Material Science in Biomedical Engineering

A transistor that can operate directly beside living cells was once a laboratory dream. Researchers have now demonstrated a soft 3D transistor designed to function safely inside biological environments. Conventional electronic components are rigid and optimized for machines. Living tissue behaves very differently. This has always constrained how effectively electronics can operate inside the body. Medical implants often face long-term stability issues, inflammation around devices, and limited signal quality when communicating with biological systems. The newly developed soft transistor approaches the problem from a different direction. It is built from flexible, biocompatible materials that physically behave more like biological tissue. This allows electronic signals to interact with cells in a more stable and controlled way while operating in wet, dynamic biological conditions. This capability opens important possibilities for several deep-technology domains. Neural interfaces could capture and stimulate brain activity with greater precision.  Implantable sensors could monitor biological signals continuously without damaging surrounding tissue. Diagnostic devices could detect disease markers earlier by observing cellular-level changes inside the body. For emerging sectors such as organ engineering, xenotransplantation, advanced diagnostics, and bio-integrated medical systems, technologies that allow electronics to function safely within living systems will become essential. As materials science, biotechnology, and electronics converge, a new category of medical technology is emerging. Systems designed to operate 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲, not outside it. These technologies may continuously monitor health, detect disease at earlier stages, and support biological functions in real time. #MedicalInnovation #Bioelectronics #Biotechnology #HealthcareTechnology #MedTech #FutureOfHealthcare

Pleased to share that our most recent collaborative work with colleagues from the University of Southampton, the The University of Manchester, and Sheffield Hallam University titled "Ceramic-based piezoelectric material reinforced 3D printed polycaprolactone bone tissue engineering scaffolds" was published by Materials & Design. ➡️ Recent studies confirm the piezoelectricity of human bone, sparking interest in biocompatible and biodegradable piezoelectric scaffold development. These scaffolds mimic native bone by matching its mechanical properties and piezoelectric behaviour i.e., generating local electrical stimulation under mechanical stress, or generating mechanical response under external electrical stimulation, thereby modulating cellular activity, accelerating cell proliferation and differentiation, ultimately speeding up the regeneration process. Although polymer-based piezoelectric materials offer high reproducibility for 3D scaffolds, their piezoelectric performance falls short of ceramic alternatives. While lead zirconate titanate (PZT) exhibits excellent piezoelectric properties, the haz- ardous nature of lead limits biomedical applications. Consequently, this research proposes novel lead-free Bi1/ 2Na1/2TiO3-based (BNT) piezoelectric materials, namely, direct piezoelectric ceramics (DPC) (>50 % d33 enhancement compared to undoped BNT) and converse piezoelectric ceramics (CPC) (>200 % Smax enhancement compared to undoped BNT), with properties optimized for bone tissue engineering (BTE). 3D BTE scaffolds are designed and fabricated considering biocompatible and biodegradable polycaprolactone (PCL) incorporating DPC and CPC as functional fillers. Comparative evaluations against hydroxyapatite (HA), a well-accepted bio- ceramic for clinical applications, are conducted for surface, mechanical, and biological properties. Results proved the incorporation of both DPC and CPC promotes the mechanical properties (88.6 % enhancement compared to neat PCL) and cell proliferation rate (46.3 % improvement compared to HA). Notably, hybrid scaffolds combining both PCL/DPC and PCL/CPC in a cascade manner also outperformed PCL/HA (by 7.4 %) in osteogenic differentiation, indicating promising potential for future studies. This work is part of a long term collaboration with Dr Weiguang Wang on bone tissue engineering. Thanks to the other co-authors Yanhao Hou, Ge Wang, Hareem Zubairi, Mustafa Tuğrul Uçan, David Hall, and Antonio Ferreira 👏 #bonetissueengineering; #piezoelectricscaffolds; #ceramics, #polymers #scaffolds; #biomaterials; #3Dprinting; #additivemanufacturing; #collaboration; #research; #innovation

3D printable flexible conductors 🦾 ⚡️ What happened A team of engineers has discovered a material that could replace metals in electrodes. A high-performing conductive polymer hydrogel replicates the softness and resilience of biological tissue while acting as a metal. 🤓 Geek mode Implants come in various shapes and sizes - some are rigid and large, while others are flexible and slim. However, irrespective of their design and purpose, they all incorporate electrodes. These tiny conductive components directly connect with the target tissues to stimulate muscles and nerves electrically. Most implantable electrodes are primarily composed of naturally conductive, rigid metals. Over time, these metals may irritate tissues, leading to inflammation and scarring, consequently impairing the performance of the implant. In response, MIT engineers have created a jelly-like material devoid of metal. This material closely replicates the softness and toughness of biological tissue and can conduct electricity similarly to conventional metals. This innovative substance can be transformed into printable ink, which the researchers then shaped into flexible, rubber-like electrodes. This material, a high-performance conducting polymer hydrogel, has the potential to replace metal electrodes, providing a softer, gel-based alternative that feels and looks more like biological tissue. 🔍 Why is it important? This innovation represents a significant step forward in biomedical engineering, potentially significantly improving patient outcomes and comfort in a wide range of medical treatments and procedures. 🎯 What's next? Researchers plan to enhance the material's lifespan and efficacy. Their vision is to use the gel as a softer electrical interface between organs and long-lasting implants such as pacemakers and deep-brain stimulators. Their ultimate objective is to replace the usage of glass, ceramic, and metal within the body with this Jell-O-like substance. The goal is to create a material that is more gentle on the body, performs better, and possesses a significantly improved lifespan. #bioelectronics #biomedicalengineering #electronics #implants Tamaz Khunjua

Excited to share our latest work in #Advanced #Functional #Materials on developing a novel, multi-functional hydrogel biomaterial for tissue engineering, led by PhD candidate Saad Asim. By leveraging dithiolane chemistry, we've created gelatin-dithiolane (GelDT) hydrogels that allow photoinitiator-free crosslinking, long-term stability, and highly tunable biomechanical properties. These hydrogels support both 2D and 3D cell cultures, enable efficient bioprinting, and offer robust tissue adhesion due to dynamic disulfide interactions. Excited about the range of novel biomaterials currently being developed in the lab! This work also represents a fruitful collaboration with IBRAHIM TARIK OZBOLAT and Gary Yam. Open Access Article: https://lnkd.in/g9Ejxwph #TissueEngineering #Biomaterials #Hydrogels #Bioprinting #DrugDelivery

AI generated: Nicholas Peppas's work revolutionized hydrogel understanding by linking synthesis to structure and function, developing key mathematical models (like the Peppas diffusion equation), pioneering "intelligent" stimuli-responsive gels (for pH or T response), and creating practical chemical and biomedical applications like non-toxic cartilage replacements and oral insulin delivery systems, all based on precise control of polymer networks, swelling, and transport phenomena. His research provided fundamental theories for rational design, allowing precise tuning of hydrogel properties like stiffness, mesh size, and solute diffusion for advanced drug delivery and tissue engineering.  Key Contributions to Hydrogel Structure & Function: Swollen Polymer Network (SPN) Model: Developed fundamental theories and mathematical models (e.g., Peppas-Reinhart, Brannon-Peppas) to understand how synthesis variables (crosslinking, concentration) dictate network structure, swelling, stiffness, and solute transport. Structure-Property Relationships: Systematically investigated how synthesis conditions affect swelling and solute diffusivity, showing that transport isn't just size-dependent but linked to network mesh size and polymer relaxation. Intelligent/Responsive Hydrogels: Pioneered pH-sensitive and glucose-responsive gels that swell or collapse based on environment, crucial for protecting insulin in the stomach and releasing it in the intestine. Biomaterial Development: Created novel, non-toxic Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels using freeze-thaw cycles, successfully used as cartilage and vocal cord replacements. Transport Phenomena: Provided foundational models (like the Peppas equation) to describe Fickian and anomalous diffusion of drugs within hydrogel matrices, essential for controlled release.  Impact: Led to the creation of advanced delivery devices for proteins, peptides, and other drugs, reducing the need for injections (e.g., oral insulin). Established a rational design framework for application-optimized hydrogels in tissue engineering, biosensing, and bionanotechnology. 

For the first time, researchers have grown a bioengineered human limb in a lab setting that contains living bone, muscle, blood vessels, and connective tissue — a development that could eventually end the era of prosthetic limbs for amputees. American scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital successfully created a vascularized, living rat forelimb in a decellularized scaffold, and subsequent work is now scaling toward human limb architecture. The lab-grown limb responded to electrical stimulation and showed active muscle contraction. The process uses a technique called decellularization — taking a donor limb, stripping it of all cells while preserving the structural collagen scaffold, then reseeding that scaffold with the patient's own stem cells. The scaffold acts as a three-dimensional blueprint, guiding cells to grow into the correct anatomical positions. Blood vessels are restored first, then muscle, then connective tissue, resulting in a living limb that the body is far less likely to reject. Over 2 million Americans live with limb loss, and current prosthetics — however advanced — cannot restore sensation, grip strength, or natural motor control the way a biological limb can. A grown replacement limb using the patient's own cells would be fully functional, sensate, and immunologically invisible to the body. That is categorically different from any existing solution. While human-scale clinical application remains years away, the architectural science is proven. The next decade may see the first human patient receiving a grown replacement arm — not built from metal, but from their own living cells. Source: Massachusetts General Hospital, Biomaterials Journal, 2023 #LimbRegeneration #BioEngineering #RegenerativeMedicine #AmputeeResearch #LabGrownTissue #FutureSurgery

Excited to share our latest publication in Biomaterials! We developed a 3D, vascularized liver tumor model that more closely replicates the complex tumor microenvironment—helping researchers better understand how chemotherapy and immunotherapies (like CAR-T cells) perform in solid tumors. By integrating hypoxia, extracellular matrix, and perfusable vessels in one system, we can more accurately predict therapeutic responses and move closer to personalized treatments. Take a look at how this microphysiological model bridges the gap between standard lab tests and patient outcomes, and why it could serve as a powerful tool to accelerate drug discovery while reducing animal testing. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gQvicmEh Huge thanks to my incredible co-authors and collaborators who made this research possible! Jyothsna Vasudevan, Ph.D., Ragavi Vijayakumar, Jose Antonio Reales Calderon, Maxine Lam, Jin Rong Ow, Joey Aw, Zhi Ming Damien Tan, Anthony Tanoto TAN, Antonio Bertoletti, Giulia Adriani #cancerresearch, #drugdiscovery, #organonchip #ImmunoOncology, #Microfluidics, #Bioengineering, #3DCellCulture #NTULKC

Goodbye, #surgery! A new #biomaterial literally regrows damaged #cartilage in joints. It's giving hope for people with arthritis who often face #pain, limited #mobility, and eventual #joint replacement #surgery. Developed by #scientists at Northwestern University, the #material looks like a thick, rubbery paste but is actually a carefully designed #network of #molecules that mimic the structure of real #cartilage. When injected into damaged #knee joints in sheep, the #biomaterial encouraged the growth of strong new cartilage within just six months. Unlike standard #treatments that often produce weaker #fibrocartilage, this new method regenerated high-quality “#hyaline #cartilage,” the durable, springy kind needed for pain-free movement. The material works by combining two main ingredients: a #bioactive peptide that binds to transforming growth factor #beta-1, which is a protein essential for cartilage growth, and a modified version of #hyaluronicacid, which is a substance naturally found in cartilage and joint fluid. Together, these components self-assemble into #nanoscale fibers that create a scaffold for the body’s own #cells to rebuild cartilage. The #researchers tested the material in sheep because their knee joints closely resemble human knees in structure and weight-bearing demands, making the results much more relevant than #studies in smaller #animals. In the experiments, the #material filled cartilage defects, gradually broke down, and was replaced with newly formed, high-quality cartilage that showed better resilience compared to controls. source "New biomaterial regrows damaged cartilage in joints" Northwestern (2025) #health #healthcare #medicine #eduction #science #technology #innovation

Surface is a Master Regulator: Nano-Engineered Biomimetic Design Inspired by Human Skin’s Basement Membrane Topography to Tame the Immune Response Honored to be invited to present a keynote at The Art of Plastic Surgery Symposium on a topic that sits at the intersection of mechanobiology, materials science & clinical outcomes: For decades, implant conversations focused on:  🔸 shape (round vs anatomical)  🔸 size (volume)  🔸 gel (cohesivity) But cells don’t “see” any of that.  Cells only interact with an interface, the physical landscape at the micro- & nano-scale. This is why critical determinants of interface biology are:  🔵 Sa: average roughness  🟣 Ssk: skewness (peaks vs valleys)  🟡 Sku: kurtosis (sharpness of features)  🟠 Feature spacing  🟢 Hierarchy (micro + nano) These parameters dictate:  1️⃣ adhesion  2️⃣ mechano-transduction  3️⃣ fibrosis  4️⃣ immune activation  5️⃣ long-term host response Where the Measurements Come From The surface roughness values used come from ISO standards & from profilometry studies that consistently show: 🟤 Macro-Textured (Sa >50 µm, often 50–400 µm): Deep craters → aggressive anchoring → higher inflammatory burden + epidemiologic association with BIA-ALCL. 🔴 Traditional Smooth (Sa <1 µm): Mirror-like flat surface with minimal focal adhesions → increased implant mobility & linked in some settings to higher capsular contracture / fibrosis. 🔵 Biomimetic (Sa ≈ 4 µm): Hierarchical micro-ridges + nano-fibres with dense (> 1000s) focal adhesion points/cm² → more physiologic cell signalling→ reduced inflammation & fibrosis. This biomimetic architecture was not arbitrary! It was informed by logic of the dermal basement membrane, where multi-scale topography distributes forces, stabilizes adhesion + limits pathological activation. Why This Is Critical to Discuss: Because the field is shifting from:  ❌ “Which implant looks best?”  to  ✅ Which surface induces the most physiologic biology? My team’s work has previously shown that:  1️⃣ Nano-scale engineering reduces inflammatory signalling  2️⃣ Hierarchical surfaces mimic natural ECM  3️⃣ Biomimetic design can lower immune activation  4️⃣ Surface architecture is a dominant determinant of host response  5️⃣ This is not cosmetic engineering, it is biological engineering. Clinically, this translates to meaningful improvements with biomimetic implants: • Very Low capsular contracture & overall complication rates + device-related reoperation <1%.  • No confirmed primary BIA-ALCL cases reported to date • Thinner, less fibrotic capsules & reduced inflammatory cell infiltrate compared to macro-textured surfaces. Looking Forward To sharing a framework for how surface topography impacts biology & clinical practice. #BreastImplants #RegenerativeMedicine #Biomaterials #Mechanobiology #SurfaceScience #EstablishmentLabs #Motiva #NanoSurface #SmoothSilk #siliconeimplants #ImmuneResponse #topography #ImplantResearch #InnovationInSurgery #PlasticSurgery

Not all hardware is the same. This outstanding review on foot and ankle biomaterials reinforces something we see every day in surgery: implant selection is not just about what is on the tray. Titanium, steel, nitinol, magnesium, and patient-specific 3D constructs each bring different biomechanics and different biologic consequences. Stress shielding. Continuous compression. Osseointegration. Fatigue resistance. Performance in Charcot bone. These are not engineering details. These are clinical outcome variables. As our procedures become more sophisticated, our thinking about biomaterials must evolve with them. The implant matters more than we sometimes admit. What material are you reaching for first in your fusion and salvage cases?