A team of researchers developed a multi-joint, personalized soft exosuit that assists users in walking by applying mechanical forces to critical joints. The device was tested in the field and found to reduce energy expenditure by up to 22% compared to walking without assistance.
Researchers create a genetic signal-transmission system allowing E. coli and Salmonella Typhimurium bacteria to communicate in the mouse gut, enabling a potential 'synthetic microbiome' with engineered bacteria species. This breakthrough could lead to optimized human health through coordinated bacterial functions.
Researchers at Wyss Institute create brain organ chip model, called BBB-Brain Chip system, to study the effects of drugs like methamphetamine on the brain and its blood vessels. The system, which includes linked chips with microfluidic channels, reacts like human brain tissue and shows how cells interact to regulate function.
Researchers develop a method to continuously record cells' development using genetic barcodes, allowing them to trace the full developmental lineage of every mature cell. This breakthrough resolves longstanding questions about brain patterning and promises to exponentially increase understanding of cellular growth and disease emergence.
Researchers developed an integrated fabrication process to design soft robots on the millimeter scale with micrometer-scale features, enabling changes in structure, motion, and color. The new technology paves the way for a new generation of flexible microrobots for medical and environmental tasks.
BioBits kits use freeze-dried cell-free reactions to enable simple, hands-on biological experiments without specialized lab equipment. The kits introduce molecular and synthetic biology concepts, inspiring students to consider STEM careers.
A multidisciplinary team developed soft, flexible, and customizable samplers that can grasp delicate sea creatures without damaging them. The researchers 3D-printed modifications to the device overnight, revolutionizing marine biology fieldwork and enabling scientists to collect samples in their native habitats.
Researchers at Harvard University's Wyss Institute develop a novel, folding polyhedron sampler that safely traps soft-bodied sea creatures like jellyfish and squid. The RAD sampler uses a simple, modular design to capture organisms in their natural habitats without harm.
Researchers have developed a new protocol to produce mature human podocytes from induced pluripotent stem cells, offering a robust source for scientific studies and potential cell therapies for kidney diseases. The method has been confirmed to exhibit transcriptomic and protein expression profiles matching those of mature podocytes.
Researchers have developed a probiotic intervention that suppresses Vibrio cholerae colonization in the intestinal tract and detects its presence through stool sampling. The approach leverages Lactococcus lactis to create an inhospitable environment for V. cholerae and incorporates synthetic gene circuits to sense secreted signals from...
Researchers create physical objects from imaging datasets using a new data processing method that preserves fine details and allows quick distinction between parts. This innovation aims to make 3D printing more accessible and allow anyone to print nearly anything.
Researchers developed a new method to convert complex medical images into physical models with unprecedented detail. This technique uses dithered bitmaps to simplify grayscale images, allowing for faster and more accurate printing.
Researchers use CRISPR-Cas9 to precisely alter hundreds of genes or features in yeast cells with 80-100% efficiency, identifying gene alterations that trigger or prevent specific behaviors. The approach allows for rapid profiling and identification of key genes and DNA sequence variations associated with traits and diseases.
Researchers at Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard developed a new genetic analysis technique that harnesses natural barcodes in human genomes. This allows for faster, cheaper, and simpler tracking of cell identities across experiments, enabling large pools of cells from multiple people to be analyzed.
Researchers at Wyss Institute developed a CRISPR/Cas9 genome surveillance tool to prevent point mutations in human DNA. The approach enhances Cas9's specificity, allowing for the removal of deleterious genetic variants.
Researchers used a novel, multi-scale modeling method to demonstrate that tensegrity principles govern the spatial arrangement and physical forces experienced by components of living cells. This approach revealed how tensegrity-based changes in molecular shape drive cellular motion and generate tensional forces.
Researchers created an organ-on-a-chip model of the human gut to mimic radiation damage and tested a potential radioprotective drug, DMOG. The study found that DMOG significantly reduced cell damage, apoptosis, and intestinal permeability in both epithelial and endothelial cells.
Researchers created Organ Chips to overcome limitations of organoids, enabling the study of dynamic processes and interactions with the microbiome. The innovation allows for highly personalized investigations into nutrient transport, digestion, and disease-related processes.
The milliDelta robot overcomes the miniaturization challenge of Delta robots, operating at millimeter scale with high speed and precision, making it suitable for micromanipulation tasks in manufacturing and medicine. Researchers demonstrated its potential as a hand tremor-cancelling device and explored its use in retinal microsurgeries.
Researchers discovered synthetic APC-mimicking small molecules called 'parmodulins' provide anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombotic protection on par with APC, but without interfering with blood clotting. Parmodulins activate PAR1, triggering protective pathways in endothelial cells.
Researchers at Harvard's Wyss Institute have developed an immune-mimicking biomaterial that can amplify patient-specific T cells outside the body, increasing efficiency of cancer immunotherapies. The new approach mimics the process by which antigen-presenting cells stimulate T cells to expand and stay alive.
Researchers have developed a novel approach to design complex single-stranded DNA and RNA origami that can autonomously fold into diverse, stable structures. This enables the production of large nanostructures at low cost and high purity, opening opportunities for applications in drug delivery and nanofabrication.
Researchers developed DNA-PAINT technology to visualize single biomolecules at super-resolution depth of whole cells, overcoming hardware limitations. The approach can distinguish nanometer-scale molecules and explore entire cell depths.
Researchers at Harvard's Wyss Institute have developed a new method for creating three-dimensional nanostructures using DNA 'bricks' that can self-assemble into structures with unprecedented complexities. The technology allows for the creation of nanostructures with complex cavities and potential applications in medicine and engineering.
Researchers created origami-inspired artificial muscles that add strength to soft robots, allowing them to lift objects up to 1,000 times their own weight. The muscles are programmable, compact, and can be made for less than $1, opening the door to numerous applications in robotics, medicine, and space exploration.
Researchers at Harvard's Wyss Institute have developed two new types of kill switches for engineered microbes, ensuring biocontainment and stable autonomous control. The Essentializer and Cryodeath systems use toxin/anti-toxin combinations to regulate bacterial growth and confine them to specific environments.
Scientists discovered a new cell signaling pathway governed by Notch signaling protein that keeps blood vessels intact, which could lead to better drug development and reduce side effects of cancer and cardiovascular treatments. The new pathway operates through a different mechanism than the protein's known transcription-based pathway.
Researchers at Harvard's Wyss Institute have developed a method to autonomously grow synthetic DNA strands, enabling the creation of programmable molecular devices. The 'Primer Exchange Reaction' (PER) cascades allow for diverse functions such as self-building DNA-origami and sensing environmental signals.
Researchers have developed a CRISPR-Cas9-based gene drive platform to create diploid strains of C. albicans, allowing for the efficient deletion of genes involved in drug resistance and biofilm formation. The approach identified synergistic combinations of genes that contribute to these traits.
Don Ingber and Charles Reilly created a film that accurately depicts the fertilization of an egg by a sperm, revealing new insights into molecular-scale processes. The film's animation pipeline integrated physics-based software with molecular dynamics simulation to create a model that worked across all size scales.
Researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering have developed a human lung-on-a-chip technology that models the growth and metastatic behaviors of non-small cell lung cancer. The study found that tumor cells grow rampantly in the alveolar microenvironment but remain quiescent in the airway chip, and that cyclic...
A new study develops a super-elastic surgical sealant that effectively seals wounds in organs with moving tissues. The MeTro gel, based on elastin, can be photochemically tuned to bond well to tissue surfaces and seamlessly close incisions without running away.
Researchers at Harvard's Wyss Institute create a DNA nanotechnology-based method, called Auto-cycling Proximity Recording (APR), that allows for repeated, non-destructive recording of molecular pairings. This enables the creation of detailed views of molecular structures and observation of different structural states.
Researchers have developed an alginate hydrogel that can deliver angiogenic growth factors like VEGF and IGF to promote vascularization in ischemic tissues. The system increases blood flow and perfusion, improving muscle strength and tissue regeneration, with promising results in both young mice and aged rabbits.
Researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering developed a non-toxic, lubricant-infused coating that disrupts mussel attachment mechanisms, preventing their adhesion. The coating outperforms existing alternatives in preventing mussel biofouling.
Researchers have created a super-strong adhesive that binds to tissues with strength comparable to cartilage, even when wet. The adhesive uses a double-layered hydrogel design with positively-charged polymers to create a strong bond.
A team at Harvard's Wyss Institute has created genetically encodable RNA nano-devices that can perform an unprecedented 12-input logic operation, enabling cells to analyze complex environments efficiently. These programmable devices may enable the construction of more sophisticated synthetic biological circuits.
Researchers developed a lightweight, soft wearable ankle-assisting exosuit that can reinforce normal gait in people with hemiparesis after stroke. The device improved walking performance and reduced energy costs in patients post-stroke, showing promise as a rehabilitation tool.
Researchers at Harvard University have created battery-free folding robots that can perform complex movements using wireless magnetic fields and shape-memory alloy coils. The robots, inspired by origami, use passive electronic components to deliver an electric current, eliminating the need for batteries or wired connections.
Researchers have developed a new CRISPR-based approach to store digital information in living cells, which can be used to record complex biological events and propagate information over time. The system encodes complex data, such as images and videos, into the genomes of bacteria, allowing for reconstruction of the original information.
A team of researchers created a highly sensitive soft capacitive sensor made of silicone and fabric that moves with the human body to detect movement. The sensor, which combines the qualities of both materials, improves sensitivity to movement by limiting deformation while stretching.
Researchers developed an engineered opsonin protein to capture CTCs in the bloodstream, reducing detection time and increasing efficiency. The technology shows promise for improving cancer diagnostics by targeting specific carbohydrate molecules on CTCs.
Biomedical researchers have developed a new method to visualize multiple molecular species simultaneously using self-folding DNA structures with digitally programmable optical properties. This approach overcomes the limitation of current microscopy techniques, enabling ultra-high definition imaging of complex samples.
Researchers developed a new drug delivery platform that uses ultrasound waves to trigger the dispersal of chemotherapy-containing nanoparticles precisely at tumor sites. The platform resulted in a two-fold increase in targeting efficacy and a dramatic reduction in both tumor size and drug-related toxicity.
Researchers at Wyss Institute have enhanced Organs-on-Chips technology to monitor cell health and electrical activity, enabling the study of human organ physiology and potential drug responses. The new design allows for real-time assessment of trans-epithelial electrical resistance and electrical activity of living cells.
Researchers developed a tethered soft exosuit that reduces the metabolic cost of running on a treadmill by 5.4% compared to not wearing the exosuit. The study tested two different assistance profiles, one based on human biology and another based on simulation, with the latter outperforming the former in reducing metabolic cost.
Researchers at the Wyss Institute have developed a bacterial sensor that retains long-term memory of gut inflammation, detecting tetrathionate up to six months after administration in a mouse model. This innovation could lead to non-invasive diagnosis and monitoring of conditions like IBD using probiotics.
A study published in Science Robotics reveals that patients modify their walking patterns only when the robotic exoskeleton interferes with gait stability. The brain prioritizes stability over other aspects of walking, such as step height or toe angle, requiring customized forces to challenge balance.
Researchers have created a human pulmonary thrombosis model on a chip, allowing for the study of blood clot formation in the lung. The Thrombosis-on-a-Chip technology replicates human lung capillaries and perfuses whole human blood through it, enabling the testing of potential drugs to treat or prevent pulmonary thrombosis.
A Harvard-Wyss Institute and University of Zurich team developed a nanofiber fabrication technique to create regenerative heart valves with growth potential. The technology enables rapid manufacturing of customizable, scalable, and cost-effective prostheses that can be implanted minimally invasively.