Category Archives: BioEngineering

When students in Stanford Universitys Introduction to Bioengineering course sit for their final exams, the first question that they have to answer is about our ability to write DNA.

Scientists have fully sequenced the genomes of humans, trees, octopuses, bacteria, and thousands of other species. But it may soon become possible to not just read large genomes but also to write themsynthesizing them from scratch. Imagine a music synthesizer with only four keys, said Stanford professor Drew Endy to the audience at the Aspen Ideas Festival, which is co-hosted by the Aspen Institute and The Atlantic. Each represents one of the four building blocks of DNAA, C, G, and T. Press the keys in sequence and you can print out whatever stretch of DNA you like.

In 2010, one group did this for a bacterium with an exceptionally tiny genome, crafting all million or so letters of its DNA and implanting it into a hollow cell. Another team is part-way through writing the more complex genome of bakers yeast, with 12 million letters. The human genome is 300 times bigger, and as I reported last month, others are trying to build the technology that will allow them to create genomes of this size.

For now, thats prohibitively expensive, but it wont always be that way. In 2003, it cost 4 dollars to press one of the keys on Endys hypothetical synthesizer. This month, it costs just two centsa 200-fold decrease in price in just 14 years. In the same time frame, the cost of tuition at Stanford has doubled, and is now around $50,000. Given all of that, the first question that Stanfords budding bioengineers get is this:

At what point will the cost of printing DNA to create a human equal the cost of teaching a student in Stanford?

And the answer is: 19 years from today.

There are a lot of assumptions built into that answer. It will take a lot of technological advances to print the complex genomes of humans and to keep the costs falling at the same pace as they have done. But bearing those assumptions in mind, the problem is a mathematical one, and the students are graded on their ability to solve it. But the follow-up question is a little more complicated:

If you and your future partner are planning to have kids, would you start saving money for college tuition, or for printing the genome of your offspring?

The question tends to split students down the line, says Endy. About 60 percent say that printing a genome is wrong, and flies against what it means to be a parent. They prize the special nature of education and would opt to save for the tuition. But around 40 percent of the class will say that the value of education may change in the future, and if genetic technology becomes mature, and allows them to secure advantages for them and their lineage, they might as well do that.

There is clearly no right answer to the second question, and students are graded on their reasoning rather than their conclusion. But when both questions are considered together, they suggest, Endy says, that in the order of a human generation, well have to face possibilities that are much stranger than what were prepared for.

Read the original post:
The Moral Question That Stanford Asks Its Bioengineering Students - The Atlantic

The Director of the University of Aucklands Bioengineering Institute (ABI) has been awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Sheffield, in the United Kingdom.

Distinguished Professor Peter Hunter, who is renowned for his work in the fields of in silico medicine and computational physiology, will receive the doctorate in engineering on 18 July 2017.

"This award means a lot to me," says Professor Hunter. "The Insigneo Institute led by Professor Marco Viceconti at the University of Sheffield is the preeminent bioengineering institute in Europe."

Professor Hunter completed his engineering degrees at the University of Auckland before undertaking his DPhil (PhD) in Physiology at the University of Oxford. Since then he has pioneered the use of computational methods for understanding the integrated physiological function of the body in terms of the structure and function of tissues, cells and proteins.

Alongside his role as Director of ABI and Professor of Engineering Science at the University of Auckland, Professor Hunter is also Director of Computational Physiology at Oxford University, and Director of the Medical Technologies Centre of Research Excellence (MedTech CoRE) hosted by the University of Auckland. He was appointed to the NZ Order of Merit in 2010 and in 2009 received an honorary doctorate from the University of Nottingham.

Read more here:
Director of Bioengineering Institute receives international accolade ... - Voxy

[ graduate program | courses | faculty ]

STUDENT AFFAIRS 141 Powell-Focht Bioengineering Hall Warren College http://www.be.ucsd.edu

All courses, faculty listings, and curricular and degree requirements described herein are subject to change or deletion without notice. Updates may be found on the Academic Senate website: http://senate.ucsd.edu/catalog-copy/approved-updates/.

Bioengineering is an interdisciplinary major in which the principles and tools of traditional engineering fields, such as mechanical, materials, electrical, and chemical engineering, are applied to biomedical and biological problems. Engineering plays an increasingly important role in medicine in projects that range from basic research in physiology to advances in biotechnology and the improvement of health-care delivery. By its very nature, bioengineering is broad and requires a foundation in the engineering sciences as well as in physiology and other biological sciences.

The overall mission of the Department of Bioengineering is to improve health and quality of life by applying engineering principles to scientific discovery and technology innovation and to train future leaders in bioengineering through inspiring education and dedicated mentorship.

The educational objectives of the bioengineering program at UC San Diego are to produce graduates with a modern bioengineering education who will

At the undergraduate level, the department offers several four-year engineering majors, including a newly developed BS in Bioengineering: BioSystems. This major focuses on the interaction and integration of components in complex biological and engineering assemblages, and how the function and interactions of these components affect overall performance. The major draws on foundations of classical electrical and systems engineering, with biological applications at levels of the molecular and cellular to the physiological and whole organism, and provides an alternative to other bioengineering majors that emphasize mechanical, chemical, and computational approaches. The major prepares students for careers in the bioengineering industry, in research and development, and for further education in graduate, medical, and business schools.

One major leads to a BS in Bioengineering. This major prepares students for careers in the biomedical device industry and for further education in graduate school. Students completing the BS in Bioengineering have a broad preparation in traditional topics in engineering, allowing for a variety of career pathways. This program addresses the bioengineering topics of biomechanics, biotransport, bioinstrumentation, bioelectricity, biosystems, and biomaterials, and the complementary fields of systems and integrative physiology. Education in these areas allows application of bioengineering and other scientific principles to benefit human health by advancing methods for effective diagnosis and treatment of disease, e.g., through development of medical devices and technologies.

The department also offers a BS in Bioengineering: Biotechnology. This major prepares students for careers in the biotechnology industry and for further education in graduate school. The curriculum has a strong engineering foundation with emphasis on biochemical process applications. This program addresses the bioengineering topics of biochemistry, metabolism, kinetics, biotransport, biosystems, bioreactors, bioseparations, tissue engineering, and the complementary fields of cellular physiology. Education in these areas allows application of bioengineering and physicochemical principles to cellular and molecular biology, with the applications that benefit human health.

The department also offers a major leading to a BS in Bioengineering: Bioinformatics. Bioinformatics is the study of the structure and flow of information (genetic, metabolic, and regulatory) in living systems. The bioinformatics major emphasizes computation and model-based approaches to assembling, integrating, and interpreting biological information. This major has been developed by the Departments of Bioengineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Computer Science and Engineering, and the Division of Biological Sciences, and students may apply through any of these departments or the division. The major prepares students for careers in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and biomedical software industries, and for further studies in graduate or medical school.

The programs and curricula of the Department of Bioengineering emphasize education in the fundamentals of engineering sciences that form the common basis of all engineering subspecialties. Education with this emphasis is intended to provide students with an interdisciplinary engineering foundation for a career in which engineering practice may expand rapidly. In addition, elements of bioengineering design are incorporated at every level in the curricula. This is accomplished by integration of laboratory experimentation, computer applications, and exposure to real bioengineering problems throughout the program. In the Bioengineering, Bioengineering: Biotechnology, and Bioengineering: BioSystems majors, students also work in teams on a senior design project to design a solution to a multidisciplinary bioengineering problem suggested by professionals in bioengineering industry, academia, or medicine.

The Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (EAC/ABET) is an organization with a mission of serving the public through promotion and advancement of education in fields including engineering, and ABETs strategic plans include accreditation of educational programs and promotion of quality and innovation in education http://www.abet.org. At UC San Diego, Bioengineering, Bioengineering: Biotechnology, and Bioengineering: BioSystems have a relatively heavy emphasis on engineering, whereas Bioengineering: Bioinformatics has a relatively heavy emphasis on biological, chemical, and physical sciences. The Bioengineering and Bioengineering: Biotechnology programs are accredited by EAC/ABET, and ABET accreditation will be sought for the Bioengineering: BioSystems major. The Bioengineering: Bioinformatics program is not accredited by a Commission of ABET.

At the graduate level, specialized curricula lead to the MS, MEng (Master of Engineering), and PhD, as well as an integrated BS/MS. The department also offers a PhD in Bioinformatics. It is intended for students who have an interdisciplinary persuasion to work across computers, biology, medicine, and engineering. For further information on the degree, please e-mail bioinfo@ucsd.edu or go online to http://www.bioinformatics.ucsd.edu. The MEng is a terminal professional degree whereas the MS and PhD are research programs. (See section on masters degree programs.) The graduate programs are characterized by strong interdisciplinary relationships with the other engineering departments and Departments of Physics, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medicine, and others, as well as with campus organizations such as the Institute of Engineering in Medicine, Institute for Mechanics and Materials, and the School of Medicine.

Specific course requirements for each of the majors are outlined in tables below. In addition to the required technical courses specifically indicated, a suggested scheduling of humanities and social science courses (HSS) is included in the curricula for students to use to meet college general-education requirements. To graduate, students must maintain an overall GPA of at least 2.0, and obtain at least a C grade in each course required for the major. All courses required for the major must be taken for a letter grade.

Deviations from the required programs of study must be approved by the Undergraduate Studies Committee prior to students taking alternative courses. In addition, students must obtain departmental approval of technical elective (TE) course selections prior to students taking the course. In the ABET-accredited programs, TE courses are restricted to those that meet ABET standards. Courses such as BENG 197 and 198 are encouraged, but do not count as upper-division technical electives. BENG 195, 196, and 199 can be used as technical electives under certain conditions. Policy information may be obtained from the Student Affairs Office.

Students with accelerated academic preparation at admission to the university may vary the scheduling of lower-division courses such as mathematics, physics, and chemistry, but must first consult the department. Most lower-division courses are offered more than once each year to permit students some flexibility in their program scheduling. However, most upper-division bioengineering courses are taught only once each year.

Deviations in the scheduling of upper-division bioengineering courses are strongly discouraged, as such changes usually lead to a delay in graduation.

The curricula shown in the tables below are consistent with the current scheduling of classes.

Minors are not offered in the Department of Bioengineering, and double major options are restricted. Students interested in double majors should consult the Student Affairs Office as early as possible.

For graduation, each student must satisfy general-education course requirements determined by the students college, as well as the major requirements determined by the department. The six colleges at UC San Diego require different general-education courses, and the number of such courses differs from one college to another. Each student should choose his or her college carefully, considering the special nature of the curriculum and the breadth of general education.

The bioengineering programs allow for humanities and social science (HSS) courses so that students can fulfill their college requirements. In the bioengineering ABET-accredited programs, students must develop a program that includes a total of at least forty units in the arts, humanities, and social sciences, not including subjects such as accounting, industrial management, finance, or personnel administration. It should be noted, however, that some colleges require more than the ten HSS courses indicated in the Bioengineering, Bioengineering: Biotechnology, Bioengineering: Bioinformatics, and Bioengineering: BioSystems curriculum tables. Accordingly, students in these colleges may take longer to graduate than the four years indicated in the schedule. Students must consult with their colleges to determine which HSS courses to take.

(ABET-Accredited Program)

1Chem 7L may be taken in any quarter within the first two years after completion of Chem 6B.

2BENG 1 may be taken in sophomore year.

3Ten HSS courses are listed here; individual college requirements may be higher.

4Recommended course, not required.

5Design elective (DE) courses must be selected from a two-quarter sequence, BENG 119AB, 126AB, 127AB, 128AB, 129AB, 139AB, 147AB, 148AB, 149AB, 169AB, 179AB.

6Math 20F and MAE 140 may be taken concurrently.

7Technical elective (TE) courses must be selected from a departmental approved list. Consult the Student Affairs Office.

(ABET-Accredited Program)

1Chem 7L may be taken concurrently with Chem 6C or in any quarter within the first two years after completion of Chem 6B.

2BENG 1 may be taken in sophomore year.

3Continuing students who have completed MAE 9 or 10 are NOT REQUIRED to take MAE 8 and future Transfer students who have completed a course equivalent to MAE 9 or 10 are exempted from completing MAE 8 until fall 2013.

4Ten HSS courses are listed here; individual college requirements may be higher.

5Recommended course, not required.

6Design elective (DE) courses must be selected from a two-quarter sequence, BENG 119AB, 126AB, 127AB, 128AB, 129AB, 139AB, 147AB, 148AB, 149AB, 169AB, 179AB.

7Technical elective (TE) courses must be selected from a departmental approved list. Consult the Student Affairs Office.

(ABET Accreditation to be sought.)

1Ten HSS courses are listed here; individual college requirements may be higher.

2Technical elective (TE) courses must be selected from a departmental approved list. Consult the Student Affairs Office.

3Design elective (DE) courses must be selected from a two-quarter sequence, BENG 119AB, 126AB, 127AB, 128AB, 129AB, 139AB, 147AB, 148AB, 149AB, 169AB, 179AB.

4Recommended course, not required.

(Not accredited by a Commission of ABET.)

1Students may take the slower paced version, CSE 8A-B, instead of CSE 11.

2Technical elective (TE) courses must be selected from a departmental approved list. Consult the Student Affairs Office.

3Ten HSS courses are listed here; individual college requirements may be higher.

4Design elective (DE) courses must be selected from a two-quarter sequence: BENG 119A-B, 126A-B, 127A-B, 128A-B, 129A-B, 139A-B, 147A-B, 148A-B, 149A-B, 169A-B, 179A-B.

Because of heavy student interest in the majors in the Department of Bioengineering and the limited resources available to accommodate this demand, maintenance of a high quality program makes it necessary to limit enrollments to the most qualified students.

Students admitted into a capped major who transfer out of the capped major may transfer back into it one time without meeting the full requirements for continuing student admission prior to the end of their sophomore year, provided they are in good academic standing.

Freshman students who have excelled in high school and have declared Bioengineering, Bioengineering: Biotechnology, Bioengineering: Bioinformatics, or Bioengineering: BioSystems on their UC San Diego application are eligible for direct admission into those majors.

The UC San Diego Office of Admissions and Relations with Schools will calculate an admissions target number and admit the appropriate number of incoming freshmen into each impacted major using the UC San Diego Holistic Review score as a ranking method. Students who meet the UC San Diego admission criteria will be admitted into their chosen capped major, starting with the student having the highest holistic review score, until the admission target number is reached. These students will be notified directly by the Office of Admissions and Relations with Schools whether they have been admitted into their chosen capped major.

Freshman students who applied but were not admitted directly from high school into the capped Bioengineering, Bioengineering: Biotechnology, Bioengineering: Bioinformatics, or Bioengineering: BioSystems majors will be admitted into the major indicated as their second choice on the UC application (providing it is an open major).

Each fall quarter, a certain number (determined on an annual basis) of continuing sophomore students who apply will be selected to enter the capped Bioengineering, Bioengineering: Biotechnology, Bioengineering: Bioinformatics, or Bioengineering: BioSystems majors. Interested continuing students must not be past sophomore standing, as time to graduation would be delayed since departmental upper-division courses are currently offered only once a year.

Continuing students will be required to complete the following courses prior to applying, depending on their major of choice:

Bioengineering and Bioengineering: Biotechnology: BILD 1; Chem 6A-B; MAE 8; Math 20A-C; Physics 2A-B.

Bioengineering: Bioinformatics: BILD 1; Chem 6A-B; CSE 11 (or 8A-B); Math 20A-C; Phys 2A-B.

Bioengineering: BioSystems: ECE 35; Chem 6A-B; Math 20A-C, Phys 2A-B.

Students will receive e-mail instructions from the Bioengineering Student Affairs Office concerning completion of an online application at the beginning of fall quarter of their second year. Online applications must be submitted by Friday of the first week of instruction in fall quarter. Continuing students applications will be ranked according to the GPA obtained in the required courses only.

Applications to a capped major will be approved, starting with the student having the highest GPA in the required courses, until the predetermined target number is reached. The Bioengineering Student Affairs Office will notify students in a timely manner who are successful in transitioning into one of the capped majors to officially declare the appropriate major online via the Major/Minor link under Toolbox at http://tritonlink.ucsd.edu.

Continuing students who apply and are unable to transition into one of the capped majors will also be notified of their status in a timely manner by the Bioengineering Student Affairs Office.

General advice: Transfer students are advised to complete the following courses for their major before enrolling at UC San Diego. Preparing well for the major helps students move efficiently toward graduation.

The UC San Diego Office of Admissions and Relations with Schools will calculate an admissions target number and admit the appropriate number of incoming transfer students into each capped major, based on the community college GPA. Additionally, transfer students should have completed the following courses for admission equivalent to UC San Diego:

Bioengineering: Math 20A-B-C-D; Physics 2A-B and 2BL-CL; and Chemistry 6A-B

Bioengineering: Biotechnology: Math 20A-B-C-D; Physics 2A-B and 2CL; and Chemistry 6A-B

Bioengineering: Bioinformatics and Bioengineering: BioSystems: Math 20A-B-C-D; Physics 2A-B; and Chemistry 6A-B

Students who meet the UC San Diego admission criteria will be admitted into their chosen capped major, starting with the student having the highest community college GPA, until the admission target number is reached. (At least a 3.2 GPA in the community college transfer courses, and a 3.4 GPA in math, physics, and computer science courses, are likely to be needed to gain admission.) These students will be notified directly by the Office of Admissions and Relations with Schools whether they have been admitted into their chosen impacted major.

Transfer students who applied but were not admitted directly from community college into the capped Bioengineering, Bioengineering: Biotechnology, Bioengineering: Bioinformatics, or Bioengineering: BioSystems majors will be admitted into the major indicated as their second choice on the UC application (providing it is an open major).

Upon admission to a major, students are encouraged to seek advice from departmental staff in the Bioengineering Student Affairs Office, Room 141, Powell-Focht Bioengineering Hall, to plan a program of study. Students are expected to chart their progress within their major. As the department may make a small number of course and/or curricular changes every year, it is imperative that students check their e-mail for updates and consult a bioengineering undergraduate adviser on an annual basis.

To enroll in any courses required for a bioengineering major, a student must have completed prerequisite courses. (The department does not consider D or F grades as adequate preparation for subsequent material.) Where these prerequisite course work and other restrictions apply, the registrar will not enroll other students except by department approval. Students are advised that they may be dropped from course rosters if prerequisites have not been met.

Bioengineering courses are typically offered only once a year and therefore should be taken in the recommended sequence. If courses are taken out of sequence, it may not always be possible to enroll in courses as desired or needed for timely graduation. If this occurs, students should seek immediate departmental advice.

Programmatic advice may be obtained from the Student Affairs Office. In addition, technical advice may be obtained from a specific bioengineering faculty adviser assigned to each student upon admission to the major.

Exceptions to any program or course requirements are possible if approved by the Undergraduate Studies Committee before the courses in question are taken. Petitions may be obtained from the Bioengineering Student Affairs Office.

A capstone design course sequence is required for senior level students in the Bioengineering, Bioengineering: Biotechnology, and Bioengineering: BioSystems majors. The capstone design course sequence consists of a multiquarter upper-division sequence of courses that totals ten quarter-units and includes (1) a series of four one-unit courses on selection (BENG 187A), design (BENG 187B), implementation (BENG 187C), and presentation (BENG 187D) of design projects, with consideration of professional issues, and (2) a sequence of two three-unit laboratory design projects, offered in many of the primary areas of bioengineering, including biomechanics (BENG 119AB), systems bioengineering (BENG 127AB, 128AB, 129AB), nanoscale and molecular bioengineering (BENG 139AB), organ system bioengineering (BENG 147AB, 148AB, 149AB), tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (BENG 169AB), and bioinstrumentation (BENG 179AB). The design projects and presentations will be performed by student teams in the course sequence.

Under the guidance of a bioengineering faculty member, lower- and upper-division level bioengineering students have opportunities to participate in independent study and research.

Upper-division bioengineering students may take BENG 199, Independent Study for Undergraduates. Lower-division bioengineering students may enroll in BENG 99, which is similar to BENG 199 except that less background in the curriculum is needed. These courses are taken as electives on a P/NP basis. Under certain conditions, a BENG 199 course may be used to satisfy upper-division technical elective course requirements for the major. Students interested in this alternative must identify a faculty member with whom they wish to work and propose a two-quarter research or study topic for Bioengineering, Bioengineering: Biotechnology, and Bioengineering: BioSystems majors. Completion of two consecutive quarters of BENG 199 will satisfy both technical elective requirements in the Bioengineering, Bioengineering: Biotechnology, and Bioengineering: BioSystems majors. Bioengineering: Bioinformatics majors may satisfy up to two of the three technical elective requirements in those majors by completion of BENG 199 courses. After obtaining the faculty advisers concurrence on the topic and scope of the study, the student must submit a Special Studies form (each quarter) and a BENG 199 as Technical Elective Contract to the Undergraduate Studies Committee. These forms must be completed, approved, and processed prior to the beginning of the quarter in which the course is to be taken.

Students interested in participating in the instructional activities of the department may take BENG 195, Undergraduate Teaching as an elective on a P/NP basis. Policy in this regard may be obtained from the Student Affairs Office.

The Department of Bioengineering offers two industry-related programs: the Industrial Internship Program for undergraduates and the Graduate Industrial Training Program for graduate students. Both industrial programs are designed to complement the departments academic curriculum with practical industry experience. Students interested in these programs should contact the Bioengineering Student Affairs Office well in advance of the quarter in which they would like to start their internship.

The Industrial Internship Program is available to undergraduate students who have completed all lower-division course requirements. Academic credit under BENG 196, Bioengineering Industrial Internship, can be earned by spending ten weeks or more as interns in an industrial setting. The intern may be involved in a range of activities, including design, analysis, manufacturing, testing, regulatory affairs, etc., under the direction of a mentor in the workplace. At the completion of the internship experience, students are required to submit a brief report to the mentor and faculty adviser describing their activities. Up to four units of BENG 196 may be used towards technical elective credit.

The Graduate Industrial Training Program is designed for students in the Master of Engineering Degree Program. This program serves to significantly enhance the professional development of MEng students in preparation for leadership in the bioengineering industry. Students will complete an independent industrial bioengineering project in a company setting under the direction of an industrial and faculty adviser.

Original post:
Bioengineering - University of California, San Diego

June 23, 2017 Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas have developed a wearable diagnostic biosensor that can detect three interconnected, diabetes-related compounds -- cortisol, glucose and interleukin-6 -- in perspired sweat for up to a week without loss of signal integrity. The team envisions that their wearable devices will contain a small transceiver to send data to an application installed on a cellphone. Credit: University of Texas at Dallas

Researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas are getting more out of the sweat they've put into their work on a wearable diagnostic tool that measures three diabetes-related compounds in microscopic amounts of perspiration.

"Type 2 diabetes affects so many people. If you have to manage and regulate this chronic problem, these markers are the levers that will help you do that," said Dr. Shalini Prasad, professor of bioengineering in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. "We believe we've created the first diagnostic wearable that can monitor these compounds for up to a week, which goes beyond the type of single use monitors that are on the market today."

In a study published recently in Scientific Reports, Prasad and lead author Dr. Rujute Munje, a recent bioengineering PhD graduate, describe their wearable diagnostic biosensor that can detect three interconnected compounds - cortisol, glucose and interleukin-6 - in perspired sweat for up to a week without loss of signal integrity.

"If a person has chronic stress, their cortisol levels increase, and their resulting insulin resistance will gradually drive their glucose levels out of the normal range," said Prasad, Cecil H. and Ida Green Professor in Systems Biology Science. "At that point, one could become pre-diabetic, which can progress to type 2 diabetes, and so on. If that happens, your body is under a state of inflammation, and this inflammatory marker, interleukin-6, will indicate that your organs are starting to be affected."

Last October, Prasad and her research team confirmed they could measure glucose and cortisol in sweat. Several significant advances since then have allowed them to create a more practical, versatile tool.

"We wanted to make a product more useful than something disposable after a single use," Prasad said. "It also has to require only your ambient sweat, not a huge amount. And it's not enough to detect just one thing. Measuring multiple molecules in a combinatorial manner and tracking them over time allows us to tell a story about your health."

One factor that facilitated their device's progress was the use of room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL), a gel that serves to stabilize the microenvironment at the skin-cell surface so that a week's worth of hourly readings can be taken without the performance degrading over time.

"This greatly influences the cost model for the deviceyou're buying four monitors per month instead of 30; you're looking at a year's supply of only about 50," Prasad said. "The RTIL also allows the detector to interface well with different skin typesthe texture and quality of pediatric skin versus geriatric skin have created difficulties in prior models. The RTIL's ionic characteristics make it somewhat like applying moisturizer to skin."

Prasad's team also determined that their biomarker measurements are reliable with a tiny amount of sweatjust 1 to 3 microliters, much less than the 25 to 50 previously believed necessary.

"We actually spent three years producing that evidence," Prasad said. "At those low volumes, the biomolecules expressed are meaningful. We can do these three measurements in a continuous manner with that little sweat."

Prasad envisions that her wearable devices will contain a small transceiver to send data to an application installed on a cellphone.

"With the app we're creating, you'll simply push a button to request information from the device," Prasad said. "If you measure levels every hour on the hour for a full week, that provides 168 hours' worth of data on your health as it changes."

That frequency of measurement could produce an unprecedented picture of how the body responds to dietary decisions, lifestyle activities and treatment.

"People can take more control and improve their own self-care," Prasad said. "A user could learn which unhealthy decisions are more forgiven by their body than others."

Prasad has emphasized "frugal innovation" throughout the development process, making sure the end product is accessible for as many people as possible.

"We've designed this product so that it can be manufactured using standard coating techniques. We made sure we used processes that will allow for mass production without adding cost," Prasad said. "Our cost of manufacturing will be comparable to what it currently takes to make single-use glucose test stripsas little as 10 to 15 cents. It needs to reach people beyond America and Europeand even within first-world nations, we see the link between diabetes and wealth. It can't simply be a small percentage of people who can afford this."

Prasad was motivated to address this specific problem in part by her own story.

"South Asians, like myself, are typically prone to diabetes and to cardiovascular disease," Prasad said. "If I can monitor on a day-to-day basis how my body is responding to intake, and as I age, if I can adjust my lifestyle to keep those readings where they need to be, then I can delay getting a disease, if not prevent it entirely."

For Prasad, the latest work is a fulfilling leap forward in what has already been a five-year process.

"We've been solving this problem since 2012, in three phases," Prasad said. "The initial concept for a system level integration of these sensors was done in collaboration with EnLiSense LLC, a startup focused on enabling lifestyle based sensors and devices. In the market, there's nothing that is a slap-on wearable that uses perspired sweat for diagnostics. And I think we are the closest. If we find the right partner, then within a 12-month window, we hope to license our technology and have our first products in the market."

Explore further: Bioengineers create sweat-based sensor to monitor glucose

More information: Rujuta D. Munje et al, A new paradigm in sweat based wearable diagnostics biosensors using Room Temperature Ionic Liquids (RTILs), Scientific Reports (2017). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-02133-0

Like driving a car despite a glowing check-engine light, large buildings often chug along without maintenance being performed on the building controls designed to keep them running smoothly.

Google said Friday it would stop scanning the contents of Gmail users' inboxes for ad targeting, moving to end a practice that has fueled privacy concerns since the free email service was launched.

Researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas are getting more out of the sweat they've put into their work on a wearable diagnostic tool that measures three diabetes-related compounds in microscopic amounts of perspiration.

Microphones, from those in smartphones to hearing aids, are built specifically to hear the human voicehumans can't hear at levels higher than 20 kHz, and microphones max out at around 24 kHz, meaning that microphones only ...

Researchers at the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a novel design approach for exoskeletons and prosthetic limbs that incorporates direct feedback from the human body. The findings were ...

In a proof-of-concept study, North Carolina State University engineers have designed a flexible thermoelectric energy harvester that has the potential to rival the effectiveness of existing power wearable electronic devices ...

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Bioengineers create more durable, versatile wearable for diabetes ... - Phys.Org

PR Newswire

Knight Cancer Institute nabs San Diego tech star Portland Business Journal Oregon Health & Science University's Knight Cancer Institute is adding a technology expert to its growing team. Mike Heller, a specialist in bioengineering coming from the University of California, San Diego, will head technology efforts for the ... Technology expert joins the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute's center for cancer early detectionPR Newswire (press release) all 3 news articles »

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Knight Cancer Institute nabs San Diego tech star - Portland Business Journal

Submitted by Allan Macaulay

You may have noticed the Town of Devons sign in Lions Park recently referring to a bioengineering test plot. Its time to talk about it.

Bioengineering in this context is a process that uses local plant material to stabilize an eroding river or stream bank. If we are satisfied with this process we can apply it to Beaver Loop and other unstable locations around town.

What got this going? This grew out of an environmental plan a group of us did for the Town a few years ago. We started talking and got to know Kristen Anderson a local resident and knowledgeable environmental consultant who now works for Associated Engineering.

Associated Engineering in conjunction with the Town of Devon, Devon Nature Club and Devon Lions Club hosted a two day bioengineering course one day in the classroom at the golf course and one day hands on installing the test plot on the river bank in Lions Park. We used tree stems as the building blocks for the project. The stems were cut on property on the west side of highway 60 with permission of the land owner Qualico Developments. The plant material mostly willow and Balsam poplar was dormant at this time i.e. bud break had not occurred yet. Dormancy and proper handling of the material is key. Its alive and we have to keep it that way. Our instructors were David Polster and Kristen Anderson.

The project was carried out by a group of people including members of the above organizations on April 19 of this year. Several other municipalities and contractors also attended.

Two different methods were used one is called dense live staking at the bottom of the slope and wattle fencing on the slope.

Dense Live Staking

Stakes were cut from balsam poplar and willow. The stakes are 70-100 cm long and 25-50 mm in diameter. We sharpened them and then inserted them into the ground using planting bars and rubber mallets. We tried to get 75 per cent of their length in the ground this is very important. They were placed about 10 cm apart in a random pattern

Wattle Fencing

We then went up the slope installing whats called wattle fencing which consists of more staking in a row these stakes are similar to the ones used in the live staking but they are in a row and about .5 meters apart.

These stakes are used for the support of the fence made of 3-5 m lengths of willow and balsam poplar stems which are about 25-50 mm thick at the base. These long stems are stacked against the live stakes about 6 high and held in place by the natural soils piled against the fence on the upslope side.

These wattle fences were installed 30 cm apart all the way up the slope.

The fence and staking slows runoff down on the slope stabilizing the slope and also holds the bank when the stream or river rises.

All components used in all aspects are living and naturally occurring in this area. Only similar soil from the area is used not bringing in any invasive species or other contaminants. We are taught in the course to only use what is available in the area and natural to the site.

Everything grows and recreates a natural stabilizing process. The project we did was all done by hand.

A beaver proof fence is installed along the river which will have to be maintained from time to time and we are watering the site up to twice a week. There is already lots of growth and its looking good.

Devon participants in the course were, Tanya Hugh, Shawn ONeill, Gord McPherson, Alan Voles, Ted Belke, Shawn Goin, Bill White, Allan Macaulay, Karen Macaulay, Kristin Walsh, plus some other town staff from water treatment plant etc.

We could organize a tour of the site with an explanation if you want contact me Allan Macaulay at albertaspruce@albertatrees.net to set that up.

Read the rest here:
Bioengineering test plot in Lions Park - Devon Dispatch