#Bioengineering

[mindblowingscience]

Their results in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry offer a new path forward in the development of drugs that could potentially help cure—rather than treat—HIV. Although effective treatments are available to manage HIV, a cure has remained elusive due to the virus’s ability to hide from the immune system, lying dormant in reservoirs of infected cells.

Continue Reading.

#Science #Medicine #Biology #Chemistry #Bioengineering #Cells #HIV

[himmelstudies]

9 November 2022

Cramming session, hope information stays inside my brain and not diffuse back into the surrounding again

#himmelstudies #study #studyblr #engineeringblr #engineering #engineeringstudyblr #engineeringblog #engineer #notes #school #engblr #bioengineeringstudyblr #bioengineeringblr #bioengineer #bioengineering #academic #stem academia #academicsunite #academicunites #academia #stemblr #collegeblr #digital #digitalnotetaking #notetaking #uniblr #matepad 11 #jnotes

[nanotechnologyworld]

The researchers layered platinum, hafnium oxide and zinc oxide and added the stacked materials on top of the original magnetoelectric film. One of the challenges they faced was finding fabrication techniques compatible with the materials.

#nanotechnology #materialsscience #bioengineering #neuroelectronics #neuroscience #medicine #electronics #technology

[carnocus]

WIP INTRODUCTION: THE AGE OF CARNOCUS

genre: sci-fi, horror, dystopia, dark fantasy, speculative biology (yes. all of the above)

status: planning/drafting

type: novel series and worldbuilding project

In the near future, an alien has taken over the earth. With it, come its monstrous servants: amalgamations of flesh and bone. Desperate in this new world, people worship the alien as a god named Carnocus, and it gives them a gift: the ability to create their own amalgamations, but only if they eat raw human meat first. Centuries later, a theocracy hides the true nature of the gift, pretending that it is given only to a select few chosen by god. Only those who know how to activate the power have it, and thus only those part of the Clergy government have control. Yet, despite its already immense power, the Clergy wants more. A group of aspiring scientists is assembled at an academy that studies the gift. Their mission, as established by the Clergy, is to expand upon this gift and learn how to manipulate living tissue. As the students do their jobs, danger creeps up from the network of dungeons beneath them. Past Clergy experiments walk and talk, and Carnocus' own creatures sneak inside. Among them is a serial killer who can do what the Clergy cannot. As the students unravel the depths of Clergy conspiracy and of their own abilities, they must grapple with the question of what to tell and what to hide.

ahhh I love this project so much, I've been working on it for a while now and it is my current main project. It very much reflects my love for both horror and science, and explores themes of unethical experimentation, the concept of "the greater good", and more!

Featuring enemies to lovers, found family, haunted houses, and made up creatures.

Inspired by a variety of my favorite media, including NBC Hannibal, The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir, and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

Ask to be added/removed from taglist! I hope to be posting more soon, thanks for reading! Moodboard made using Canva with images found on Pinterest.

#the age of carnocus #wip introduction #vas's posts #horror writeblr #writers on tumblr #gothic horror #books #writer #scifi #speculative biology #dark fantasy #science #bioengineering #biology #mad scientist

[cbirt]

Protein engineering is a fast-growing area of biotechnology. Responsible for carrying out nearly every biological function, the question of how to reliably engineer them in order to perform certain tasks intrigues scientists worldwide. So far, most attempts have focused primarily on reproducing the structures of wild-type proteins to use as a blueprint for novel protein design. Though this approach has been quite popular due to the relative ease of constructing new proteins, the reliance on already-existing proteins restricts the kind of structures these proteins can have. The study published in Nature Communications delves into the design of deeply knotted proteins, offering valuable insights into the folding mechanisms of knotted proteins

De novo design of proteins can result in the creation of protein sequences and folds that are unlike those that can be observed in nature. Until now, de novo design has been relatively simple. However, the challenge of constructing more complex structures can have a significant impact on the field by opening the door to more creative and complicated approaches.

The design and characterization of knotted proteins is one such challenge: first conceptualized in the 1990s, they are still not properly understood, though more knotted proteins have emerged. These only form a tiny proportion of protein structures that are known to science, and their high diversity means that there are not many conserved features that can be used as a basis for the de novo design of these molecules.

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#bioinformatics #deep learning #bioengineering #structural biology

[bpod-bpod]

Magnetic Morphing

Using magnetic forces to remotely shape 3D printed hydrogel scaffolds with biomedical applications such as for growing endothelial cells in vessel networks (pictured)

Read the published research paper here

Image from work by Ruoxiao Xie and Yuanxiong Cao, and colleagues

Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London and Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, UK

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Published in Science Advances, February 2024

You can also follow BPoD on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook

#science #biomedicine #immunofluorescence #biology #hydrogel #3d printing #endothelial cells #blood vessels #magnets #bioengineering

[dragonthunders01]

Spectember D28: Spec at the Cell level

Is not strange for space traveling ships to find unusual concentrations of biological matter around some solar systems, probably expelled from some icy moon or from asteroids that are disintegrating, through a unique case happened through the investigation of a crumbling space super structure, upon reaching a space station the ship used for the travel showed a considerable damage in the side of the isolation panels, which was covered by a dark slime-like goo that for the time passed from the exploration of the ruins to reaching a space station it was noticeable it grew up on the surface as originally were spotted as small dot that partially were clean, and even managed to corrode the surface making it a hazard to be checked out before it could spread to other gear.

What was found out was something more peculiar than a strange corrosive element and more of an organism thriving of feeding of artificial parts of the remains of the super structure, nicknamed the Cecisolus, as far it was analyzed this was a mat colony made of thousands of eukaryote like organisms with a simple nuclei and different organelles, through over it there was a second layer of the body membrane which on one section was concentrated few more layers of dead tissue reinforced with Melanin in high quantity, within them there were multiple chains of chemical connections that integrated within some organelles which in reaction to sunlight radiation produce a reaction that is converted to energy and the Melanin reflect the rest to avoid any mutation of the cell, as the energy is transferred the organism proceed to digest the artificial spaceship material into molecules useful for their survival, disposing of the rest into space or out of the cell in the form of a dark soot.

The process seems to take days and even days to happen, probably for the energy that takes to break the compounds. In a second expedition in the remains ancient super structure it was found more colonial mats great quantities, specially around of what was identified as electricity or energy conducts and infrastructure. There has been some speculation of such correlation that the mats was once part of a organic technological system created by the extinct civilization artificers of the megastructure millions of years ago, a system that collected the solar energy of the star like solar panels and regenerated itself by feeding it specific chemicals, but on some point after abandoning the super structure the photonic collector organism might have suffered of some mutations upon a failure of their facility or a disastrous event, spreading and likely devouring the space artifact, which many researchers are considering the main reason why this ancient space habitat became a total ruin.

#speculative evolution #exobiology #microorganisms #extraterrestrial #bioengineering #spectember

[aelloposchrysopterus]

A little comic I sketched today about learning to pipette, in a cross between lab journal entry and memoir.

#my art #art #stem nerdery #bioengineering #cell culture #pipette #the lab rat life… it calls me…….. #apologies for my shitty art it’s been a while since i last drew something #the lab rat life

[scipunk]

Blade Runner (1982)

==============

🌟 The X-MEN of Science: 🧬🔬 GENETICALLY ENGINEERED HUMANS

In our changing world, signs are pointing to the imminent arrival of genetically engineered humans. Similar to Blade Runner's Replicants, these beings mix artificial intelligence (AI) with bioengineering, blurring the line between human and machine… they have advanced cognitive abilities, emotions, and physical skills.

The term "genetically engineered humans" emphasizes the replication of human qualities through a blend of AI and bioengineering.

Imagine a future where head transplants, synthetic organs, and bionic eyes become integral parts of human augmentation.

The fusion of cutting-edge medical technologies with genetic programming is reshaping our understanding of what it means to be human.

#blade runner #cyberpunk aesthetic #scifi #cyberpunk movies #genetic engineering #bioengineering #artificial intelligence #bionic eye #replicants #humanoids #organ transplants

[jcmarchi]

Unlocking mRNA’s cancer-fighting potential

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/unlocking-mrnas-cancer-fighting-potential/

Unlocking mRNA’s cancer-fighting potential

What if training your immune system to attack cancer cells was as easy as training it to fight Covid-19? Many people believe the technology behind some Covid-19 vaccines, messenger RNA, holds great promise for stimulating immune responses to cancer.

But using messenger RNA, or mRNA, to get the immune system to mount a prolonged and aggressive attack on cancer cells — while leaving healthy cells alone — has been a major challenge.

The MIT spinout Strand Therapeutics is attempting to solve that problem with an advanced class of mRNA molecules that are designed to sense what type of cells they encounter in the body and to express therapeutic proteins only once they have entered diseased cells.

“It’s about finding ways to deal with the signal-to-noise ratio, the signal being expression in the target tissue and the noise being expression in the nontarget tissue,” Strand CEO Jacob Becraft PhD ’19 explains. “Our technology amplifies the signal to express more proteins for longer while at the same time effectively eliminating the mRNA’s off-target expression.”

Strand is set to begin its first clinical trial in April, which is testing a proprietary, self-replicating mRNA molecule’s ability to express immune signals directly from a tumor, eliciting the immune system to attack and kill the tumor cells directly. It’s also being tested as a possible improvement for existing treatments to a number of solid tumors.

As they work to commercialize its early innovations, Strand’s team is continuing to add capabilities to what it calls its “programmable medicines,” improving mRNA molecules’ ability to sense their environment and generate potent, targeted responses where they’re needed most.

“Self-replicating mRNA was the first thing that we pioneered when we were at MIT and in the first couple years at Strand,” Becraft says. “Now we’ve also moved into approaches like circular mRNAs, which allow each molecule of mRNA to express more of a protein for longer, potentially for weeks at a time. And the bigger our cell-type specific datasets become, the better we are at differentiating cell types, which makes these molecules so targeted we can have a higher level of safety at higher doses and create stronger treatments.”

Making mRNA smarter

Becraft got his first taste of MIT as an undergraduate at the University of Illinois when he secured a summer internship in the lab of MIT Institute Professor Bob Langer.

“That’s where I learned how lab research could be translated into spinout companies,” Becraft recalls.

The experience left enough of an impression on Becraft that he returned to MIT the next fall to earn his PhD, where he worked in the Synthetic Biology Center under professor of bioengineering and electrical engineering and computer science Ron Weiss. During that time, he collaborated with postdoc Tasuku Kitada to create genetic “switches” that could control protein expression in cells.

Becraft and Kitada realized their research could be the foundation of a company around 2017 and started spending time in the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship. They also received support from MIT Sandbox and eventually worked with the Technology Licensing Office to establish Strand’s early intellectual property.

“We started by asking, where is the highest unmet need that also allows us to prove out the thesis of this technology? And where will this approach have therapeutic relevance that is a quantum leap forward from what anyone else is doing?” Becraft says. “The first place we looked was oncology.”

People have been working on cancer immunotherapy, which turns a patient’s immune system against cancer cells, for decades. Scientists in the field have developed drugs that produce some remarkable results in patients with aggressive, late-stage cancers. But most next-generation cancer immunotherapies are based on recombinant (lab-made) proteins that are difficult to deliver to specific targets in the body and don’t remain active for long enough to consistently create a durable response.

More recently, companies like Moderna, whose founders also include MIT alumni, have pioneered the use of mRNAs to create proteins in cells. But to date, those mRNA molecules have not been able to change behavior based on the type of cells they enter, and don’t last for very long in the body.

“If you’re trying to engage the immune system with a tumor cell, the mRNA needs to be expressing from the tumor cell itself, and it needs to be expressing over a long period of time,” Becraft says. “Those challenges are hard to overcome with the first generation of mRNA technologies.”

Strand has developed what it calls the world’s first mRNA programming language that allows the company to specify the tissues its mRNAs express proteins in.

“We built a database that says, ‘Here are all of the different cells that the mRNA could be delivered to, and here are all of their microRNA signatures,’ and then we use computational tools and machine learning to differentiate the cells,” Becraft explains. “For instance, I need to make sure that the messenger RNA turns off when it’s in the liver cell, and I need to make sure that it turns on when it’s in a tumor cell or a T-cell.”

Strand also uses techniques like mRNA self-replication to create more durable protein expression and immune responses.

“The first versions of mRNA therapeutics, like the Covid-19 vaccines, just recapitulate how our body’s natural mRNAs work,” Becraft explains. “Natural mRNAs last for a few days, maybe less, and they express a single protein. They have no context-dependent actions. That means wherever the mRNA is delivered, it’s only going to express a molecule for a short period of time. That’s perfect for a vaccine, but it’s much more limiting when you want to create a protein that’s actually engaging in a biological process, like activating an immune response against a tumor that could take many days or weeks.”

Technology with broad potential

Strand’s first clinical trial is targeting solid tumors like melanoma and triple-negative breast cancer. The company is also actively developing mRNA therapies that could be used to treat blood cancers.

“We’ll be expanding into new areas as we continue to de-risk the translation of the science and create new technologies,” Becraft says.

Strand plans to partner with large pharmaceutical companies as well as investors to continue developing drugs. Further down the line, the founders believe future versions of its mRNA therapies could be used to treat a broad range of diseases.

“Our thesis is: amplified expression in specific, programmed target cells for long periods of time,” Becraft says. “That approach can be utilized for [immunotherapies like] CAR T-cell therapy, both in oncology and autoimmune conditions. There are also many diseases that require cell-type specific delivery and expression of proteins in treatment, everything from kidney disease to types of liver disease. We can envision our technology being used for all of that.”

#Alumni/ae #approach #Behavior #bioengineering #Bioengineering and biotechnology #Biological engineering #Biology #blood #breast cancer #Cancer #cancer cells #cell #cell therapy #cell types #Cells #CEO #challenge #change #Companies #computer #Computer Science #covid #Database #datasets #deal #Disease #Diseases #drug development #drugs #easy

[dylanforman]

#bodyhorror #newflesh #organprinting #bioprinting #bioengineering #cronenberg #frankenstein #synthesizers #propdesign #bodyhorrorart #bioart

[mindblowingscience]

Bladder cancer has one of the highest incidence rates in the world and ranks as the fourth most common tumor in men. Despite its relatively low mortality rate, nearly half of bladder tumors resurface within 5 years, requiring ongoing patient monitoring. Frequent hospital visits and the need for repeat treatments contribute to making this type of cancer one of the most expensive to cure. While current treatments involving direct drug administration into the bladder show good survival rates, their therapeutic efficacy remains low. A promising alternative involves the use of nanoparticles capable of delivering therapeutic agents directly to the tumor. In particular, nanorobots—nanoparticles endowed with the ability to self-propel within the body—are noteworthy.

Continue Reading.

#Science #Health #Biology #Bioengineering #Nanorobots #Cancer

[himmelstudies]

15 August 2023

I'm back. Today marks the first day of my last academic year as an undergraduate student. I had a 3 hour long lecture in the morning which didn't really end well. I have been sick for the past 1 week and don't do well in cold spots as it aggravates my cough. So the 3 hour lecture felt more like torture to me. But hey, warm water helps a lot and it made me feel better.

I had my first lab session for my final year project today as well. It was really fun. I am looking forward to tomorrow as I have yet another lab session to check on my cell cultures. Hoping that the cells grow well!

#himmelstudies #study #studyblr #engineeringblr #engineering #studies #bioengineeringblr #bioengineeringstudyblr #bioengineer #bioengineering #academicsunite #academicunites #engblr #studying #lab

[blueboxofsnark]

This looks Amazing

#this has been a psa #psa #ecopunk #bioengineering #nerfing plastic one idea at a time!

[sciencenick]

Common Weed Discovered To Be a “Super Plant”

A weed called purslane, which is said to be delicious in a salad, could hold the key to engineering productive, drought-resistant crops.

sulc.us/purslane

#eartharchives #paleomedia #purslane #bioengineering #plants #botany #evolution #evolutionarybiology #naturalhistory #magazine

[cbirt]

The University of Toronto researchers have explored the potential of Chemical Language Models (CLMs) to thrive as Biological Learning Models. In contrast to popular Protein Language Models that learn from protein sequences, CLMs can learn atomic-level representations of proteins and also learn protein backbones and natural amino acid structures, as well as the primary sequence patterns in the training sets. The study demonstrates CLMs’ capability to generate proteins having unnatural amino acids and novel protein-drug conjugates and thereby displays the prospects of expanding the domain of biomolecular design altogether and augmenting the representations of the combinatorial space of biology and chemistry.

Proteins are the workforce of the cell, and the entire cellular machinery is essentially protein-dependent. The sophisticated functionality of the protein is bestowed by the three-dimensional structural conformation of the protein. Envisaging protein structures empowers scientists to comprehend the mechanisms of cellular processes. Accordingly, perturbations in protein expression directly affect the cell’s physiology and result in disease conditions. For these reasons, proteins are the most conceivable and capitalized targets for docking drug molecules and initiating drug-induced favorable modifications, also because modulation of nucleic acids through drugs in order to achieve desired results is rarely feasible.

Exploration of all these vibrant areas of life sciences starts with the same conventional requirement, which is to get acquainted with the structures of proteins. After the protein is isolated following an elaborate procedure, the next step is to understand the protein’s sequence and structure. The wet lab experimental approaches like X-ray crystallography, NMR, and cryo-EM have assisted in these tasks for decades. With the advent of computer-aided technologies, numerous attempts have been made to decrypt protein’s structural figures. Paving breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology advancements, Language Models are now one of the greatest trending and leading providers and propellers of modeling proteins’ structures in silicon.

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#bioinformatics #cheminformatics #llms #clm #artificial intelligence #bioengineering #science and technology