Mucus-based bioink could be used to Print and Grow Lung Tissue

translucent gel printed in a grid pattern inside a glass dish on a gloved hand
Researchers developed a mucus-based bioink for 3D-printed lung tissue.
Adapted from ACS Applied Bio Materials 2024, DOI:10.1021/acsabm.4c00579

Lung diseases kill millions of people around the world each year. Treatment options are limited, and animal models for studying these illnesses and experimental medications are inadequate. Now, writing in ACS Applied Bio Materials, researchers describe their success in creating a mucus-based bioink for 3D printing lung tissue. This advancement could one day help study and treat chronic lung conditions.

While some people with lung diseases receive transplants, donor organs remain in short supply...

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Researchers to present New Tool for Enhancing AI Transparency and Accuracy at conference

SMU researchers to present new tool for enhancing AI transparency and accuracy at IEEE Conference
Clark and Buongiorno’s research explores GAME-KG’s potential across two demonstrations. The first uses the video game Dark Shadows. Credit: SMU

While large language models (LLMs) have demonstrated remarkable capabilities in extracting data and generating connected responses, there are real questions about how these artificial intelligence (AI) models reach their answers. At stake are the potential for unwanted bias or the generation of nonsensical or inaccurate “hallucinations,” both of which can lead to false data.

That’s why SMU researchers Corey Clark and Steph Buongiorno are presenting a paper at the upcoming IEEE Conference on Games, scheduled for August 5-8 in Milan, Italy...

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Astronomers explain Rapid Formation of Organic Macromolecules in Protoplanetary Disks around Young Stars

Astronomers clarify how organic macromolecules are formed
Schematic depiction of the IOM formation scenario. Credit: Nature Astronomy (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-024-02334-4

An international team of researchers led by the University of Bern has used observation-based computer modeling to find an explanation for how macromolecules can form in a short time in disks of gas and dust around young stars. These findings could be crucial for understanding how habitability develops around different types of exoplanets and stars.

Organic macromolecules are regarded as the building blocks of life, as they are of crucial importance for the life-friendly carbon and nitrogen composition of the earth.

Planetary scientists have long assumed that the organic macromolecules that make the Earth suitable for life come from so-called chondrites...

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New Transistor’s Superlative Properties could have Broad Electronics Applications

New transistor's superlative properties could have broad electronics applications
Caption: Schematic showing the crystal structure of the boron nitride key to a new ferroelectric material that MIT researchers and colleagues have used to build a transistor with superlative properties. The schematic shows how the structure can change as two ultrathin layers of boron nitride slide past each other upon application of an electric field. The P stands for polarization, or negative/positive charge. Credit: Ashoori and Jarillo-Herrero labs

In 2021, a team led by MIT physicists reported creating a new ultrathin ferroelectric material, or one where positive and negative charges separate into different layers. At the time, they noted the material’s potential for applications in computer memory and much more...

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