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Articles tagged with: ‘biotechnology‘

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Growing artificial skin using umbilical cord stem cells

By Maja Bosanac
23 November 2013

granada-stem-cell-skin-1Scientists at the University of Granada have grown artificial skin from human umbilical cord Wharton’s jelly stem cells (HWJSCs). This artificial skin can be stored in tissue banks and made available when needed. This is an important advance in treatment of patients with major burn injuries, since artificially-grown skin can be used immediately after the… »

Bionics| Tech»

An imaging system helps in tumors detection during surgery

By Maja Bosanac
6 November 2013

surgeryA group of researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute have developed a multispectral fluorescence camera system – a new surgical aid that makes hidden tumors visible during an operation. In near future, this special camera could be integrated into various medical imaging systems, such as surgical microscopes and endoscopes, in order to assist surgeons during tumor… »

Bionics»

More efficient and cell-free production of biomolecules

By Maja Bosanac
6 October 2013

biotechnica-bioproductionScientists and engineers from eight Fraunhofer Institutes have joined forces in an interdisciplinary research project to develop bioreactors that produce proteins without the help of intact cells. It can also function without viable, genetically modified cells or organisms. This cell-free bioproduction could help produce biological ingredients more quickly and with fewer resources than current conventional… »

Tech»

Automated plant factory for the production of vaccines

By Damir Beciri
27 June 2013

fks-themaAlthough chicken-egg production presents a reliable method for vaccine production, in a global pandemic emergency, it takes too long and does not yield enough vaccine. A team of Fraunhofer Institute researchers from the USA has built up a Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) compliant plant factory which relies on molecular farming. Molecular farming is an easy,… »

Bionics»

Medang tree provides key to greener chemistry

By Damir Beciri
18 June 2013

kingianin-1Researchers at the Research School of Chemistry of the Australian National University (RSC – ANU), Canberra, discovered that a rare tree found in Malaysia and Borneo holds the secret to greener chemical production. They managed to create a ten-step method which employs a new, environmentally friendly approach to replicate kingianins molecules found in the Medang… »

Bionics| Tech»

ChiBio Project focused on development of a biorefinery for crustacean shells

By Damir Beciri
1 June 2013

crab-shell-chitinAside efforts to utilize crustacean shells by extracting chitin and turning it into pharmaceuticals with fungi, researchers in Asia successfully managed to extract polymer chitosan from shrimp shells in order to make filters, foils and wound dressings. 750,000 tones of crustacean shells are annually disposed in EU, however, crustaceans in Europe contain more lime and… »

Bionics»

Making fuel from genetically-modified cyanobacteria

By Maja Bosanac
21 March 2013

cyanobacteriaResearchers at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm have succeeded in using genetically modified blue-green algae known as cyanobacteria to produce butanol – a hydrocarbon-like fuel that can be used to power motor vehicles. The interest in butanol as an alternative fuel stems from the fact that it has environmental and efficiency advantages over… »

Bionics| Tech»

Modifying cyanobacteria for better biofuel production

By Damir Beciri
15 January 2013

anne-ruffing-algae-biofuelMicro-algal fuels might be one way to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels, and they could reduce carbon dioxide emissions since they use photosynthesis.  Sandia National Laboratories researcher has engineered two strains of cyanobacteria to produce free fatty acids, a precursor to liquid fuels, but she has also found that the process cuts the bacteria’s… »