Recent biomedical applications of bio-sourced materials

Abstract

Natural anisotropic nanostructures occurring in several organisms have gained more and more attention because of their obvious advantages in sensitivity, stability, security, miniaturization, portability, online use, and remote monitoring. Due to the development of research on nature-inspired bionic structures and the demand for highly efficient, low-cost microfabrication techniques, an understanding of and the ability to replicate the mechanism of structural coloration have become increasingly significant. These sophisticated structures have many unique functions and are used in many applications. Many sensors have been proposed based on their novel structures and unique optical properties. Several of these bio-inspired sensors have been used for infrared radiation/thermal, pH, and vapor techniques, among others, and have been discussed in detail, with an intense focus on several biomedical applications. However, many applications have yet to be discovered. In this review, we will describe these nanostructured materials based on their sources in nature and various structures, such as layered, hierarchical, and helical structures. In addition, we discuss the functions endowed by these structures, such as superhydrophobicity, adhesion, and high strength, enabling them to be employed in a number of applications in biomedical fields, including cell cultivation, biosensors, and tissue engineering.

Nano‐ and Microfabrication for Engineering Native‐Like Muscle Tissues

“…Cells are either (1) directly entrapped in solutions of gelling materials and then undergo gelation or (2) seeded into prefabricated porous scaffolds to form muscular tissues. Many types of biomaterials, such as alginate, collagen, hyaluronic acid, and gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA), and decellularized ECM (dECM), have demonstrated feasibility of providing appropriate microenvironments that mimic ECM . Cell‐laden hydrogels can be easily attached to anchoring structures which enable the generation of tension force and its measurement .…”

Introduction to the Special Section: Convergence of Automation Technology, Biomedical Engineering, and Health Informatics Toward the Healthcare 4.0

“…From technical point of view, it is challenging to precisely manipulate and accurately position the catheter tip at the target tissue and meanwhile provide a stable contact force for a specific duration to the region of interest. To address these issues, technological innovation of advanced catheter tip is highly required for the future steerable catheter robots where hybrid integration technology can be leveraged to integrate flexible sensing [73], [74] and actuating [75][76][77] functional units into the catheter.…”

Exploring the Transient Microbe Population on Citrus Butterfly Wings

“…As providers of several advantages to insects with respect to mobility, mate selection, escape from predators, and host expansion, wings have been one of the primary reasons for the evolutionary success of insects ( 2 , 3 ). Human fascination and curiosity toward insect wings has inspired several improvisations in technological designs ( 4 , 5 ). The stunning hues on butterfly wings play crucial roles in their survival, such as attracting mates ( 6 , 7 ), exhibiting mimicry, and escaping from predators ( 8 , 9 ).…”