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The article is about the tissue engineering laboratory in Malaysia. It touches on six areas of bioengineering, namely: skin, cartilage, bone, respiratory epithelium, stem cells and biomaterials.

Singapore Scientists Discover How to Control Fate of Stem Cells Without the Risk of Developing Cancer Cells.

IMRE Scientists Develop First-of-its-kind Hydrogel and New Mix-and-match Block Copolymer 'Smart' Biomaterials.

Mechanism for Stress-induced Epigenetic Inheritance Uncovered in New Study.

AUSTRALIA – Diabetes drug may reduce heart attack risk.

AUSTRALIA – E. coli jabs toxin into gut cells.

AUSTRALIA – Survival of wildlife species depends on its neighbor's genes.

INDONESIA – Indonesia sets a carbon time-bomb.

SINGAPORE – New 3D hair follicle model to accelerate cure for baldness.

SINGAPORE – Patient, heal thyself: Solution to personalized treatment for chronic infections could lie in the patient's own blood.

SINGAPORE – NTU and A*STAR scientists create super biomaterials from squids, mussels and sea snails.

UNITED STATES – Drug erases brain tumor in mice.

UNITED STATES – To treat obesity, consider 100 trillion gut bugs.

UNITED STATES – How having worms could ward off diabetes.

UNITED STATES – Heartbeat protects medical implants from hackers.

UNITED STATES – Team uncovers HIV's secret survival trick.

UNITED STATES – TB genomes yield insights on drug resistance.

AFRICA – Meningitis vaccine cuts cases by 94 per cent in Chad.

LATIN AMERICA – Online guides help poor labs build their own equipment.

Young Innovators under 35 - 2016 Asia's TR35 Innovators (EmTech Asia 2016)

New Biomedical R&D Centre Set Up by Lite-On Group in Singapore

The Philippines Initiates the World's First Public Dengue Vaccination Programme

3D Printing: The Versatile Innovation at the Healthcare Forefront.

Healthcare Cost Effectiveness in Singapore.

Articular cartilage is an hydrated tissue that withstands and distributes mechanical stresses. The chondrocytes respond to mechanical signals by regulating their metabolic activity through complex biological and biophysical interactions with the extracellular matrix (ECM). The objective of this work was to compare, under mechanical stress, the ECMs synthesized by rat chondrocytes seeded onto biosystems based on alginate (Alg), hyaluronic acid (HA) and a HA amphiphilic derivative. The mechanical stress simulates the traumatisms resulting from accidental shocks or intensive physical exercise by knocking the biosystems together. The investigation of ECMs neosynthesized by chondrocytes was carried out according to various criteria: proliferation, proteoglycans synthesis activity, expression of type I and type II collagens and the expression of α5/β1 integrin.

The results obtained for the stress applied on neosynthesized matrixes of 3, 10, 17 and 24 days evidenced a high proliferation and proteoglycans synthesis activity for cells submitted to a knocking process. For all biosystems, the neosynthesized matrix contained an important level of collagen, which was in part of type II, whatever the biosystems.

Finally, the chemical modification of HA by long hydrophobic alkyl chains, affords an amphiphilic derivative with viscoelastic properties perfectly mimicking those of matricial environment of chondrocytes. This study showed that the HA amphiphilic derivative induced biological effects similar to those of parent HA containing no hydrophobic modifications.

Young's modulus and structural stiffness were determined for chordae tendineae of the mitral valve from young (18–26 weeks) and old (over 2 years) porcine hearts. For chordae from the posterior leaflet of the valve, the Young's modulus values were significantly higher (p < 0.05) for the thinner marginal chordae (59 ± 31 MPa young; 88 ± 21 MPa old) than for the thicker basal chordae (31 ± 4 MPa young; 28 ± 9 MPa old). Marginal chordae (both anterior and posterior) had significantly higher (p < 0.05) value for their Young's modulus in old (88 ± 21 MPa anterior and posterior) than in young (62 ± 17 MPa anterior, 59 ± 18 MPa posterior) pig hearts. There was no significant difference in structural stiffness between marginal and basal (anterior and posterior leaflets) or between strut chordae (that are associated with anterior the leaflet only) and marginal and basal chordae. However, the value of structural stiffness of chordae was significantly higher (p < 0.05) for old (2.2 ± 0.2 kN/m) than for young (2.0 ± 0.4 kN/m) chordae. These results show that aging affects the properties of chordae and that all chordae need to be included in finite element models of valve function.

In order to explore the kinetic characteristics of planktonic microorganisms and nanometer biological motors, a mathematical model is developed to estimate the hydrodynamic force in the migration of micro- and nano-swimmers by using the Laplace transformation and linear superposition. Based on the model, it is found that a micro- and nano-swimmer will enjoy a positive propulsive force by improving frequencies or generating traveling waves along its body if it is not time reversible. The results obtained in this study provide a physical insight into the behaviors of the micro- and nano-swimmer at low Reynolds numbers, and the corresponding quantitative basis can also be potentially used in the design of nanorobot and nanosized biomaterials.

Biodegradable materials have various advantages compared to nonbiodegradable materials. Developing implants using biodegradable materials eliminates the need for secondary surgery, improves mechanical and biological properties, and improves biocompatibility. Magnesium (Mg) and its alloys are frequently used in orthopedic applications nowadays. However, the rapid degradation of Mg poses a substantial challenge. As a result, for the bone to heal properly, a proper balance between implant degeneration rate and bone healing must be obtained. Mg has certain other drawbacks, such as the need for an inert atmosphere when employing powder metallurgy and casting procedures to manufacture it because of its reactive nature. In this paper, Additive manufacturing (AM) techniques for manufacturing orthopedic biodegradable implants made of Mg and its alloys are discussed which helps in obtaining improved biological and mechanical properties of the implants. These orthopedic implants should have a controlled rate of degradation and antibacterial functional surfaces. There is also a description of the use of several AM processes utilized to enhance the mechanical and biological characteristics of implants employing Mg. This paper also seeks to present the concept of integrating established techniques into a production process to obtain the needed biodegradable implant material for orthopedic applications.

The importance and reliability of implants, have brought biomedical engineers and material scientists together to aid orthopedic specialists to increase their durability and efficiency. Porous materials have been used diversely in biomedical applications namely, scaffold designs and orthopedic implants. However, satisfying all biological as well as mechanical conditions of the human body has never been achieved. Hence, in this paper, to mimic the hierarchical nature of human bone, a simple Hollow Cube unit cell was subjected to twelve different sets of micropores in its struts, leading to an increased internal surface area and overall porosity. Thus, 3D models of the unit cells with hybrid porosities were studied using finite elements method. It was observed that with adding micropores inside already porous unit cells, about 25% decrease was obtained in elastic modulus, ranging between 7.9GPa to 11GPa and, roughly 100% increase in internal surface area and surface-to-volume ratio, moreover, the porosity rose from 64% to 87%. Sequentially, proper hierarchical unit cells were evaluated according to elastic modulus and failure analyses. In the end, to validate, the numerical and experimental results were compared and 9% error was observed between them.

This review provides a comprehensive understanding of magnetoelectric (ME) nanocomposite, cobalt ferrite–barium titanate (CFO–BTO) as a potential candidate for targeting specific cells. The synthesized core–shell material uses strain-mediated coupling between magnetostrictive and piezoelectric material. CFO–BTO has the competitive advantage of a high ME coefficient and is biocompatible. The shape and size play a pivotal role in passive drug delivery due to the enhanced permeability and retention effect at tumor sites. Surfactants can also enhance drug absorption and influence the interaction with nanoparticle composite. A comparison between external magnetic field–frequency parameters to navigate the ME nanoparticle and trigger release of the drug at site is also reviewed. Coating the nanoparticles with a layer of surfactant can reduce the threshold external magnetic field for navigation and triggering of drug particle release, making the prospect viable for clinical studies.

Nanomedicine is to apply and further develop nanotechnology to solve problems in medicine, i.e. to diagnose, treat and prevent diseases at the cellular and molecular level. This article demonstrates through a full spectrum of proof-of-concept research, from nanoparticle preparation and characterization, in vitro drug release and cytotoxicity, to in vivo pharmacokinetics and xenograft model, how nanoparticles of biodegradable polymers could provide an ideal solution for the problems encountered in the current regimen of chemotherapy. A system of vitamin E TPGS coated poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles is used as an example for paclitaxel formulation as a model drug. In vitro HT-29 cancer cell viability experiment demonstrated that the paclitaxel formulated in the nanoparticles could be 5.64 times more effective than Taxol^® after 24 hr of treatment. In vivo pharmacokinetics showed that the drug formulated in the nanoparticles could achieve 3.9 times higher therapeutic effects judged by area-under-the curve (AUC). One shot can realize sustainable chemotherapy of 168 hr compared with 22 hr for Taxol^® at a single 10 mg/kg dose. Xenograft tumor model further confirmed the advantages of the nanoparticle formulation versus Taxol^®.

Natural nacreous composites such as nacre, teeth and bone have long been extolled for their higher strength and toughness. Understanding the toughening and strengthening mechanisms as well as the condition triggering their occurrence would be of great value to the biomimetic synthesis. In this paper, our attention is mainly focused on crack deflection and flaw tolerance, which were reported as crucial toughening and strengthening mechanisms in nacreous biological materials, respectively. By applying the "brick-and-mortar" (B-and-M) structure model, our finite element-based simulation showed that the propagating direction of a crack ending at the brick/mortar interface could be controlled by tuning the fracture strength of brick. Subsequent examination on the tensile strength (TS) of the cracked B-and-M structure indicated that in nacreous composite flaw tolerance can be achieved below a length scale determined by the ductility of mortar phase. These findings would serve as guidelines in the design and synthesis of novel biomimetic materials aiming at higher strength and toughness.

The application of finite element modeling in medical applications has been evolving as the field of high importance especially in the development of medical. The generic artificial knee implants used in the total knee arthroplasty have the restriction in its range of motion with around 90 degrees. A new design allowing flexion extension range of over 120 degrees has been designed with a view to facilitate partial squatting and the same is used for the analysis purpose. The loading conditions of 10 times the body weight are considered. Finite element analyses of this design have been carried out based on standard biomaterial used in orthopaedic implants. In this paper we discuss the results of analyses of an artificial knee with stainless steel alloy. The results of the analyses were used in identifying areas of extreme stresses within the design and the spot prone for higher deformation. Based on these results slight modification on the designs was carried out. The results are also verified whether the body is within the linear deformation levels. As the results obtained were very satisfactory the models have been recommended for prototyping.

It is verified from the results that the new models respond positive till a load of 300 kg and then they enter into the maximum yield stress levels. However, in reality, the loading on an artificial knee is less than 300 kg. So the results are inferred positive and the models were sent for prototyping.

We study long-term electrical resistance dynamics in mycelium and fruit bodies of oyster fungi P. ostreatus. A nearly homogeneous sheet of mycelium on the surface of a growth substrate exhibits trains of resistance spikes. The average width of spikes is c. 23min and the average amplitude is c. 1k$\mathrm{\Omega }$. The distance between neighboring spikes in a train of spikes is c. 30min. Typically, there are 4–6 spikes in a train of spikes. Two types of electrical resistance spikes trains are found in fruit bodies: low frequency and high amplitude (28min spike width, 1.6k$\mathrm{\Omega }$ amplitude, 57min distance between spikes) and high frequency and low amplitude (10min width, 0.6k$\mathrm{\Omega }$ amplitude, 44min distance between spikes). The findings could be applied in monitoring of physiological states of fungi and future development of living electronic devices and sensors.

Sustainable wastewater treatment methods are very important and necessary because they help to protect the environment and the health of humans, animals and other living organisms. With the increase in industries and population, toxic dyes produced in various industries have created a serious issue for public health and the main concern of environmental protection. This method affects the quality of purified water and causes various diseases, and as a result, it ends in death. Water purification is very important and plays an important role in the environment. Pollutant removal has different methods that include physicochemical and biological treatment. Each of these methods shows different pollutant removal capabilities that are studied here, depending on the experimental limitations. Among the different methods of wastewater treatment, the methods that have a high cost are not used today, and the results have shown that researchers consider more in the fields that have a low cost of material and testing. Surface adsorption is considered the most efficient method due to its high removal efficiency, easy operation, cost-effectiveness and recyclability of adsorbents. In this paper, the sustainable applications of wastewater treatment for the removal of colored pollutants have been investigated. Here, chitin and chitosan are more commonly used nowadays due to the naturalness of the polymer material, and it is not toxic and has many uses in various fields that can be used by adsorption. In this context, this work aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the adsorption of dyes from wastewater by nano-biopolymers, especially chitin and chitosan, as adsorbents. First, a summary of biopolymers, the properties of chitin and chitosan and synthesis techniques are presented. After the classification of dyes, the techniques for removing them from the wastewater are described. In addition, the adsorption process and isotherms used for adsorption are described with different models. Among various adsorbents, such as carbon materials, metals/metal oxides and zeolites, nano-biopolymers, especially chitin and chitosan, are the most promising ones for environmental sustainability. The results show that the use of biocompatible biopolymers to remove dye pollutants in different dyeing and textile industries plays an important role in determining the sustainable methods of wastewater treatment and can reduce the environmental effects of industries. Surface adsorption can be compatible with the environment and remove various colored pollutants well so that we have clean and pollution-free water and can use water.

To obtain TiNi foams with interconnected pores that have surface quality necessary for bone growth in addition to required mechanical performance, sintering with the space holder technique was employed in this study, which aimed to evaluate the bone healing process of TiNi graft materials. For this purpose, processed TiNi foams with three different porosities were placed into the created defects in the femur of rats. Moreover, the mechanical properties of the processed TiNi foams were conducted via monotonic compression tests in order to evaluate mechanical biocompatibility.

Influence of carboxylic functionalization on the cytocompatibility of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was investigated in this work. Water contact angle assay showed that the surface of MWCNTs-containing carboxyl (MWCNTs-COOH) became much more hydrophilic compared with pure MWCNTs. In cell-adhesion assays, two cell lines, mouse fibroblast cells (L929) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (EAHY926) were used to assess the cytocompatibility of materials. The MWCNTs-COOH displayed the improved cell proliferation, viability and adhesion due to the enhanced wettability, indicating their superior cytocompatibility over MWCNTs. The existence of carboxyl groups should be benefit to the adhesion and growth of both cells, which implied that MWCNTs-COOH were helpful for seeding both cells and could be used as the functional surface for the adhesion and growth of cells.

In this study, the effect of annealing temperature on microstructure and mechanical properties of a Ti–18Zr–12.5Nb–2Sn (at.%) alloy was investigated by using optical microscopy (OM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement and tensile test. The cold-rolled plate was annealed at temperatures between 773K and 1173K. Recrystallization occurred in the specimen annealed at 873K. Grain size increased from 8$\mu$m to 80$\mu$m with increasing temperature from 873K to 1173K. The ultimate tensile strength decreased from 1590MPa to 806MPa with increasing annealing temperature from 773K to 973K, and then showed similar value in the specimens annealed at temperatures from 973K to 1173K. The fracture strain increased from 3.8% to 41.0% with increasing annealing temperature from 773K to 1173K due to the recovery and recrystallization. The recovery strain increased with increasing of annealing temperature attributed to the evolution of recrystallization texture.

Drug delivery as a strategy to improve the effect of therapeutic treatment is gaining tremendous interest in biomedical research. The recent advancement in microfluidic technique designed to precisely control the liquid at micro or nano liter level has shed some new lights on reshaping the ongoing drug delivery research. In this aspect, this present mini-review gives an overview on the potential applications of microfluidic technique in the area of drug delivery, which basically covers the fabrication of drug delivery carriers and the design of microfluidic-based smart systems for localized in vivo drug delivery.