Bioengineers use the electronics industry to help stem cells shape up
Bioengineers use miniature models to understand the behavior of cells in their body. It is difficult to recreate this niche environment in a controlled laboratory setting because researchers have not yet figured out all the factors influencing cell growth and behavior. Scientists can identify these factors by observing their mini-models and modifying them.
This type of cellular research plays a crucial role in regenerative medicine. Regenerative medicine focuses on the replacement or repair of damaged tissue. It often uses stem cells, which are a population of cells capable of giving rise to any tissue within the body. The central question in regenerative medicine is: What causes stem cells, a special population of cells, to grow, organise, and mature?
A team of researchers from the Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology used a technique called micropatterning to find the answer. This process, which is commonly used in electronics, involves the miniaturization and enlargement of shapes in order to increase the number of transistors in a circuit. The team used machine learning to create micropatterned shapes and see how confinement affects stem cell maturation.
Source:
https://phys.org/news/2018-08-bioengineers-electronics-industry-stem-cells.html
