Advanced Research Training for the Biotribology of Natural and Artificial Joints in the 21st Century
Robert Elkington In Episode 5 of BioTrib Conversations, Prof Nazanin Emami (BioTrib Lead Scientist, Luleå University of Technology) discusses with Prof Richard Hall (BioTrib Co-ordinator, University of Leeds) her career path to becoming a leading researcher in biotribology and the importance of a clinical understanding within medical device development.
Early Stage Researchers within the NU-SPINE ETN produced six videos for BeCurious outreach events in 2020/21.
Have you or anyone you know ever suffered from a neck problem? Faizal Kamarol from the University of Leeds School of Mechanical Engineering explains research into Cervical Total Disc Replacement (CTDR), a procedure for patients who suffer wear and tear of the spinal discs in the neck.
Kaushikk Iyer from the Unviersity of Leeds School of Mechanical Engineering and Key Engineering Solutions is developing spinal simulators to help test spinal disc implants, to ensure they can be used to treat patients safely.
Beril Saadet Yenigul from the NU-SPINE project at the University of Leeds gives an introduction to biotribology, facet joints, and the challenges of designing facet joint replacements!
Xiaoyu Du from the NU-SPINE project at ETH Zurich, interrupts cooking dinner to show us how spinal fusion surgery works with some of her ingredients!
Thijs Smit from the NU-SPINE project at the University of Science and Technology, ETH Zurich, shows us some do-it-yourself engineering, using… LEGO! Why not try building your own super-strong structure at home with lego too?
With the help of ‘Ms Shark’, Yijun Zhou from the NU-SPINE project at Uppsala University shows us a fun Non-Newtonian fluid experiment you can do at home by making SLIME!
In Episode 4 of Biotrib Conversations Professor Rod Barrett and Dr. Claudio Pizzolato from Griffith University (Australia) discuss the importance of mechanobiology and cutting edge digital twin models for neuromusculoskeletal rehabilitation along with recent advances made within the innovative BioSpine programme.
An exciting paper discussing the feasibility of binary and ternary carbide coatings for load-bearing implants with improved biocompatibility was published by Pana and co-workers in 2020. The peer-reviewed article was published in the Coatings journal and it is titled “In vitro corrosion and tribocorrosion performance of biocompatible carbide coatings”.
This work assessed elemental and phase composition, tribo-mechanical properties, corrosion and tribocorrosion of coatings deposited by cathodic arc evaporation on polished 316L SS discs (Ra = 50 ± 2 nm). TiNbC coating outperformed the other synthesized coatings in terms of initial surface roughness and corrosion resistance (shown by the lowest change in Ra before and after corrosion tests). Even though ZrC and TiNbC displayed similar polished wear tracks, the latter exhibited the lowest friction coefficient and wear rate on the tribocorrosion tests.
These results delivery an important advancement towards the development of coatings more biocompatible, presenting higher corrosion resistance along with improved tribocorrosion performance. The graphical abstract shown below showcases some of the results of this worth reading paper.
This post was written by Pedro Luiz Lima dos Santos as part of an ongoing series of scientific communications written and curated by BioTrib’s Early Stage Researchers.
Pedro is researching the Functional Biotribology of the Surface Engineering of 3D Printed Components at the University of Leeds, UK.
Professor Anthony Redmond discusses his experience working in LifeLongJoints and the developments made towards preclinical testing for medical devices following recent lessons learned about insufficient testing leading to severe in vivo failure of hip replacements.
BioTrib Co-ordinator Professor Richard Hall interviews Frank Marx the Deputy Head of Unit at the European Research Executive Agency on the challenges of organising and co-ordinating large collaborative European Training Networks for advanced research training.
Pride month has offered a vibrant opportunity to celebrate diversity and the identities of our friends, colleagues and communities.
However, recent news of the Hungarian bill which set out to ban teaching of LGBTQ+ topics in schools is a callous and unfortunate reminder that there are still many marginalised LGBTQ+ communities.
BioTrib and its members are proud to be part of a European community that was quick to condemn this shameful bill. The President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, released an uncompromising statement reassuring us all that the Hungarian bill is at loggerheads with the fundamental values of the EU and will not stand for discrimination against people on the basis of their sexual orientation.
I believe in a Europe which embraces diversity.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
I will use all the powers of the Commission to ensure that the rights of all EU citizens are guaranteed. Whoever they are and where ever they live within the European Union.
Read President von der Leyen’s full statement here or alternatively watch it here.
Prof Richard Hall (BioTrib Co-ordinator University of Leeds) and Dr Rob Hewson (BioTrib Lead Scientist, Imperial College London) discuss applications of advanced computational methods in biotribology, modelling synovial joints and the behavior of synovial fluid, and the roles of experimental engineers working with experts in fluid dynamics modelling.
This Summer, we’re excited to share with you a series of virtual events to help you discover opportunities in Yorkshire, the UK and globally. Join us from the 7 – 10 June for the Summer Careers Festival, where you can book 1-to-1 meetings and group sessions with a huge range of employers who are looking to hire now!
We have over 160+ employers with live vacancies waiting to talk to you! If you’re looking for a summer internship, placement or a graduate level job – then the Summer Careers Festival is for you.
See what events we will run during the Summer Careers Festival below and click directly on each event to book your exclusive place.
Summer Careers Festival fairs and events:
To attend the Careers Day fairs you will have to download the CareerFair+ app and get your profile ready! Read the top tips here to stand out from the crowd and make sure to attend the pre-events webinars.
Here are some tips on how to join us and make the most of the Careers Days: