Biotechnology

Engineers and researchers have developed a novel fully-implantable wireless bidirectional vagus nerve stimulation and sensing device for mice. Details about the device and its capabilities outline the potential to transform how bioelectronic medicine research is conducted in labs worldwide.

Bioengineers successfully regrew cartilage in a rabbit's knee and they've discovered that electrical signals are key to normal growth. They designed a tissue scaffold made out of nanofibers of poly-L lactic acid that has a neat property called piezo-electricity. When it is squeezed, it produces a little burst of electrical current. The regular movement of a joint, such as a person walking, can cause the PLLA scaffold to generate a weak but steady electrical field that encourages cells to colonize it and grow into cartilage.

Silk makes an important biomaterial, because it does not generate an immune response in humans and promotes the growth of cells. It has been used in drug delivery, and because the material is flexible and has favorable technological properties, it is ideal for wearable and implantable health monitoring sensors.

A novel carbon-based biosensor is set to drive new innovations in brain-controlled robotics. The sensor is made of epitaxial graphene - essentially multiple layers of very thin, very strong carbon - grown directly onto a silicon-carbide-on-silicon substrate. The result is a highly scalable novel sensing technology that overcomes three major challenges of graphene-based biosensing: corrosion, durability and skin contact resistance

Semiconductors are moving away from rigid substrates, which are cut or formed into thin discs or wafers, to more flexible plastic material and even paper thanks to new material and fabrication discoveries. The trend toward more flexible substrates has led to fabrication of numerous devices, from light-emitting diodes to solar cells and transistors.

Patients are awake during surgery as electrical leads are implanted in their brain. This procedure uses a first-of-its-kind approach that incorporates intracranial electroencephalography (EEG) recordings and stimulation to personalize the understanding of network behavior in the brain during a depressive state and its response to the DBS device.

Skin is the body's first line of defence against toxins, radiation and harmful substances. It has at least six functions, regenerates itself approximately once each month, and consists of up to seven layers of tissue. It's no wonder, then, that researchers and clinicians are interested in producing this remarkable organ in the lab so that it can be used to repair injuries caused by burns, surgery or disease.

Cell coding company bit.bio has launched a new product, ioSkeletal Myocytes. It's the first product of its kind that provides physiologically relevant human skeletal muscle cells that are reliable, reproducible and consistent at scale. Access to ioSkeletal Myocytes will supercharge research and drug discovery for musculoskeletal and metabolic conditions.

Researchers use 3D printing to create a novel, environmentally friendly material made of algae that has applications not only for energy and medicine, but also for fashion and space exploration. Living materials, which are made by housing biological cells within a nonliving matrix, have gained popularity in recent years as scientists recognize that often the most robust materials are those that mimic nature.

Researchers have achieved a breakthrough in the field of biological robots by developing new biobots based on muscle cells that can swim at unprecedented velocities.