Biomaterials

By Jamie Oberdick

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A vital tool for healthcare practitioners, electroencephalography (EEG) systems measure electrical activity in the brain through electrodes placed on the scalp, but getting reliable readings can be surprisingly difficult. Hair interferes with contact between the electrodes and skin, and the gels used to improve those connections often dry out over time, weakening signal quality.

High blood pressure, formally known as hypertension, is a leading cause of heart disease in the United States, impacting nearly half of all adults. Approximately one in 10 of these patients experience drug-resistant hypertension that can be difficult to address, but according to researchers at Penn State, tiny devices that gently shock one of the body's most critical arteries could offer effective treatment.

To investigate the interactions between the influenza virus and bacterial microbe infections and how these interactions impact the lungs, a team co-led by researchers at Penn State and Duke University School of Medicine has been awarded a four-year, $3.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.

A fermentation byproduct might help to solve two major global challenges: world hunger and the environmental impact of fast fashion. The leftover yeast from brewing beer, wine or even to make some pharmaceuticals can be repurposed to produce high-performance fibers stronger than natural fibers with significantly less environmental impact, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State and published today (Nov. 3) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

By Jamie Oberdick

When patients undergo reconstructive surgery for devastating injuries, one of the biggest obstacles surgeons face is restoring blood supply to the repaired tissue. Without a functioning vascular system, new grafts cannot survive. With a new $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, researchers at Penn State are taking on this challenge by combining advanced 3D bioprinting with a novel surgical method, known as micropuncture.

Collaborating with orthopedic surgeons, a team led by biomedical engineering researchers at Penn State created CitraBoneQMg, an implantable biodegradable scaffold to support bone regrowth made by combining magnesium and glutamine with citric acid. They published research on their implant, for which they filed a U.S. patent application, in Science Advances.

By Matthew Carroll

Special biomedical materials that can be injected as a liquid and turn into a solid inside our bodies — called thermogels — could provide a less-invasive way to deliver drugs or treat wounds. Scientists at Penn State have developed a new design for these materials that further improves their properties and may hold particular promise for use in tissue regeneration, the researchers said.

By Mariah Lucas

By Mariah Lucas

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In the COVID-19 pandemic era, at-home, portable tests were crucial for knowing when to wear a mask or isolate at home. Now, Penn State engineering researchers have developed a portable and wireless device to simultaneously detect SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and vitamin C, a critical nutrient that helps bolster infection resistance, by integrating commercial transistors with printed laser-induced graphene.  

A simple biomaterial-based strategy that can influence the behavior of cells could pave the way for more effective medical treatments such as wound healing, cancer therapy and even organ regeneration, according to a research team at Penn State.