Jedi Wars: High-flying stunts wow at robotics competition
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away—well, actually, last week on the University of Toronto’s St. George campus – speed and stunts worthy of the Millenium Falcon wowed the crowd at the first Jedi Wars flying robotics competition. Fourth-year undergraduate students in The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer […]
From bio-fuels to molten steel: How U of T engineers are curbing carbon emissions
Whether we’re transporting goods halfway across the planet, or making steel in large-scale factories, limiting our carbon emissions is an immense challenge. But Professor Murray Thomson (MIE) and his team at U of T Engineering are up to the task. Their research explores new types of biofuel, different combustion methods and advanced sensors that are […]
A tale of two guts: Joint study discovers digestion mechanisms
You may have heard of a pacemaker for improving function of a human heart, but have you ever considered one for bowel functions? In a study published this week in Nature Communications, a group of researchers have uncovered a previously unknown process in the human digestive system. This discovery could lead to successful ‘pacemaker’ treatments […]
3D Microgels “On-demand” Offer New Potential for Cell Research, the Future of Personalized Medicine
Stars, diamonds, circles. Rather than your average bowl of Lucky Charms, these are three-dimensional cell cultures that can be generated by a new digital microfluidics platform from researchers at U of T’s Institute for Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME). Published this week in Nature Communications, the tool can be used to study cells in cost-efficient, […]
Turning Back the Clock on Aging Muscles? New Study Supports the Possibility of Localized Rejuvenation
A study co-published in Nature Medicine this week by University of Toronto researcher Penney Gilbert (IBBME) has determined a stem cell based method for restoring strength to damaged skeletal muscles of the elderly. Skeletal muscles are some of the most important in the body, supporting functions such as sitting, standing, blinking and swallowing. In aging […]
Collective Migration Study Suggests That Cells Move Like School of Fish
A new study from the Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering (IBBME) is challenging some of science’s fundamental understandings of cellular behaviour. The foundational study, published in this month’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), suggests that unlike what was previously understood, cells do not communicate movements by being joined, but instead move […]
DNA-built Nanoparticles Safely Target Cancer Tumours
A team of researchers at the University of Toronto has discovered a method of assembling ‘building blocks’ of gold nanoparticles as the vehicle to deliver cancer medications, or cancer-identifying markers, directly into cancerous tumours. The study, led by Professor Warren Chan of U of T’s Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering (IBBME) and the Donnelly […]
New Metamaterial Lens Allows for Lighter, Thinner Solar Panels
Researchers in The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering have designed a new way to focus light over extremely short distances, technology with big applications in photovoltaics and optical imaging. Picture a typical lens, shaped like half a grapefruit lying face-down. Light rays pass through the lens and focus some distance away […]
First Living 3D Model of Arrhythmic Heart Made From Stem Cells
Researchers at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering (IBBME) and the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine have developed the first-ever method for creating living, three-dimensional human heart tissue that behaves like mature heart tissue. Importantly, the method can be used to make models of both healthy and arrhythmic beating heart tissue. […]
