching could find uses in biology, medicine,… »

Bionics»

New biosensors arise from glowing bacteria synchronization research

By Damir Beciri
One Comment19 December 2011

glowing-bacteria-microfluidic-chipBiologists and bioengineers at UC San Diego have created a living neon sign composed of millions of bacterial cells that periodically fluoresce in harmony like blinking light bulbs. By utilizing the same method they used to create the flashing signs, the researchers managed to make a simple bacterial sensor that could be used to detect… »

Bionics| Tech»

Caltech researchers made the largest synthetic DNA biochemical circuit yet

By Damir Beciri
3 June 2011

caltech-dna-biochemical-circuitsResearchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have built the currently  most complex biochemical circuit created from scratch, made with DNA-based devices in a test tube. Engineering these circuits allows researchers to explore the principles of information processing in biological systems, and to design biochemical pathways with decision-making capabilities. “We’re trying to borrow the… »