Tag Archives: synthetic organs

Synthetic biology: Pituitary glands from stem cells

News: Synthetic Biology    November 15, 2011
Research into the uses stem cells is at that stage where almost every month a new application is announced, typically in the replacement of damaged cells or tissues. The most recent application is the creation of pituitary gland tissue from the embryonic stem cells of mice. Researchers at the Japanese RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology [...]
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Micromasonry: Building artificial tissues with tiny ‘bricks’

News: Synthetic Biology    May 17, 2010
Short of building completely synthetic organs, one of the areas of synthetic biology with the greatest promise is the development of artificial tissues – replacement material for damaged hearts, livers, and other parts of the body. However, one of the major difficulties has been to create tissue that takes on appropriate shapes. Most of the [...]
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Synthetic muscle restores the blink of an eye

News: Synthetic Organs    January 18, 2010
When you flex your muscles, the muscle cells contract or expand under neurological stimulus (nerve impulses). Something similar happens with a relatively new material called a dialectric electroactive polymer when it is used to create an electroactive polymer artificial muscle (EPAM). Don’t let the lengthy jargon be confusing. The principle is fairly simple, much like [...]
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Concept News: Engineering tissue from fractal channels

News: Synthetic Organs    December 29, 2009
First off, tissue engineering is not only for paper products; it can also mean engineering of living tissue. In fact, fabricating tissue is one of the cornerstones of bioengineering. Many artificial organs will be built from engineered tissue. Currently the most successful tissue biomaterials are used for replacement skin and cartilage, but the field is [...]
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More than a prosthetic, it’s SmartHand

News: Synthetic Organs    November 6, 2009
The idea behind most prosthetics is to ‘fill the gap’ of missing limbs – hands, arms, legs, feet. In many cases there is some kind of mechanical articulation. In a few cases there is connection to existing musculature. However research in bioengineering and the ability to do ever more sophisticated procedures involving nerves and muscles [...]
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