This post is presented by SBE, the Society for Biological Engineering--a global organization of leading engineers and scientists dedicated to advancing the integration of biology with engineering.Image via Wikipedia
Researchers at Brown University have used carbon nanotubes to create a patch that can regenerate heart tissue in the lab, according to a report in Technology Review. The patch is formed of chains of carbon atoms that fold onto themselves to create a tube that is capable of conducting electricity and mimics the surface of natural tissue.
The research may prove valuable because it could lead to a way to repair tissue that has been damaged during a heart attack. Once heart tissue is damaged, it contributes to a disrupted heart rhythm, further weaking the heart, and regenerating tissue could halt this process.
The report shared insights from researcher Thomas Webster, an associate professor of engineering and orthopedics at Brown and senior author of the study:
[This work] is distinctive because [Webster] examined not just the muscle cells that beat, but also the nerve cells that help them contract and the endothelial cells that line the blood vessels leading to and from the heart. The fact that the patch helped regenerate all three types of cells, which function interdependently in the heart, suggests the newly grown tissue is similar to normal heart tissue.
Others in the field are expressing great interest in the new technology but also express caution, given that the discovery is still in the lab and has not yet been tested on animals.
Technology Review reports that Webster's team is working on a number of other approaches to repair heart tissue, some of which involve injecting stem cells into a damaged heart or implanting patches of muscle derived stem cells.
The nanotube research was published in the journal Acta Bimaterialia. You can read more in the full article in Technology Review.
With a bit of smoke, a few mirrors and a degree in hieroglyphics, anyone can learn to read a P&ID. Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams is a topic that can benefit process, project and design engineers, business developers, operators, safety, maintenance and even management.
This Management and Leadership blog series is dedicated to the tools, approaches, and strategies that managers can use to promote the success of individuals and the team, and thus also the organization and themselves.
Biomanufacturing is evolving with the help of automation, data integration, and high-throughput tools. In this post, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences shares how their technologies are helping researchers accelerate DBTL cycles, improve scalability, and support sustainability.
Nearly 125 attendees from academia, industry, and the public sector gathered to discuss work at the forefront of regenerative engineering, medical biotechnology, genomics and genetics, computational and systems biology, and more.
Dr. Sang Yup Lee discusses his work, the field's impact on industrial applications, and the upcoming Metabolic Engineering Conference where he'll deliver his award lecture.
Check out AIChE's newest member benefit, AIChE Engage. Use the
robust directory search to find and connect with members.
Participate in technical, career, and academic discussions about
chemical engineering.
This post is presented by SBE, the Society for Biological Engineering--a global organization of leading engineers and scientists dedicated to advancing the integration of biology with engineering.
