First Programmed Synthetic Tissue
December 4, 2018 | Terry Sharrer
Chemists at the University of Bristol (UK) have created a tissue-like material that can simulate heartbeat by being heated and cooled. Quoting: “The researchers constructed two types of artificial cells each having a protein-polymer membrane but with complementary surface anchoring groups. The team then assembled a mixture of the sticky artificial cells into chemically-linked clusters to produce self-supporting artificial tissue spheroids. By using a polymer that could expand or contract as the temperature was changed below or above 37 degrees Celsius, it was possible to make the artificial tissues undergo sustained beat-like oscillations in size.” Various enzyme combinations controlled the beating’s amplitude. MORE
Image Credit: Dr Pierangelo Gobbo, University of Bristol