Collaboration between researchers at Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) resulted in the development of stem cells that can be directed by magnetic fields. Stem cells could soon be intravenous injected into the patient to treat heart diseases and vascular problems. By loading stem cells with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIOs), scientists… »
Being high in protein, vitamin A, and calcium, unagi found its way to become culinary delicacy in Japan. This sea-going Japanese freshwater eel seen a worldwide decrease in population, and its research could contribute to its conservation as well as lead to unexpected ways to help save human lives by increasing sensitivity, accuracy and speed… »
A group of researchers from the United Kingdom, the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and the University of Kentucky have found and structurally characterized a novel cellulose-degrading enzyme from the marine wood borer Limnoria quadripunctata, commonly known as the gribble. This biomass-degrading enzyme could one day be used to create a more competitive… »
After devising systems inspired by penguins, herring gulls and elephant trunk, engineers at Festo devised a new system suitable for their Bionic Learning Network project. Inspired by dragonflies, they developed BionicOpter – an ultra-light system packed with everything needed to mimic the way dragonflies maneuver in all directions, glide without having to beat their wings… »
Fungi, with the exception of mushrooms we find tasty at some point of their lifetime, tend to be something we associate with moldy bread and stench. Fungal colonies composed of mycelia are found in soil and on or within many other substrates. Researchers at Union College are cooperating with Ecovative Design to use mycelia to… »
A group of researchers in Austria have developed nano-machines which are able to mimic principal activities of proteins. Thanks to the Vienna Scientific Cluster (VSC), a high performance computing infrastructure, the researchers presented the first versatile and modular example of a fully artificial protein-mimetic model system. Once perfected, these artificial proteins could make a change… »
Bionics represents the application of biological methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology. In some cases it is also referred as biomimicry, biomimetics, bio-inspiration, biognosis, and it is close to bionical creativity engineering. Ranging from biomedicine, surgical robots, exoskeletons and artificial tissue, to robots, vehicles,… »
Since almost all of the body’s own regeneration mechanisms in the heart have become deactivated, a heart attack or other heart damage is serious for patients since the dead cardiac cells are irretrievably lost and scar tissue grows in place of the damaged muscle cells. Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research in Bad… »
