Engineers make Injectable Tissues a Reality

Doctoral student Mohamed Gamal uses a newly developed cell encapsulation device.
Credit: Nathan Skolski, UBC Okanagan

New device encases delicate cells into protective microgels. A simple injection that can help regrow damaged tissue has long been the dream of physicians and patients alike. A new study from researchers at UBC Okanagan moves that dream closer to reality with a device that makes encapsulating cells much faster, cheaper and more effective.

“The idea of injecting different kinds of tissue cells is not a new one,” says Keekyoung Kim, assistant professor of engineering at UBC Okanagan and study co-author. “It’s an enticing concept because by introducing cells into damaged tissue, we can supercharge the body’s own processes to regrow and repair an injury.”

Kim says eve...

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An Army of Micro-Robots can wipe out Dental Plaque

With a precise, controlled movement, microrobots cleared a glass plate of a biofilm, as shown in this time-lapse image.
Credit: Geelsu Hwang and Edward Steager/University of Pennsylvania

A visit to the dentist typically involves time-consuming and sometimes unpleasant scraping with mechanical tools to remove plaque from teeth. What if, instead, a dentist could deploy a small army of tiny robots to precisely and non-invasively remove that buildup?

A team of engineers, dentists, and biologists from the University of Pennsylvania developed a microscopic robotic cleaning crew...

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Bridge over coupled waters: Scientists 3D-print all-liquid ‘Lab on a Chip’

To make the 3D-printable fluidic device, Berkeley Lab researchers designed a specially patterned glass substrate. When two liquids – one containing nanoscale clay particles, another containing polymer particles – are printed onto the substrate, they come together at the interface of the two liquids and within milliseconds form a very thin channel or tube about 1 millimeter in diameter.
Credit: Berkeley Lab

Researchers at DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have 3D-printed an all-liquid device that, with the click of a button, can be repeatedly reconfigured on demand to serve a wide range of applications – from making battery materials to screening drug candidates.

“What we demonstrated is remarkable...

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Scientists discover what powers celestial phenomenon STEVE

Amateur astronomer’s photograph used in the new research. The photograph was taken on May 8, 2016, in Keller, Wash. The major structures are two bands of upper atmospheric emissions 160 kilometers (100 miles) above the ground, a mauve arc and green picket fence. The black objects at the bottom are trees. The background star constellations include Gemini and Ursa Major.
Credit: Rocky Raybell

The recently-discovered atmospheric glow is both like typical auroras and distinct from them. The celestial phenomenon known as STEVE is likely caused by a combination of heating of charged particles in the atmosphere and energetic electrons like those that power the aurora, according to new research...

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