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
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.
By Jamie Oberdick
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — To enhance biosensor development via artificial intelligence (AI) and offer STEM education opportunities to K-12 students from underserved communities, the U.S. National Science Foundation recently awarded researchers at Penn State a three-year, $1.5 million grant.
By Sarah Small
To advance soft robotics, skin-integrated electronics and biomedical devices, researchers at Penn State have developed a 3D-printed material that is soft and stretchable — traits needed for matching the properties of tissues and organs — and that self-assembles. Their approach employs a process that eliminates many drawbacks of previous fabrication methods, such as less conductivity or device failure, the team said.
They published their results in Advanced Materials.
