Latest Bio Stories
Making biogas production from manure and grass residues more attractiveFebruary 6, 2018
Good quality grass silage offers an impressive specific biogas yield compared with corn silage, making it a viable and abundant alternative feedstock for AD plants
Infrasound and low-frequency noise – does it affect human health?January 23, 2018
Biomedical engineer Dr Mariana Alves-Pereira recently studied the impact of ILFN from wind turbines in Ireland, concluding that noise regulations need updating to reflect noise levels that endanger human health
‘Squirtable’ elastic surgical glue seals wounds in 60 secondsJanuary 16, 2018
Biomedical engineers have developed MeTro, a highly elastic and adhesive surgical glue that quickly seals wounds without the need for common staples or sutures, which could transform how surgeries are performed
Mechanobiology and the future of medical-device designJanuary 9, 2018
At the interface of biology and engineering, Prof Laoise McNamara uses multidisciplinary approaches to derive understanding of bone mechanobiology and how this contributes to development, physiology and bone disease
Bioengineering and synthetic biology: the risks and opportunitiesJanuary 9, 2018
Human genome editing, 3D-printed replacement organs and artificial photosynthesis – bioengineering offers great promise for tackling major societal challenges, but what are the potential associated risks?
Deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s: investigating changes in brain network dynamicsDecember 4, 2017
UCD's John Fleming outlines his current research, which utilises computational modelling to study the underlying architecture of the basal ganglia network, and the subsequent network connectivity changes that lead to Parkinson’s disease
Trinity bridges humanitarianism and medical-device design with 3D printingNovember 21, 2017
Trinity College's MED3DP initiative is using 3D-printing technology to produce on-demand medical devices, with huge potential benefits for developing countries. Michael Monaghan reports
Futureproofing energy solutions for medical devicesNovember 21, 2017
Original-equipment manufacturers are future-proofing medical devices and their energy supply by moving away from nickel- and lead-based chemistries to specialist lithium-ion chemistries that have emerged for high drain applications. Neil Oliver reports
CÚRAM engineers nanomechanical stem-cell technologies to benefit orthopaedicsNovember 7, 2017
Dr Manus Biggs’ advances in the fields of biomaterials and engineered bioreactor systems relate to fabricating biomimetic environments and conditions with nanoscale resolution to drive cellular differentiation in vitro
A war made me realise that the world needs biomedical engineersOctober 24, 2017
A horrific, life-changing experience during the Iran-Iraq War in 1981 inspired Zahra Moussavi to become a biomedical engineer. Now a professor in the US, she has spent her life applying engineering knowledge and skills to challenging medical problems
Functionalisation of electrode devices for neural electrode interface applicationsOctober 10, 2017
NUI Galway’s Catalina Vallejo-Giraldo's research focuses on modifying implantable electrode systems to improve their performance when used in neural recording and in deep-brain stimulation in patients with dystonia and Parkinson’s disease
The beating heart of solar energy: powering medical implants with solar cellsSeptember 26, 2017
Using solar cells placed under the skin to continuously recharge implanted electronic medical devices is a viable one. Engineers have found that a 3.6 sq cm solar cell generates enough power during winter and summer to power a typical pacemaker
New medical device concept could reduce time to diagnose infectionsSeptember 26, 2017
When a patient arrives at a hospital with a serious infection, doctors have little time to make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment. A new diagnostic device may significantly reduce the amount of time needed to diagnose tissue infections
Biomedical ‘skin-like bandage’ is stretchy, durable and long lastingSeptember 12, 2017
A skin-like biomedical technology that uses a mesh of conducting nanowires and a thin layer of elastic polymer might bring new electronic bandages that monitor biosignals for medical applications, writes Emil Venere
Engineers report new way to make dissolving medical devicesSeptember 12, 2017
Engineers have developed an electronic device that can dissolve through exposure to water molecules in the atmosphere. The work holds promise for biomedical devices that dissolve within the body
How close are we to a real Star Trek-style medical tricorder?August 29, 2017
Two teams were recently awarded the Qualcomm Tricorder X Prize for developing handheld devices that can diagnose a range of diseases and check vital signs without invasive tests – inspired by Star Trek’s medical ‘tricorder’ device. Despina Moschou reports
No battery, no wire, no problem – folding robots move without batteriesAugust 29, 2017
Engineers have created battery-free folding robots that are capable of complex, repeatable movements powered and controlled through a wireless magnetic field</span>, writes Lindsay Brownell
Sticky when wet: ‘tough adhesive’ for wound healing inspired by slugsAugust 1, 2017
Inspired by the glue produced by slugs, a new super-strong, non-toxic 'tough adhesive' binds to biological tissues with a strength comparable to the body's own resilient cartilage, even when wet. Lindsay Brownell reports
Post-stroke patients reach terra firma with exosuit technologyAugust 1, 2017
A soft, wearable robotic suit promotes normal walking in stroke patients, opening new approaches to gait re-training and rehabilitation, writes Benjamin Boettner
Engineering heart valves for the many with capacity for repair and regenerationJuly 17, 2017
Next-generation heart valves, or 'JetValves', developed by biomedical engineers function accurately upon implantation and regenerate into long lasting, heart-like tissue