New porous biomaterial could help in bone repair
Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a new biomaterial made entirely from discarded bullfrog skin and fish scales that could help in bone repair.
The porous biomaterial, which contains the same compounds that are predominant in bones, acts as a scaffold for bone-forming cells to adhere to and multiply, leading to the formation of new bone.
Through laboratory experiments, the NTU Singapore team found that human bone-forming cells seeded onto the biomaterial scaffold successfully attached themselves and started multiplying - a sign of growth. They also found that the risk of the biomaterial triggering an inflammatory response is low.
2021 0510 NUS researchers create AiFoam for robots to interact intelligently with their surroundings
AiFoam was created by a team led by Asst Prof Benjamin Tee (left). Mr Guo Hongchen (right), a member the researchers in the team is holding a sample of the smart foam
Robots and machines are getting smarter with the advancement of artificial intelligence, but they still lack the ability to touch and feel their subtle and complex surroundings like human beings. Now, researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have invented a smart foam that can give machines more than a human touch.
Called artificially innervated foam, or AiFoam, the new material – which is soft and feels like a sponge – mimics the human sense of touch, can sense nearby objects without actually touching, and repairs itself when damaged. Compared with other conventional materials, AiFoam is the first smart foam in the world that performs these functions simultaneously, potentially making robots mo
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Robots and machines are getting smarter with the advancement of artificial intelligence, but they still lack the ability to touch and feel their subtle and complex surroundings like human beings. Now, researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have invented a smart foam that can give machines more than a human touch.
Called artificially innervated foam, or AiFoam, the new material – which is soft and feels like a sponge – mimics the human sense of touch, can sense nearby objects without actually touching, and repairs itself when damaged. Compared with other conventional materials, AiFoam is the first smart foam in the world that performs these functions simultaneously, potentially making robots more intelligent and interactive. This breakthrough material was developed over two years by a team led by Assistant Professor Benjamin Tee from the NUS Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Institute for Health Innovation & Technology (iHealthtech).
Stop the fancy words in battle against Covid
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The small drop in the number of new Covid-19 new cases to under 2,000 yesterday may look like a good sign.
But it doesn t mean we and our government can relax yet. A total of 1,871 new cases and 10 deaths in one day tells us there s still a long battle ahead.
While medical staff countrywide have worked hard to curb the third ferocious outbreak, the government is continuing with a failed communication strategy.
For over a year, we have watched the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) report shocking daily statistics on the numbers of beds taken and ending with same old line Never lower our guard .
Researchers discover molecule that provides dual protection against vascular inflammation
A multidisciplinary team of researchers from Duke-NUS Medical School and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A STAR) in Singapore discovered a new mitochondrial peptide called MOCCI that plays an important role in regulating inflammation of blood vessel and immunity. The study, published in the journal
Nature Communications, revealed how one gene encoded two molecules that provide two-pronged protection following viral infection.
Chronic and excessive inflammation of the blood vessels, known as vascular inflammation, can lead to tissue damage and cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and fibrosis. Although some therapies have shown promising results in clinical trials, they have considerable side effects, such as immunosuppression leading to increased risk of infection, and limited efficacy. Therefore, more effective treatments are urgently needed.