A group of researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute have succeeded in developing bio-inks for tissue printing technology. The transparent liquids consist of components from the natural tissue matrix and living cells, such as a well known biological material – gelatin. By controlling the chemical modification of this biomolecule, researchers can imitate the properties of various… »
Damage to cartilage may no longer have to be irreversible. A team of EPFL scientists has developed a smart hydrogel material that could promote cartilage regeneration. That would be great news for athletes, elderly, and people with conditions which lead to cartilage degeneration and arthritis. The advantage of this method is its ability to release… »
Hydrogels are gelatinous substances with several biomedical applications, including cartilage repair, implants for minimally invasive surgery and drug delivery. Most hydrogels are weak, brittle, and of low mechanical strength. They also exhibit limited extensibility, recoverability, and poor toughness. On the other hand, double-network hydrogels exhibit high mechanical strength, excellent recoverable properties, and a unique, free-shapeable… »
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) have devised a new technology that could help the blood to clot faster, potentially reducing blood loss in wounded people. They developed artificial platelets – an artificial counterpart to components of blood that help with wound clotting or sealing. This biomaterial is made from hydrogel and… »
Researches at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have developed a method for in vivo monitoring of transplanted-cell viability. The researchers used nanoscale pH sensors and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to track liver cells previously transplanted into mice. This new method is likely to be an important tool for improving cell replacement therapies for conditions such as liver… »
Researchers from IBM and the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), Singapore, revealed an antimicrobial hydrogel that can break through diseased biofilms and deal with drug-resistant bacteria upon contact. The synthetic hydrogel is the biodegradable, biocompatible and non-toxic, and its ability to form spontaneously when heated to body temperature makes it ideal for combat against… »
Researchers from the University of Illinois are making tracks in synthetic biology by designing non-electronic biological machines. They used a 3D printer to combine hydrogel and heart cells to create bio-robots. These functional machines are biocompatible and soft, and they are able to move by themselves. Once perfected, these bio-bots could be altered and specialized… »
A team of experts in mechanics, materials science, and tissue engineering at Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have created an extremely stretchy and tough hydrogel which is a hybrid of two weak gels that combine to create something much stronger. This new gel can stretch up to 21 times of its original… »
