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Study shows how different microbiomes could be harnessed to boost human health

There's a lot of interest right now in how different microbiomes--like the one made up of all the bacteria in our guts--could be harnessed to boost human health and cure disease.

7 Jun 2021

How can nanomaterials help in the fight against COVID-19?

Researchers have reviewed different types of nanomaterials and how they can be used for the detection, prevention, and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

3 Jun 2021

How bacterial cells have been engineered to produce virus-resistant synthetic polymers

A recent Science paper discusses the utilization of a previously reported synthetic Escherichia coli to produce virus-resistant synthetic polymers.

3 Jun 2021

New class of hydrogels can enable precise drug delivery

Hydrogels are commonly used inside the body to help in tissue regeneration and drug delivery. However, once inside, they can be challenging to control for optimal use. A team of researchers in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University is developing a new way to manipulate the gel -- by using light.

3 Jun 2021

Nanoscale coordination polymers show promise for efficient dopamine delivery in Parkinson's treatment

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder caused by the death of dopaminergic neurons in a part of the brain (known as substantia nigra pars compacta), which leads to a deficit of dopamine (DA), one of the main neurotransmitters active in the central nervous system.

1 Jun 2021

Researchers use new technique to create 3D-printed medical implants

Researchers have flipped traditional 3D printing to create some of the most intricate biomedical structures yet, advancing the development of new technologies for regrowing bones and tissue.

26 May 2021

Study reveals how harmless skin microbes become deadly pathogens

The bacterium Staphylococcus epidermidisis primarily a harmless microbe found on the skin and in the noses of humans.

25 May 2021

New therapeutic strategy can prevent dental decay in children

The combination of a carb-heavy diet and poor oral hygiene can leave children with early childhood caries (ECC), a severe form of dental decay that can have a lasting impact on their oral and overall health.

19 May 2021

Nanotechnology and COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment

The development of nano-biosensors and nanoparticle-based vaccines and medicines has opened a new path toward better management of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In a recently published article in the journal ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, scientists have reviewed recent advancements in nanotechnology-based diagnostic and therapeutic interventions against human coronaviruses.

17 May 2021

Researchers develop graphene-based sensing technology for wearable medical devices

Researchers at AMBER, the SFI Centre for Advanced Materials and BioEngineering Research, and from Trinity's School of Physics, have developed next-generation, graphene-based sensing technology using their innovative G-Putty material.

4 May 2021

Using silicone and sugar to make the softest brain implants

Brain implants are used to treat neurological dysfunction, and their use for enhancing cognitive abilities is a promising field of research.

4 May 2021

Chemotherapy drugs delivered via nanoparticles could improve bowel cancer survival rates

Bowel cancer survival rates could be improved if chemotherapy drugs were delivered via tiny nanoparticles to the diseased organs rather than oral treatment.

3 May 2021

Interdisciplinary project explores the phenomenon of so-called “superspreaders”

Scientists from the Departments of Physics, Biomedical Sciences and Process Engineering at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg are in the process of analyzing the emergence and spread of infectious air bubbles in our breath, known as aerosols, using tissue cultivations and artificially-produced, virus-filled suspended particles.

3 May 2021

Researchers use natural polymer coatings to improve bone-implant integration

Traffic accidents, tumor resections, and congenital diseases can cause significant trauma, which can lead to large bone deformations and/or bone loss. Although bone has some capacity to regenerate, large bone defects cannot be healed without major medical procedures.

27 Apr 2021

Researchers design "nanotraps" to capture and destroy SARS-CoV-2 viruses

Researchers at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago have designed a completely novel potential treatment for COVID-19: nanoparticles that capture SARS-CoV-2 viruses within the body and then use the body's own immune system to destroy it.

27 Apr 2021

Researchers develop a method of fabrication for biodegradable polymer microcapsules

An international team led by a Skoltech researcher has developed a method of fabrication for biodegradable polymer microcapsules, made more efficient by turning to an unusual source of inspiration - traditional Russian dumpling, or pelmeni, making.

23 Apr 2021

Could virosome-based nanovaccines be a promising new approach to preventing viral diseases?

A recent review in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules provides a novel overview of 'virosome'-based nanovaccine production, its properties, and its application in viral diseases, emphasizing its importance in SARS-CoV-2 vaccine discovery.

20 Apr 2021