Category Archives: BioEngineering

Big news in biotech: Scientists created what appeared to be a mouse embryo using stem cells. From the Telegraph story:

Artificial human life could soon be grown from scratch in the lab, after scientists successfully created a mammal embryo using only stem cells.

Cambridge University mixed two kinds of mouse stem cells and placed them on a 3D scaffold. After four days of growth in a tank of chemicals designed to mimic conditions inside the womb, the cells formed the structure of a living mouse embryo.

The breakthrough has been described as a masterpiece in bioengineering, which could eventually allow scientists to grow artificial human embryos in the lab without the need for a sperm or an egg.

First, this wouldnt be from scratch, as if they scientists brewed DNA from raw chemicals. It involved existing cells.

Second, we already know that mammalian life can be created without egg and sperm, for example, as in cloning, of which this is a variant technique that fuses different cells into a new organism.

Third, IF they ever create a human organism in this way, it would not be an artificial life but a real and fully human being thatshould be treated as such in ethics and in law.

More here:
Bioengineered Human Life Would Not Be Artificial - National Review

Almost every woman in engineering Ive talked to knows the pressure of having to prove herself.

She knows what its like to be meticulously perfect in her calculations, and to accept that regardless of her intelligence, her work will be checked again by someone who doesnt trust her.She knows that at the end of the day, mistakes hold more weight than they should.

I say almost every woman because I am one of the few that has rarely experienced this. Im lucky. Im an anomaly.

Bioengineering at Santa Clara University has a relatively large percentage of female students, compared to the other engineering disciplines. Im not intimately familiar with gender tensions in the classroom because there arent any in the classes I take, and I rarely feel the need to prove that I am better than the men I work with.

My mentors dont expect me to make mistakes, and are genuinely surprised when I do. Im not pressured to be perfect, but at the same time, the expectations for the work I do are just as high as anyone elses. The psychological effects of this are subtle, but theyve shaped how I perceive my own abilities, goals, and expectations.

Because Im held to an equal standard, I believe that I am equal. For that reason, I have my mentors to thank for my experiences as a woman in engineering. I realize that theyve given me what they didnt have, and I owe them much of who I am today.

It wasnt that easy for my mentors, and for many women today. My mentors have had to fight expectations to get where they are, and to defy the underlying notion that women just arent as smart and thats why they dont hold as many positions in engineering.

However, its not an IQ problem. Its an expectation that women just cant compete at the same level. This expectation is subtle, and its ingrained whether we realize it or not.

Its unintentional, intangible, and ever-present. Yet its effects are far reaching; being constantly undervalued and coddled teaches young girls that its okay to strive for less than the best, and to settle for goals that theyve been told are more realistic than the ones they would like to reach.

The women that inspire me hold me to a higher standard, and expect me to reach for whats unreachable. In doing so, they gave me the confidence to pursue engineering and taught me that I need to do the same forthe next generation.

We cant treat little girls differently from the boys that radiate confidence because its hard to be confident when youre expected to under perform. Instead, expect them to set impossible goals, and dont wait on the sidelines for them to fail. Expect them to compete at the same level, and be disappointed when they dont.

If we change our expectations, I guarantee you the next generation will meet them.

Shiyin Lim, a sophomore at Santa Clara University majoring in bioengineering, is part of Blue Marble Space Institute of Sciences Young Scientist Program focusing on research in space biosciences. She wrote this for The Mercury News.

Read more from the original source:
Opinion: Set high expectations of women engineers and they'll meet them - The Mercury News

Local students have been named to the Dean's List at Clemson University for the fall 2016 semester.

They are:

Deidra M. Ward of Charleston, who is majoring in chemical engineering

Antonio J. Ayala of Ladson, who is majoring in bioengineering

Austin Ryal Bowen of Ladson, who is majoring in computer engineering

Austin M. Greenwood of Ladson, who is majoring in electrical engineering

Sarahlyn E. Hill of Ladson, who is majoring in biological sciences

Ricki E. Hughes of Ladson, who is majoring in animal and veterinary science

Kylie M. Johnson of Ladson, who is majoring in general engineering

Jocelyn M. Mcgill of Ladson, who is majoring in animal and veterinary science

Charles R. Ritter III of Ladson, who is majoring in computer science

Kerry Marissa Wilt of Ladson, who is majoring in women's leadership

Taylor Marie Abendroth of North Charleston, who is majoring in biochemistry

Kimberly Bui of North Charleston, who is majoring in biological sciences

Michael Chavez of North Charleston, who is majoring in general engineering

Nicole Shilah Mcalister of North Charleston, who is majoring in College of Architecture, Arts, and Humanities

Cameron James Weathers of North Charleston, who is majoring in civil engineering

Benjamin M. O'Cain of St. George, who is majoring in general engineering

Hannah Shuler of St. George, who is majoring in English

Katelyn E. Adkins of Summerville, who is majoring in environmental and natural resources

Alicia Oluwakemi Amon of Summerville, who is majoring in nursing

Cameron W. Arnold of Summerville, who is majoring in mathematical sciences

Kinsey Suzanne Baughman of Summerville, who is majoring in psychology

Ryan A. Becwar of Summerville, who is majoring in computer science

Mackenzie William Binns of Summerville, who is majoring in computer information systems

Mackenzie G. Bowen of Summerville, who is majoring in parks, recreation and tourism management

Madison L. Buddin of Summerville, who is majoring in biological sciences

Collin A. Burchette of Summerville, who is majoring in chemical engineering

Grant A. Byrum of Summerville, who is majoring in computer science

Meghan A. Carter of Summerville, who is majoring in pre-business

Hannah E. Collins of Summerville, who is majoring in history

Alexis P. Cone of Summerville, who is majoring in financial management

Victoria Jade Cooper of Summerville, who is majoring in communication

Tristan M. Cromer of Summerville, who is majoring in general engineering

Caleb A. Dorrity of Summerville, who is majoring in industrial engineering

Connor Hoke Egbert of Summerville, who is majoring in civil engineering

Taylor R. Esch of Summerville, who is majoring in materials science and engineering

Rachel E. Fate of Summerville, who is majoring in psychology

Daniel M. Finley Jr. of Summerville, who is majoring in electrical engineering

Jacob E. Fladd of Summerville, who is majoring in bioengineering

Patrick Kyle Flanagan of Summerville, who is majoring in physics

Thomas M. Fleury of Summerville, who is majoring in biological sciences

Jennifer A. Gabriel of Summerville, who is majoring in accounting

Matthew R. Hagan of Summerville, who is majoring in philosophy

Brooke Spencer Haile of Summerville, who is majoring in psychology

Amanda Maria Hazell of Summerville, who is majoring in visual arts

Hayes S. Hoover of Summerville, who is majoring in biological sciences

Haley W. Jones of Summerville, who is majoring in materials science and engineering

Jason Michael Kinard of Summerville, who is majoring in computer science

Connor W. Lee of Summerville, who is majoring in mechanical engineering

Emily R. Leiendecker of Summerville, who is majoring in economics

Michael A. Lemelin of Summerville, who is majoring in chemistry

Christopher Michael Logan of Summerville, who is majoring in computer science

Rebecca A. Long of Summerville, who is majoring in psychology

Logan V. Mann of Summerville, who is majoring in biological sciences

Carlan A. May of Summerville, who is majoring in biological sciences

Amanda N. Pietrofeso of Summerville, who is majoring in industrial engineering

Rebecca B. Provost of Summerville, who is majoring in bioengineering

Thomas J. Purcell of Summerville, who is majoring in civil engineering

Andrew D. Purcell of Summerville, who is majoring in forest resource management

Cole David Reber of Summerville, who is majoring in packaging science

Andrew B. Samuels of Summerville, who is majoring in computer science

Rachel C. Sanner of Summerville, who is majoring in biological sciences

Aaron P. Schmitt of Summerville, who is majoring in civil engineering

Samuel W. Seigler of Summerville, who is majoring in biochemistry

Mollie C. Smith of Summerville, who is majoring in nursing

Charlotte A. Snook of Summerville, who is majoring in biological sciences

Alan D. Stack of Summerville, who is majoring in wildlife and fisheries biology

Kara S. Stem of Summerville, who is majoring in animal and veterinary science

Ashley L. Tant of Summerville, who is majoring in psychology

Matthew D. Thompson of Summerville, who is majoring in political science

Michael Alan Tibbs of Summerville, who is majoring in electrical engineering

Alexandra Nicole Tomlinson of Summerville, who is majoring in architecture

Rachel Ann Van der Meyden of Summerville, who is majoring in communication

Ryan T. West of Summerville, who is majoring in bioengineering

Caitlin E. Willan of Summerville, who is majoring in biological sciences

Rhiannon Catherine Williams of Summerville, who is majoring in animal and veterinary science

To be named to the Dean's List, a student achieved a grade-point average between 3.50 and 3.99 on a 4.0 scale.

Ranked No. 23 among national public universities, Clemson University is a major, land-grant, science- and engineering-oriented research university that maintains a strong commitment to teaching and student success. Clemson is an inclusive, student-centered community characterized by high academic standards, a culture of collaboration, school spirit, and a competitive drive to excel.

Read this article:
Clemson names local students to fall 2016 Dean's List - Journalscene.com

SINGAPORE Researchers here have come up with a new way to test a patients reaction to a drug even before it is administered.

By first testing a drug on stem cells made from from the patients blood, scientists from the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) of A*STAR and the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) have found that doctors may screen for possible side effects to drugs..

This, the IBN said, can help create personalised medicine for every individual and improve healthcare and treatment outcome.

Revealing its research findings on Tuesday (Feb 28), A*STAR said it had tested this concept on five kidney cancer patients who had previously been exposed to the cancer drug pazopanib.

Based on their medical history, three of the five patients had displayed adverse reactions to pazopanib in the past.

The researchers used stem cells from the five patients to create liver cells that were then exposed to pazopanib. The study found that the effects of pazopanib on the newly created liver cells tallied with how each of them had previously reacted to the drug.

Furthermore, for those who suffered adverse reactions, the researchers were also able to analyse how pazopanib caused liver damage to them, which was previously unknown to doctors even after many years of using the drug.

This study is the first proof-of-concept that our approach can predict drug-induced liver damage for an individual, said principal research scientist Dr Tan Min-Han. Now that we know how the drug work, we can introduce another agent/drug to combat the side effect. Its like selecting the correct antidote. Thats the next step, to be tested in clinical trials at NCCS.

Fellow researcher Dr Ravindran Kanesvaran said: We are very excited that this study demonstrates an approach that could transform how drug toxicities are evaluated. It also sheds light on the mechanism of a particular side effect of pazopanib, which may lead to ways to overcome it.

The research team said it will conduct further studies on drugs that affect other types of organs, and hope to work with industry partners to commercialise the technology.

IBNs executive director Jackie Y Ying said: Adverse side effects from drugs are a major clinical concern, which could and should be preventable... We are confident that our personalised stem cell technology will be of significant clinical value, said.

According to a study published in 2016, 8.1 per cent of all hospital admissions in Singapore are caused by adverse drug reactions. The study also found that patients suffering from adverse drug reactions also tend to be hospitalised longer than others, while the most common drugs causing adverse reactions were cardiovascular drugs.

Originally posted here:
Singapore researchers devise way to test potential drug side effects using stem cells - TODAYonline

KING 5's Lili Tan reports

LiLi Tan, KING 2:32 AM. PST February 27, 2017

(Photo: Lili Tan, KING)

SEATTLE -- Some University of Washington students are developing a test which could improve the lives of people around the world.

Its a credit card-sized HIV test called the OLA Simple.

Very much looking like a pregnancy test. So there will be lines and you can know the result right away, Nuttada Panpradist said.

The bioengineering Ph.D. student recently won a $50,000 grant from Massachusetts General Hospital. Panpradist says the APF student technology prize for primary healthcare is a coveted grant, and she is the first UW student to win.

This is essentially the first time that we can get our ideas - that we have been scratching on boards for a long, long time - into action, Panpradist said.

OLA Simple is an HIV rapid test that looks for mutations caused by the virus. Searching for biomarkers means patients could undergo testing five days after possible HIV infection rather than having to wait three months like with traditional lab tests. The test also aims to produce results in one hour instead of nine, and to look for drug resistance to anti-retro viral medications.

Panpradist, who hails from outside Bangkok, Thailand, says many people can often go untested because of stigma. She worked in the medical device field before coming to Seattle.

Thats where I started to realize maybe I can be the one to build these technologies to help save lives, she said.

According to the World Health Organizations most recent data, there were 36.7 million people living with HIV in 2015, with 2.1 million infected that year and 1.1 million who died of AIDS-related complications.

In the U.S., one out of every eight people living with the virus are unaware, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

To stop the spread, early detection is crucial, particularly in developing countries.

It has vast implications. There were some pretty shocking numbers and we were very driven to really try to make this work, said Annie Wong, a UW senior on the research team.

Panpradists students feel a shared sense of duty because they know their science could help solve real-life scenarios.

A lot of research that goes on never is translated to the world and helps people, UW junior David McIntyre said. It gives me extra motivation knowing what's going on in those countries and where we can actually provide help.

( 2017 KING)

Read more:
UW student wins coveted grant to develop HIV rapid test - KING5.com

Fort Worth Star Telegram

UTA raises cancer research profile with $6 million in grants Fort Worth Star Telegram UTA has more than 25 cancer researchers in its biology, bioengineering and computer science colleges and has 13 cancer-related patents issued in the past five years. Last year, UTA joined the ranks of top research universities listed by the Carnegie ...

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UTA raises cancer research profile with $6 million in grants - Fort Worth Star Telegram