Polymers News and Research

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Structural biologists capture elusive actin nucleation process

Structural biologists from Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine have captured the first three-dimensional crystalline snapshot of a critical but fleeting process that takes place thousands of times per second in each human cell.

31 May 2013

Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques improve memory

Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques aimed at mental and neurological conditions include transcranial magnetic stimulation for depression, and transcranial direct current (electrical) stimulation, shown to improve memory.

20 May 2013

New technique can lead to effective use of nanoparticles as drug delivery system

A Wayne State University researcher has successfully tested a technique that can lead to more effective use of nanoparticles as a drug delivery system.

8 May 2013

EPSRC-funded study explores feasibility of using natural fibres for cartilage repair

Over 20 million people in Europe suffer from osteoarthritis which can lead to extensive damage to the knee and hip cartilage. Stem cells offer a promising way forward but a key challenge has been to design a 'smart material' that is biologically effective for cartilage tissue regeneration. Now researchers have identified a blend of naturally occurring fibres such as cellulose and silk that makes progress towards affordable and effective cell-based therapy for cartilage repair a step closer

8 May 2013

Polymers for pulmonary drug delivery book released by Smithers Rapra

Pulmonary drug delivery has been a rapidly expanding field, moving from the traditional propellant based metered dose inhaler delivery of small asthma drugs, to a broader landscape of new devices and novel drugs for local and systemic delivery.

30 Apr 2013

Comparison of processability of medical resins reveals effect of physical properties on moldability

Both physical properties and processability play key roles when injection-molded parts are mass produced. When producing medical parts, a consistent, high degree of accuracy is also vital. It is relatively simple to adjust a process to account for differences in molecular weight once that process is optimized for a specific polymer. It is much more complex to adjust the process for changes in polymers.

25 Apr 2013

Mirus Bio to use CSIRO's RAFT Polymerization Technology to expedite its product development efforts

CSIRO and Mirus Bio LLC are pleased to announce a new license arrangement that will enable Mirus Bio to utilize the unique characteristics of CSIRO's Reversible Addition-Fragmentation chain Transfer polymerisation technology (RAFT) to expand upon its high-end polymer development capabilities for the biotech industry.

22 Apr 2013

Nano-Tera provides funds for research and development of artificial sphincter

The lack of control over one's own bowel movements can severely affect an individual's quality of life. Researchers at the University of Basel want to develop an adaptive implant that would be able to contract and relax like a natural muscle.

22 Apr 2013

University of Alberta researcher develops polymer platform technology for targeted drug delivery

A University of Alberta researcher is thinking small to find innovative ways to improve the delivery of drugs that can be more easily administered with fewer side-effects.

17 Apr 2013

Unique modification to microtubules makes nerve cells' cytoskeleton singularly robust

How do nerve cells -- which can each be up to three feet long in humans -- keep from rupturing or falling apart?

16 Apr 2013

Scientists say detecting single viral protein components challenging for Ebola

By screening a library of a billion llama antibodies on live Ebola viruses in the Texas Biomedical Research Institute's highest biocontainment laboratory, scientists in San Antonio have identified a potential weakness in the make-up of these deadly agents that can immediately yield a sensitive test.

6 Apr 2013

Bioglass help human bone to regenerate, find UPV/EHU researchers

Jose Ramon Sarasua and Aitor Larra-aga, researchers in the materials engineering department of the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country, have been studying new materials or implants that are of interest in medicine and in helping to mend bones, in particular.

3 Apr 2013

Protein with key job in muscle function moonlights in nucleus to help regulate genes

A key building block of life, actin is one of the most abundant and highly conserved proteins in eukaryotic cells.

25 Mar 2013

ADP-ribose plays key role in repairing cellular DNA damage

Attaching chains of the small molecule ADP-ribose to proteins is important for a cell's survival and the repair of DNA damage, making this process a promising target for the development of new cancer drugs.

13 Mar 2013

Scientists discover enzyme regulation that catalyzes chain elongation in the terpenoid pathway

Max Planck scientists in Jena, Germany, have discovered an unusual regulation of enzymes that catalyze chain elongation in an important secondary metabolism, the terpenoid pathway.

2 Mar 2013

Study shows how theranostic nanoparticles can effectively deliver cancer drugs to tumour cells

Tiny particles filled with a drug could be a new tool for treating cancer in the future. A new study published by Swedish scientists in Particle & Particle Systems Characterization shows how such nanoparticles can be combined to secure the effective delivery of cancer drugs to tumour cells - and how they can be given properties to make them visible in MR scanners and thus rendered trackable.

1 Mar 2013

Medical Adhesives for Reusable or Disposable Medical Devices

An interview with Robert Michaels, discussing the major challenges faced by engineers designing medical devices and the development of new medical adhesives.

From Master Bond Inc. 28 Feb 2013

Freie Universität Berlin research team examines thermoresponsive nanogels for treatment of cancer

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research is supporting a new research group at Freie Universität Berlin that is investigating so-called thermoresponsive nanogels.

27 Feb 2013

New bio-mimicking therapeutics could help treat skin wounds

In "before" and "after" photos from advertisements for wound-healing ointments, bandages and antibiotic creams, we see an injury transformed from an inflamed red gash to smooth and flawless skin. What we don't appreciate is the vital role that our own natural biomolecules play in the healing process, including their contribution to the growth of new cells and the development of new blood vessels that provide nutrients to those cells.

21 Feb 2013

New materials mimic mussel adhesive proteins for three medical applications

When it comes to sticking power under wet conditions, marine mussels are hard to beat. They can adhere to virtually all inorganic and organic surfaces, sustaining their tenacious bonds in saltwater, including turbulent tidal environments.

18 Feb 2013