Research
Even though the premise of Spider-Man still remains scientifically far-fetched, the idea of borrowing ideas from spiders to improve our own bodies isn’t too unrealistic! Thus, a team from ITMO’s ChemBio Cluster have combined spider silk with magnetic nanoparticles to create a material that promotes tissue regeneration.
According to the scientists, this material should prove handy in accelerating medical recovery by providing a sort of “framework” for new tissue to grow upon. With in vitro testing already complete, researches are now eyeing further improvements – including the use of 3D bioprinting.
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But that’s not all for medical breakthroughs today: here’s a discovery that not only holds promise for targeted drug delivery, but also hints at the potential origin of life on Earth! In developing a chemical system that nearly replicates the mechanics of biological systems, researchers from ITMO and the Weizmann Institute of Science have given further credence to the primordial soup theory.
The developed system is the result of meticulous computations. In it, various chemical reactions come together to showcase processes that are thought to have once kickstarted the creation of life.
Read more: Chemists Move One Step Closer to Artificial Cells
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This is yet another story that may sound like sci-fi but is 100% real. Last month, ITMO.NEWS spoke to Dr. Sergio Bordel, an ITMO Fellow from Spain whose research concerns microbial fuel cells – chemical devices that use bacteria to recycle plastic and turn it into electricity.
In the interview, Dr. Bordel explains the fascinating nature of this technology, how he became involved in this field of research, and his team’s current advances.
Read more: How Polymer-Eating Bacteria Could Charge Our Phones
Credit: ITMO.NEWS
Science
What comes to your mind when you hear the words “theoretical physicist”? Perhaps, a disheveled, eccentric thinker surrounded by piles of books? In that case, you couldn’t be farther from the truth. In our recap of the recent Physics Day event, Prof. Igor Burmistrov of the Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics shares insights into the life of theoretical physicists: their work, their methods, and their passions.
Read more: Theoretical Physics: Formulas, Equations, and Scientific Papers
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In our high-tech world, even something seemingly as eternal as food is rapidly becoming influenced by the development of new technologies. How do robotics, AI, biometrics, and even social media affect the way we produce, buy, and eat our food? In her recent blog post, PhD student Irina Krylova explains the intricacies of FoodTech.
Read more: Foodtech: Technologies of the Future
