Posted on 07/25/2020 5:00:02 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Tissue engineering has seen a surge of interest in recent years. Traditionally, it involves seeding cells onto biocompatible “scaffolds”, which biodegrade once tissues have assembled themselves into 3D organs. However, more flexible, scaffold-free approaches are also emerging, which enable cells to assemble themselves without the need for structural biomaterials. To do this, researchers use techniques including removable supports, and guiding forces from acoustic and electrostatic fields.
One particularly promising approach involves magnetic levitation, through which strong field gradients can precisely guide tissue cells into place. To achieve strong enough gradients, however, cells must be suspended within a paramagnetic medium containing gadolinium ions. At the concentrations required for the technique to work, these ions are toxic to cells, and can cause dangerous pressure imbalances.
One potential solution to this problem is to perform levitated assemblies in microgravity. Recent studies have shown particular interest in doing this with cartilage – the smooth, elastic tissue found in human joints and intervertebral disks. Currently, it is poorly understood how cartilage is affected during long-term spaceflight, since space-based experiments are extremely expensive and time-consuming. In their study, Parfenov and collaborators designed a magnetic bioassembler for use on the ISS – which would only require a low, non-toxic concentration of gadolinium ions.
(Excerpt) Read more at physicsworld.com ...
I would have guessed the first thing a cosmonaut would make is vodka.
In Russia, the Space Station builds you...
I haven’t used gadolinium ions in eons.
And that was my best pickup line at the college library ...
Which may explain why I was single so many years.
Very interesting work for folks like me with severe osteoarthritis. Growing cartilage would be a Miracle.
I need a complete rebuild, starting with my left big toe and running up clear to my right shoulder.
Gimmee some dat!
It’s the first step toward building sharks with frickin’ laser beams on their heads.
Amazon has been out lately.
D***ed quarantine...
Can they build backbones for snowflakes?
Can, but it won’t work — and we should give the snowflakes a good *ribbing* about it. /rimshot
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