A new hydrogel can incorporate high cell density constructs to better mimic the rearrangement of native tissue in bioengineering. In another exciting development for the field of bioengineering, new 4D-shape-shifting materials developed…
Devin Swiner: “At the heart of what I do, I want my science to help people”
“I think of chemistry as a puzzle — each experiment is one more piece, and the more experiments I do, the more I can uncover and add something new to the field.”…
Bioengineered muscle fibers help regrow damaged tissue
A new tissue regeneration strategy that employs direct cell reprogramming in combination with a new hybrid scaffold shows promise in proof-of-concept study. Skeletal muscle under microscope. Image credit: Shutterstock Researchers from the…
Seeking life on Mars: What you need to know about the Perseverance mission
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Tomorrow, NASA’s Perseverance rover will touch down on the Red Planet and the hype around the mission is building. Launched last summer, the endeavor aims to discover signs of…
Biodegradable masks could help curb the rise in plastic waste
Moisture-resistant mask filters made from compostable and abundant materials could help curb plastic pollution as a result of the pandemic. Image credit: DimStock Pixabay A year into the pandemic, it is now…
Some gluten-free celiac patients still experience tissue inflammation
Using a more sophisticated analysis, researchers aim to set better baselines for clinical trials exploring therapeutics for patients with celiac disease. Image credit: Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash Celiac disease is a disorder…
“Breast cancer-on-a-chip” helps researchers test immunotherapy drugs
A new microwell chip holds promise for screening immunotherapy drugs with the added bonus that it can include a patient’s own cells for optimized treatment planning. Image credit: Khademhosseini Lab Immunotherapy has…
How do mutations help SARS-CoV-2 escape our antibodies?
A scientific detective story unearths how SARS-CoV-2 evolves new variants that evade antibodies. Recurrent deletion generates variants that escape from neutralization; Kevin McCarthy and Paul Duprex Viruses are highly adept at survival…
Anonymous name change policies for a more inclusive publishing world
Image credit: Kieran O’Brien Transgender, non-binary, and/or gender diverse researchers and scholars face unique challenges as a result of a historical unwillingness to change outdated publishing practices. Theresa Tanenbaum is an assistant…
A new material brings scientists closer to a “quantum brain”
An intelligent material that learns by physically changing itself, similar to how the human brain works, could be the foundation of a completely new generation of computers. Image adapted from Unsplash In…