Eurekalert April 2, 2018 Researchers at Texas A&M used thickening agent known as kappa-carrageenan, obtained from seaweed, to design injectable hydrogels simulating the structure of human tissues. When kappa-carrageenan is mixed with clay-based nanoparticles, injectable gelatin is obtained. The charged characteristics of clay-based nanoparticles provide hemostatic ability to the hydrogels. Specifically, plasma protein and platelets form blood adsorption on the gel surface and trigger a blood clotting cascade. These bandages can show a prolonged release of therapeutics that can be used to heal the wound…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Category Archives: Biotechnology
Sugar-coated nanosheets developed to selectively target pathogens
Science Daily March 29, 2018 A team of researchers in the US (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, New York University) created the synthesized nanosheets out of self-assembling, bio-inspired polymers called peptoids. The sheets were designed to present simple sugars in a patterned way along their surfaces. Picking the right sugars to bind to the peptoid nanosheets, in the right distributions, can determine which pathogens will be drawn to them. They confirmed that the bindings with the targeted proteins were successful. The peptoid platform is rugged and stable, it can be deployed into the field for tests of bioagents by military personnel […]
Modified biomaterials self-assemble on temperature cues
Phys.org March 19, 2018 Post-translational modification of proteins is a strategy widely used in biological systems which has remained largely untapped for the synthesis of biomaterials. As a proof of concept of this technique, an international team of researchers (USA – Duke University, Germany) reports the generation of a family of three stimulus-responsive hybrid materials—fatty-acid-modified elastin-like polypeptides—using a one-pot recombinant expression and post-translational lipidation methodology. The hybrid approach allows researchers to control self-assembly more precisely, which may prove useful for a variety of biomedical applications from drug delivery to wound healing… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Researchers create a protein ‘mat’ that can soak up pollution
Physorg March 15, 2018 An international team of researchers (USA – UC Berkeley, Northwestern University, ARL, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, France) designed four-monomer random heteropolymers to mimic intrinsically disordered proteins for protein solubilization and stabilization in non-native environments. With optimized composition and statistical monomer distribution, they enable cell-free synthesis of membrane proteins with proper protein folding for transport and enzyme-containing plastics for toxin bioremediation. The research affords a new strategy to interface with biological systems for protein-based biomaterials and enable on-demand biochemical reactions where they were once not feasible… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Research team creates hydrogel adhesives to seal wounds
Physorg March 9, 2018 Researchers at Harvard University have developed a hydrogel which is a hybrid of two different polymers: a seaweed extract called alginate and polyacrylamide. When these become entangled with each other, they create a molecular network that demonstrates unprecedented toughness and resilience for a hydrogel material—on par with the body’s natural cartilage. When combined with an adhesive layer containing positively charged polymer molecules, the resulting hybrid material can bind to tissues, stretch up to 20 times its initial length, and attach to wet tissue surfaces undergoing dynamic movement… read more.
How a yeast cell helps crack open the ‘black box’ behind artificial intelligence
Physorg March 5, 2018 An international team of researchers (USA – UC San Diego, Israel) developed what they call a “visible” neural network and used it to build DCell, a model of a functioning brewer’s yeast cell, commonly used as a model in basic research. To do this, they amassed all knowledge of cell biology in one place and created a hierarchy of these cellular components. Then they mapped standard machine learning algorithms to this knowledge base. “Learning” is guided only by real-world cellular behaviors and constraints coded from approximately 2,500 known cellular components. The team inputs information about genes […]
Magnetic nanoparticles will help stop internal bleeding 15 times more effectively
Nanowerk February 28, 2018 Researchers in Russia used magnet-driven nanoparticles consisting of two key components – thrombin, an enzyme responsible for blood clotting and magnetite. Thrombin interacts with the protein called fibrinogen and triggers clot formation to block the damaged vessel. The thrombin is wrapped into a special porous matrix made of magnetite that allows for precise control of the movement of particles inside the body using an external magnetic field. A drug based on these nanoparticles is nontoxic and can be injected intravenously and delivered straight to the site of a vascular injury. It can accelerate local clot formation […]
Chemists harness artificial intelligence to predict the future (of chemical reactions)
Eurekalert February 15, 2018 To manufacture medicines, chemists must find the right combinations of chemicals to make the necessary chemical structures. A team of researchers in the US (Princeton University, industry partner) has developed a software to accurately predict reaction yields while varying up to four reaction components. Reaction yields can be accurately predicted using the results of ‘only’ hundreds of reactions (instead of thousands). The code extracts descriptors for each chemical used in the model calculating quantitative descriptors for each chemical, to use as inputs for the model. The software can work for any reaction, any substrate. The idea […]
Worm ‘uploaded’ to computer and taught amazing tricks
Science Daily February 6, 2018 C. elegans must get by with only 300 neurons. It can be drawn as a circuit diagram or reproduced by computer software, so that the neural activity of the worm is simulated by a computer program. Researchers in Austria trained and optimized the artificial reflex network on the computer with the help of reinforcement learning. They succeeded in teaching the virtual nerve system to balance a pole on its tip – solving a standard technology problem. They have demonstrated that their neural policy performs as good as existing traditional control theory and machine learning approaches… […]
A ski jacket that actively gets rid of sweat
Science Daily January 29, 2018 Researchers in Switzerland have developed a technology called Hydro-bot based on osmosis. To ensure that liquid is actively transported from the inside to the outside by means of electro-osmosis, a polymer membrane with a thickness of 20 micrometers is used, which is coated on both sides with a noble metal by means of plasma coating. A voltage of around 1.5 volts is applied to accelerate the process. When the voltage is applied, salt ions and the liquid surrounding them migrate through tiny pores in the membrane to the outside. The membrane is equipped with a […]