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VIDEO: Stretch testing of an artificial tendon material developed by UCLA materials scientists. The width of the test material is about 2 mm. view more
Credit: Mutian Hua, Shuwang Wu, and Ximin He/UCLA
UCLA materials scientists and their colleagues have developed a new method to make synthetic biomaterials that mimic the internal structure, stretchiness, strength and durability of tendons and other biological tissues.
The researchers developed a two-pronged process to enhance the strength of existing hydrogels that could be used to create artificial tendons, ligaments, cartilage that are 10 times tougher than the natural tissues. Although the hydrogels contain mostly water with little solid content (about 10% polymer), they are more durable than Kevlar and rubber, which are both 100% polymer. This kind of breakthrough has never been achieved in water-laden polymers until this study, which was recently published in
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For decades, climate change researchers and activists have used dramatic forecasts to attempt to influence public perception of the problem and as a call to action on climate change. These forecasts have frequently been for events that might be called apocalyptic, because they predict cataclysmic events resulting from climate change.
In a new paper published in the
International Journal of Global Warming, Carnegie Mellon University s David Rode and Paul Fischbeck argue that making such forecasts can be counterproductive. Truly apocalyptic forecasts can only ever be observed in their failure that is the world did not end as predicted, says Rode, adjunct research faculty with the Carnegie Mellon Electricity Industry Center, and observing a string of repeated apocalyptic forecast failures can undermine the public s trust in the underlying science.
One solution to agriculture s many challenges is to develop smarter fertilizers that aim not only to nourish the plant but also to maximize soil bacteria s positive effects on the plant. Researchers at Utah State University analyzed the effects of potential fertilizers on a health-promoting bacterium native to the roots of dryland wheat in Northern Utah, bringing the microbiome revolution to agriculture.
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IMAGE: Prof. Thomas H. Epps, III directs the $18 million UD Center for Hybrid, Active, and Responsive Materials (UD CHARM), which will drive forward fundamental materials science research with the potential. view more
Credit: Photo by Kathy F. Atkinson | Illustration by Joy Smoker
Thomas H. Epps, III, the Allan and Myra Ferguson Distinguished Chair of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Delaware, has been named to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows.
Epps, who has a joint appointment in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and an affiliated appointment in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, was nominated, reviewed and elected by peers and members of the College of Fellows for outstanding contributions to the self-assembly of polymeric materials for drug delivery and gene therapy applications.
Credit: Alonso Nichols
David Kaplan, the Stern Family Professor of Engineering, a Distinguished Professor, and chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering in recognition of his contributions to silk-based materials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Election to the National Academies is one of the foremost professional recognitions available to engineers, scientists, and medical experts. On behalf of my past and current students and colleagues here at Tufts, it is an honor to be recognized by the National Academy of Engineering, said Kaplan.
Kaplan s lab is leading efforts in applying tissue engineering to cellular agriculture (i.e. cell grown meat), the development of 3D brain-like environments in the lab to study neurological diseases and treatments, and the regeneration of tissues, organs and limbs. He is also pioneering methods to manufacture biocompatible medical devices from silk.