Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Donghwan Ji, Jae Min Park, Myeong Seon Oh, Thanh Loc Nguyen, Hyunsu Shin, Jae Seong Kim, Dukjoon Kim, Ho Seok Park, Jaeyun Kim
Summary: In this study, the authors demonstrate the synthesis of superstrong, superstiff, and conductive alginate hydrogels with densely interconnecting networks. By using a simple reconstructing process, they achieve specific mechanical properties required for applications in artificial biological tissues, flexible electronics, and conductive membranes. The hydrogels show exceptional tensile strengths and elastic moduli, and they can also hold cations and exhibit high ionic conductivity.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
E. Baigorria, S. Souza dos Santos, M. R. de Moura, L. F. Fraceto
Summary: In this study, 3D printing of bioinks was used to develop nanocomposite hybrid adsorbent hydrogels. By adding clay to the biopolymer matrix, the resulting hydrogels showed improved rheological, mechanical, thermal, and porous properties. The SA-B30 bioink and corresponding 3D-printed device were found to be the best systems for adsorption of the pesticide paraquat. The synthesized eco-friendly, biodegradable, and low-cost materials can contribute to a circular economy and ensuring safe water for human consumption.
MATERIALS TODAY CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Haniyeh Malektaj, Aleksey D. Drozdov, Jesper deClaville Christiansen
Summary: This study investigates the preparation of cross-linked alginate hydrogels using various cations and analyzes their equilibrium swelling and mechanical properties. The results show that the type of cations used in the cross-linking process affects the elastic moduli and equilibrium degree of swelling. Experimental data is fitted with a model that involves two material parameters, and numerical analysis reveals the influence of cations on these quantities. The study also finds that the relationship between the elastic modulus and equilibrium swelling differs from that predicted by conventional theory for covalently cross-linked gels.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
M. Mathew, M. A. Rad, J. P. Mata, H. Mahmodi, I. Kabakova, C. L. Raston, Y. Tang, J. L. Tipper, J. Tavakoli
Summary: This study aimed to fabricate an alginate-HBP complex using a VFD to control the properties of alginate hydrogel. The addition of HBP increased swelling capability, diffusion coefficient, and mechanical properties, while incorporating VFD further enhanced these properties. Mixing alginate with HBP under high shear stress using a VFD created a micro-hybrid composite with improved properties.
MATERIALS TODAY CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biophysics
Xiuqiong Chen, Lili Sun, Hongcai Wang, Shanshan Cao, Ting Shang, Huiqiong Yan, Qiang Lin
Summary: This study integrated alginate hydrogels with nano-silica to produce nano-silica reinforced alginate-chitosan-gelatin nanocomposite hydrogels for biomedical purposes. The experimental findings show that the physicochemical properties and biological activities of the hydrogels were influenced by the content of nano-silica. This research provides a foundation for overcoming the limitations of alginate hydrogels and expanding their potential applications in tissue engineering.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES B-BIOINTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Matias Cordero, Carla Ruiz, Daniel A. Palacio, Petri Turunen, Alan Rowan, Bruno F. Urbano
Summary: The length of low aspect ratio one-dimensional nanoparticles has an influence on the properties of nanocomposite hydrogels. Longer nanoparticles (nanofibers) provide a more glassy structure and stronger reinforcement to the hydrogel, while reducing its swelling capacity. Both nanoparticle types increase the activation energy of thermal degradation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Irfan Tahir, Rachael Floreani
Summary: This study developed visible light and dual-crosslinked alginate hydrogels for the fabrication of cultured meat scaffolds. The mechanical properties of the scaffolds can be controlled and optimized by adjusting the polymer concentration and crosslinking methodology. The muscle satellite cells showed different responses on the scaffolds with significantly different mechanical properties, indicating the usefulness of the dual-crosslinking alginate hydrogel system to support in vitro meat growth.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Yuwan Huang, Pavithra B. Jayathilaka, Md Shariful Islam, Carina B. Tanaka, Meredith N. Silberstein, Kristopher A. Kilian, Jamie J. Kruzic
Summary: This study evaluated the mechanical and biological properties of hybrid double network (DN) hydrogels and found that the monomer molecular weight and structure of polyethylene glycol (PEG) affected the mechanical properties. The alginate network played an important role in the DN hydrogel, and showed potential in guiding musculoskeletal differentiation. These findings are significant for the design of hydrogels with controllable properties.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Maoru Zhao, Chao Ji, Hao Dai, Chengyan Wang, Ruixue Liu, Jiani Xie, Yuguang Wang, Zhanjun Gu
Summary: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a common oral malignancy, and radiotherapy is the primary noninvasive treatment. A highly efficient and low-toxic radiosensitization strategy was developed using poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)-modified tantalum nanoparticles (Ta@PVP NPs) and mussel inspired catechol-grafted sodium alginate hydrogels for precision radiotherapy. This strategy effectively inhibited OSCC development without facial deformities and damage to surrounding normal tissues.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Patricia Lopez-Sanchez, Ali Assifaoui, Fabrice Cousin, Josefine Moser, Mauricio R. Bonilla, Anna Strom
Summary: This study investigates the influence of glucose addition on the structure and mechanical properties of alginate solutions and calcium-alginate hydrogels. It is found that the addition of glucose can increase the gel strength and elasticity. The nanostructure of the gel remains unchanged at low glucose concentrations but undergoes changes at high concentrations. This has relevance for the design of alginate hydrogels for food and pharmaceutical applications.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yixuan Li, Delu Zhao, Ziyao Wang, Yiling Meng, Bohui Liu, Lan Li, Rui Liu, Sichen Dong, Fulan Wei
Summary: Bone augmentation is in high demand in oral clinical treatment, but current strategies can cause patient suffering and psychological trauma. This study presents a new injectable hydrogel for microinvasive bone augmentation, which showed excellent physical properties and biocompatibility. In vitro and in vivo tests demonstrated the hydrogel's ability to enhance osteogenic differentiation and bone augmentation. These findings highlight the potential clinical application of the nanocomposite hydrogel in microinvasive bone augmentation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhen Chen, Junjie Tang, Nan Zhang, Yuhang Chen, Yujie Chen, Hua Li, Hezhou Liu
Summary: The study combined the dual network structure and nanocomposites to design ionic conductive hydrogels with good strength and toughness, showing promising applications in biosensors and personal healthcare diagnoses.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES A-PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING ASPECTS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Natalia Czaplicka, Szymon Mania, Donata Konopacka-Lyskawa
Summary: The study investigates the effect of rhamnolipids on the mechanical properties of alginate hydrogels, determining that the concentration, CaCl2 concentration, and ionic cross-linking time all influence the compression load of the hydrogels. The addition of rhamnolipids can alter the mechanical properties of the hydrogels and affect the formation of biofilm structures.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Amatjan Sawut, Tongmeng Wu, Rena Simayi, Xueying Jiao, Yurou Feng
Summary: In this study, a polypyrrole titanium dioxide nanocomposite hydrogel was successfully prepared and demonstrated enhanced photocatalytic efficiency for the degradation of organic dyes. The nanocomposite hydrogel showed improved visible light absorption, reduced recombination of photoelectron-hole pairs, and ease of separation and recovery from the reaction solution. The photocatalytic efficiency remained stable even after undergoing multiple recycling cycles.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Guozhen Wang, Tong Lu, Xinjiang Zhang, Mengna Feng, Chengshuang Wang, Wei Yao, Shunchao Zhou, Zhenzhou Zhu, Wenping Ding, Meng He
Summary: The introduction of HAP nanoparticles effectively improved the properties of cellulose hydrogel, enhancing thermal stability, compressive strength, and adsorption capacity towards Cu2+. The study shows wide potential applications of the cellulose/HAP nanocomposite hydrogels.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Avinash Manjula-Basavanna, Anna M. Duraj-Thatte, Neel S. Joshi
Summary: Living systems have the capability to fabricate materials using living cells, which can produce stiff living materials without any structural biopolymers or biominerals. These stiff living materials are lightweight, strong, resistant to organic solvents, and capable of self-regeneration, serving as a biomanufacturing platform for advanced structural and cellular materials.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2021)
News Item
Biology
Domna-Maria Kaimaki
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anna M. Duraj-Thatte, Avinash Manjula-Basavanna, Noemie-Manuelle Dorval Courchesne, Giorgia I. Cannici, Antoni Sanchez-Ferrer, Benjamin P. Frank, Leonie Van't Hag, Sarah K. Cotts, D. Howard Fairbrother, Raffaele Mezzenga, Neel S. Joshi
Summary: Petrochemical-based plastics are causing irreversible damage to the ecosystem, highlighting the urgent need for more biodegradable alternatives. Aquaplastic, a new microbial biofilm-based biodegradable bioplastic, offers unique characteristics such as water processability and strong resistance to various solvents, making it a promising material for packaging and coating applications.
NATURE CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Daniel P. Birnbaum, Avinash Manjula-Basavanna, Anton Kan, Blaise L. Tardy, Neel S. Joshi
Summary: This study presents a simple approach for producing highly programmable bacterial cellulose (BC) materials through incorporating engineered E. coli, expanding the functionality of BC-based living materials. By coculturing Gluconacetobacter hansenii with engineered E. coli in glucose-rich media, robust cellulose capsules are produced, which can sequester specific biomolecules and catalyze reactions in the environment. Additionally, capsules capable of altering their physical properties through enzyme-induced biomineralization are generated.
Editorial Material
Biology
Domna-Maria Kaimaki
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
News Item
Biology
Domna-Maria Kaimaki
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anna M. Duraj-Thatte, Pichet Praveschotinunt, Trevor R. Nash, Frederick R. Ward, Peter Q. Nguyen, Neel S. Joshi
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
News Item
Biology
Domna-Maria Kaimaki
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yin Chang, Rox Middleton, Yu Ogawa, Tom Gregory, Lisa M. Steiner, Alexander Kovalev, Rebecca H. N. Karanja, Paula J. Rudall, Beverley J. Glover, Stanislav N. Gorb, Silvia Vignolini
Summary: Chiral asymmetry is important across disciplines, with chiral biomolecules forming hierarchical structures. The transfer of handedness from molecular to macroscopic scales is complex, as seen in the helicoidal organizations of cellulose microfibrils in plant cell walls with different compositions resulting in different chiralities and mechanical responses.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anna M. Duraj-Thatte, Avinash Manjula-Basavanna, Jarod Rutledge, Jing Xia, Shabir Hassan, Arjirios Sourlis, Andres G. Rubio, Ami Lesha, Michael Zenkl, Anton Kan, David A. Weitz, Yu Shrike Zhang, Neel S. Joshi
Summary: Living cells have the ability to assemble into 3D functional architectures. Researchers have developed an extrudable microbial ink entirely from engineered cells, which can be programmed to 3D print functional living materials.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Tugce Gur Maz, Sumeyye Turanli, H. Burak Caliskan, Burcu Caliskan, Erden Banoglu
Summary: A series of novel piperazine urea derivatives with thiadiazole moieties were designed, synthesized, and investigated for their inhibition potential against human fatty acid amide hydrolase (hFAAH). The urea derivatives possessing p-chlorophenylthiadiazole and benzylpiperazine fragments were identified as effective inhibitors of hFAAH, with compounds containing 4-chlorobenzyl and 4-fluorobenzyl tails showing the highest activity.
ARCHIV DER PHARMAZIE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Allen P. Liu, Eric A. Appel, Paul D. Ashby, Brendon M. Baker, Elisa Franco, Luo Gu, Karmella Haynes, Neel S. Joshi, April M. Kloxin, Paul H. J. Kouwer, Jeetain Mittal, Leonardo Morsut, Vincent Noireaux, Sapun Parekh, Rebecca Schulman, Sindy K. Y. Tang, Megan T. Valentine, Sebastian L. Vega, Wilfried Weber, Nicholas Stephanopoulos, Ovijit Chaudhuri
Summary: Recent advancements in synthetic biology and biomaterials have provided exciting tools for creating new materials and extending the application of synthetic biology. Despite their transformative potential, these fields have mostly progressed separately. This Perspective reviews recent key advances and presents a roadmap for collaboration between the two communities, emphasizing the near-term applications in developing hierarchically structured biomaterials.
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
A. Levillain, S. Ahmed, D-M Kaimaki, S. Schuler, S. Barros, D. Labonte, J. C. Iatridis, N. C. Nowlan
Summary: Embryonic muscle forces play a crucial role in vertebral and intervertebral disc development, with muscle contractions affecting notochord involution, vertebral segmentation, and the mechanical properties of the intervertebral disc. Absence of muscle contractions leads to vertebral fusion, displacement of the nucleus pulposus, structural disruption of collagen in the annulus fibrosus, and increased viscosity in the annulus fibrosus. These findings highlight the importance of mechanical forces and muscle loading in proper intervertebral disc formation and potential tissue engineering therapies for intervertebral disc degeneration.
EUROPEAN CELLS & MATERIALS
(2021)