Category Biology/Biotechnology

Concept illustration of microneedle device for type 2 diabetes treatment. Credit: Chen lab, NIBIB.

Researchers have devised a biochemically formulated patch of dissolvable microneedles for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The biochemical formula of mineralized compounds in the patch responds to blood chemistry to manage glucose automatically. In a proof-of-concept study performed with mice, the researchers showed that the chemicals interact in the bloodstream to regulate blood sugar for days at a time. “This experimental approach could be a way to take advantage of the fact that persons with type 2 diabetes can still produce some insulin,” said Richard Leapman, Ph.D., NIBIB scientific director...

This is a photograph of a 3-D hydrogel construct obtained through drop-on-drop multi-material bioprintinig. Credit: Osaka University

Researchers develop a finely tuned enzyme-driven crosslinking method to glue together biological ink droplets and extend the range of cell types that can be handled by inkjet bioprinting. Such printing holds strong promise for regenerative medicine, such as in use of iPS cells. Researchers refine method of making bio-ink droplets stick to each other, enabling 3D printing of highly complex biological structures with a wide variety of cell types using inkjet printers.

Before any real applications, “bioprinting” has always faced many technical challenges...

Team of researchers from the Gandia campus of Valencia’s Polytechnic University and the La Fe Health Investigation Institute have developed the Moosy 23 eNose

In much the same way as dogs can be trained to detect some diseases through their keen sense of smell, technology can help create electronic devices capable of performing this same task. This is precisely what Gandia campus of Valencia’s Polytechnic University and La Fe Health Investigation Institute have achieved, developing a prototype of an electronic nose that can distinguish between patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Moosy 32 eNose -can also tell whether the disease is active, with close to 90% accuracy...

Comparison of microRNA extraction using nanowires versus conventional collection (a) Scatterplot comparing normalized intensities of microRNAs extracted with the nanowire device versus conventional collection by ultracentrifugation. (b) Histogram showing the frequency of microRNA species at different fluorescent intensities collected by nanowires (red) and ultracentrifugation (blue). Both the scatterplot and histogram analyses show a notably greater abundance of extracted microRNAs using the nanowire technology. © Takao Yasui

Cells communicate with each other through a number of different mechanisms...