Space and Medicine: an unexpected connection

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So many lives have been saved thanks to the Hubble Telescope.

It sounds incredible but, among the tens of thousands of examples of technologies and their positive impacts on human lives, there is one story that reminds us how remarkable space exploration can be. An extraordinary story that begins with a colossal failure.

Mammography with arrows highlighting artefacts indicative of breast cancer

The image shows a mammography, and the arrows indicate microcalcifications, which are sometimes the telltale sign of breast cancer.

It was possible to detect those microcalcifications sharply because of the legendary Hubble telescope. You may be wondering how.

At the beginning of its usage, the first Hubble images were blurry because the primary mirror had been over-smoothed and flattened 2 thousandths of a millimeter too much. It is roughly one-fiftieth the thickness of a sheet of paper, yet thick enough to bounce the incident light slightly out of focus. Thus, various techniques were developed to increase the dynamic range and spatial resolution of Hubble’s initially blurred images before detecting the true cause and repairing it.

These techniques had also been applied to medicine and, in this case, allowed doctors to detect calcifications in the female breast that were smaller than before and would otherwise have gone undetected, resulting in earlier diagnosis and treatment, which is critical as the earlier the cancer is detected and treated, the greater the chances of a patient making a full recovery.

This is only one of many, many, endless instances of how space research can improve our lives.

Furthermore, this is an excellent example of how, even when a project appears to fall short of its goals or is deemed a failure, the spillover effects on the daily lives of human beings can be enormous.

This article was written by Elisa Bissacco as part of an ongoing series of scientific communications written and curated by BioTrib’s Early Stage Researchers.

She is studying a PhD in Tribological Characteristics of Nanofibrous Electrospun Materials at ETH Zurich.

1000 LinkedIn Followers

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Over the past year the BioTrib community has been busy growing our online presence to showcase the impressive progress of our Early Stage Researchers and Scientists! We have also been building an expanding directory of biotribology scientific communications accessible to researchers from all technical fields along with championing initiatives for diversity and inclusion in STEM.

The BioTrib website and blog now consistently well over 1000 unique users a month with around 10% returning visitors and 90% new users!

Our community is growing and we have stayed true to our social media mission of:

To raise awareness of BioTrib and its community as an internationally recognised European funded group for advanced research training of the biotribology and natural artificial joints in the 21st Century.

Through a variety of engaging articles and resources. We are also proud to be cultivating a community that is so keenly engaged with promoting LGBTQIA, racial diversity, and women inclusion in STEM.

Thank you BioTrib community!

 

 

ESB 2022: Effect of Conduction Gaps and Increased Collector Rotation Speed on Electrospun PCL matrices

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Very happy and pleased to have attended and presented the last week, together with my colleague Elisa Bissacco, our first poster at the #ESB22 (27th Congress of the European Society of Biomechanics) in Porto about the “Effect of Conduction Gaps and Increased Collector Rotation Speed on Electrospun PCL matrices”.

It was a fantastic and unique experience that gave us the opportunity to exchange views with experts in the field and exchange new ideas with an international network of colleagues and get to know the most recent works in the biomechanical field.

Looking forward to the next experiences and networking events.

A special thanks to Matthias Santschi for helping us in this work and to our supervisor Stephen J. Ferguson that gave us the opportunity to present our work at such a prestigious conference.

This article was written by Alessio Amicone as part of an ongoing series of scientific communications written and curated by BioTrib’s Early Stage Researchers.

Alessio is investigating the Elucidation of Friction-Induced Failure Mechanisms in Fibrous Collagenous Tissues at ETH Zürich, Switzerland.

Ben Clegg – Best Oral Presentation Prize

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A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of presenting and attending at the conference for the Swedish Society of Biomechanics in Stockholm.

This was my first networking event outside the BioTrib consortium, so it was a great chance and experience to meet fellow colleagues working in the medical engineering field. The first day was a PhD and Post doctoral event enabling us to meet and chat with present and future associates. The following two days composed of engaging presentations and posters.

And I am honoured to have received the award for the prize of Best Oral Presentation! Titled: Biocompatibilty of 3D printed Polymers for use in total joint replacements.

I am looking forward to future conferences and networking events to present my forthcoming work and meet up with new friends and collaborators. I would like to thank Luleå University of Technology, the BioTrib consortium and Professor Nazanin Emami for providing me with the platform and opportunity to present my work and help promote myself in the field of Medical Engineering.

I thank you for taking the time to read this

Ben Clegg

This article was written by Ben Clegg part of an ongoing series of scientific communications written and curated by BioTrib’s Early Stage Researchers.

Ben is researching the Wear particle characterization and bio-compatibility of newly 3D printed self-lubricating polymer composites in total joint replacements at Luleå University of Technology, Sweden.

EFORT 2022

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The European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (EFORT) recently hosted its 23rd Congress in Lisbon, Portugal. This years main theme was Modern Patient Needs – Challenges and Solutions In Orthopaedics and Trauma.

PhD student Rob Elkington along with NU-SPINE Early Stage Researchers Beril Yenigul and Kaushikk Iyer all attended to present their orthopaedic biotribology projects to one of Europes largest meetings of knee, hip, and spine surgeons and researchers.

Kaushikk Iyer presented his ongoing research work which demonstrates the development of a novel portable benchtop setup that act as a representative to an orthopaedic joint wear simulator used as a pre-clinical evaluation tool for the testing of spine, hip and knee prostheses. Using Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) simulation, advanced control algorithms can be designed and tested rigorously and rapidly on the setup before its deployment into the joint wear simulator to test profiles of ISO standards and beyond that represent daily-living activities of patients.

Rob Elkington presented his poster on ‘Biomimetic PEEK Surfaces For Cartilage Preserving Focal Resurfacing’ which employs novel highly lubricious polymer brush systems optimised to interface with cartilage and preserve healthy tissue for minimally invasive focal cartilage repairs and hemiarthroplasty to delay and mitigate the need for total joint replacements.

Beril presented her poster on the ‘Design of Facet Joint Resurfacing Bearings for Tribological Testing Purposes’ which showcases a new paradigm in preclinical testing for facet joint implants in a custom built simulator.

Header Image: Kaushikk Iyer, Rob Elkington, Beril Yenigul who are all studying PhDs in Medical Engineering at the University of Leeds.

Is perfect research a myth?

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One question pops into my mind, is it possible to conduct perfect research?

Then, I started reading some articles; one gripping article is presented here.

Whether it is possible to conduct perfect research or not is a controversial topic.

In 2005, Ioannidis wrote a paper titled “Why most published research findings are false” which is one of the most downloaded articles in PLOS Medicine. John Ioannidis employs mathematical concepts to demonstrate why published results are frequently incorrect. In simple terms, it’s about relying on significant p-values too often without considering the possibility of a false-positive result.

He listed six risk factors regarding the false results:

1. Small studies: “The smaller the studies conducted in a scientific field, the less likely the research findings are to be true”.

2. A small size of effect: “The smaller the effect sizes in a scientific field, the less likely the research findings are to be true”.

3. Testing many causal relationships simultaneously: “The greater the number and the lesser the selection of tested relationships in a scientific field, the less likely the research findings are to be true”.

4. Flexibility in study design: “The greater the flexibility in designs, definitions, outcomes, and analytical models in a scientific field, the less likely the research findings are to be true”.

5. Psychological bias: “The greater the financial and other interests and prejudices in a scientific field, the less likely the research findings are to be true”.

6. Hot research areas: “The hotter a scientific field (with more scientific teams involved), the less likely the research findings are to be true”.

When it comes to a query about whether we can improve the situation, he stated “it is impossible to know with 100% certainty what the truth is in any research question”. Rather we can work hard to improve the post-study probability. Finally, he suggested various countermeasures against the risk factor, concluding that research, by definition, is about making mistakes and striving to find a better approach. It is impossible to attain perfection. Many studies today indicate that he was correct.

What do you think?

This article was written by MM Raihan as part of an ongoing series of scientific communications written and curated by BioTrib’s Early Stage Researchers.

Raihan is researching In-situ Measurement of Nano-scale Wear Utilising Advanced Sensors at the University of Leeds, UK.

Self-healing jelly – Revolutionary invention to treat Total Joint Replacements (TJR)

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The Australian National University (ANU) have invented a new jelly material from hydrogel that can repair itself after it has been broken like human skin can. Although Hydrogels are very weak having higher water content, the special chemistry they engineered in the hydrogel made it so strong that can hold 1000 times higher load than its own weight.

This jelly is also able to change its shape within a form of temperature and could retain its original properties after tearing. This ideal behaviour makes it highly applicable for next generation biomedical implant that will reduce the need for revision surgery.

One of the team member Ms Li Tan said, “If it was a biomedical implant it can basically self-heal within the human body without the need for additional surgery”.

For more information read and watch the video here!

Learn more about the progress of this new hydrogel technology on the Australian National University press release.

This article was written by MM Raihan as part of an ongoing series of scientific communications written and curated by BioTrib’s Early Stage Researchers.

Raihan is researching In-situ Measurement of Nano-scale Wear Utilising Advanced Sensors at University of Leeds, UK.

Stephen Ferguson, BioTrib lead at ETHZ, gains further recognition of his contribution to MSK science.

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Further recognition for the inspirational work that our BioTrib colleague, Stephen Ferguson, undertakes in the field of MSK biomechanics – this time from the AO Research Institute at Davos.  The Berton Rahn Research Award was given for Stephen’s ground breaking work in the development of a new range of fibrous membranes that allows greater cellular mobility between fibres and more specific fibre orientation.

BioTrib wishes Stephen our warmest congratulations on his achievements in MSK engineering and science.

 

How to acknowledge EU funding?

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Great piece from the EU Research Executive Agency about acknowledging your funding…. 🧐

If you have received EU funds, you are legally obliged to acknowledge them in your communications, dissemination and exploitation. To find out the differences between them please click on the following flyer and also see the image below.

Acknowledgement includes the display of:
🔷 EU Emblem
🔷 Funding statement ✍️

Working in an international office

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As a student from the U.K. I have minimal experience of working with people from different cultures. So moving to a new country in Sweden has provided me with new experiences.

Within my office alone, we are 3 nationalities (UK, Nepalese and Dutch) with the wider polymer group consisting of Russian German and Nepalese nationalities.

I find this really exciting as not only do you gain knowledge about the cultures but differences in academic approaches and problem solving, providing a diverse work environment that benefits everyone.

One of the most interesting aspects that I have learnt from is the education route for others, from international masters programs to those who studied in Luleå from the bachelor level.

Luleå as a city is a considerable distance away from each person’s hometown or original place of study. As such relocating is not simple or an easy feat. I believe that this is a small factor in the working environment of the group, as we all appreciate the effort, time and commitment that is needed to move to a completely different part of the world.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my first few months as a PhD student at LTU, and I’m looking forward to progressing alongside my new colleagues in the near future.

Header Image: Locations of original places of study in PhD group relative to Luleå

This article was written by Ben Clegg part of an ongoing series of scientific communications written and curated by BioTrib’s Early Stage Researchers.

Ben is researching the Wear particle characterization and bio-compatibility of newly 3D printed self-lubricating polymer composites in total joint replacements at Luleå University of Technology, Sweden.

 

Pride in STEM: Get Involved

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Pride Month 2023 is here! BioTrib is committed to raising the visibility of LGBTQ+ researchers, students, and staff in STEM. Pride month is an opportunity to celebrate the diversity that enable our research communities, but also to reflect and contribute to the ongoing struggle for equal civil rights globally and raise awareness on vital issues to the LGBTQ+ community in the pursuit of equality.

Why is LGBTQ+ representation still so important STEM? It is estimated LGBT people are approximately 20% less represented in STEM fields than expected [Cech, 2017]. With nearly 28% of LGBT and 50% of trans staff at least once considering leaving the workplace due to a climate of discrimination [RSC, IOP 2019].

Check out these great initiatives for STEM LGBTQ+ and allied researchers to get involved with:

  • Pride in STEM is a charitable trust run by an independent group of LGBT+ scientists & engineers from around the world. They run a range of events and initiatives to raise the profiles of LGBTQ+ researchers in STEM.
  • 500 Queer Scientists is a visibility campaign for LGBTQ+ people and their allies working in STEM and STEM-supporting jobs — a group that collectively represents a powerful force of scientific progress and discovery. 1,688 stories and counting!
  • Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (oSTEM), is a non-profit professional association for LGBTQ+ people in the STEM community. With over 100 student chapters at colleges/universities and professional chapters in cities across the USA, UK, and Canada. You can join a local chapter of even start your own!
  • The LGBTQ+ Stem Cast podcast by Felix Berrios  aims to expand the voices of LGBTQ+ Scientists from a variety of disciplines. With a range of guests they discuss their research, upbringing, and how their passion for science started.
  • Stonewall, a UK based charity who run a range of LGBTQ+ events, workshops, and provide a host of resources for those of us looking to explore our identity, coming out, and LGBTQ+ issues.
  • You! Start your own initiatives at your institution for championing LGBTQ+ visibility, perhaps start your own diversity coffee hour or workshop!

Read more about BioTrib’s commitment to promoting equality.

 

 

BioTrib ESRs network with the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology

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BioTrib ETH Zurich ESRs Alessio Amicone and Elisa Bissacco, as well as other colleagues from ETH Zurich and from different research institutions, had the great opportunity to attend The Lab Networking event that took place on Friday, May 20th at Empa [1]. The Empa is the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, a fascinating and inspiring place in St. Gallen that generates top-notch research. The event was organized by the Young Scientists that are part of the Swiss Society for Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine (SSB+RM).

Following a welcome presentation that introduced the guests to Empa and specifically to activities in the department “Materials meet Life”, a guided lab tour allowed visitors to observe and learn about a variety of high-quality ongoing research at Empa, such as Hydrogel-composites in medicine, textile sensors, and implants & in vitro tissue models. To give an example, researchers at Empa have succeeded in creating optic sensor fibers that work perfectly in textiles. This could be very useful for hospitals that might use this information to see if a patient is developing pressure sores.

Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology

A networking session followed it, during which Empa-researchers showed their most recent work on posters and scientists had the opportunity to debate and exchange ideas with them.

“This visit was a great illustration of how interesting it can be to explore beyond your own study areas and see what is going on in other research fields, particularly how other disciplines evolve. It was also a great chance to network with other scientists working in the fields of biomaterials and regenerative medicine, whether from academia or specialized research institutions”, says Alessio. Elisa adds “It was a fantastic opportunity to tour Empa’s laboratory, to learn about their equipment instrumentation, and several applications in various fields.”

[1] https://www.empa.ch/web/empa/

 

This article was written by Alessio Amicone as part of an ongoing series of scientific communications written and curated by BioTrib’s Early Stage Researchers.

Alessio is investigating the Elucidation of Friction-Induced Failure Mechanisms in Fibrous Collagenous Tissues at ETH Zürich, Switzerland.

Super Innovation in Uppsala

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Uppsala University and its Innovation hub have an enviable record of translating high-end science and engineering to the wider sector, with a few examples of this excellence provided here. The Uppsala Innovation Centre has been ranked in the global top five and has an extensive list of business start ups.

This article explains the role and services provide by Uppsala University Innovation and the support provided to students and researchers.  Importantly, the advisors have industrial experience which allows them to truly span the divide between academia and the commercial sector and can better identify the barriers and opportunities for the transfer of knowledge between sectors. 

Prof Cecilia Persson

Prof Cecilia Persson at Uppsala University, a BioTrib scientist in charge, has worked with Uppsala Innovation and the Innovation Centre closely, developing her new bone cement which will reduce the adverse effects of the current generation of injectables used to treat spinal fractures.

MXenes: 2D material for tribological applications

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Graphene and its derivatives are the most studied 2D materials in general. TMDs, h-BN, BP, TMOs, and MXenes are among the other 2D materials that have been intensively studied. MXene nano-sheets are a new family of layered transition metal carbides, nitrides, or carbonitrides, with Ti3C2Tx being the most prominent member. MXenes have high electrical conductivity, mechanical characteristics, tunable surface chemistry, and inherent antibacterial/antiviral capabilities, making them particularly attractive for biological applications[1]–[4].

The general formula of MXenes is: Mn + 1XnTx

M, X, and T can be represented by a variety of elements, as shown in the periodic table above[5]. MAX phase precursors are used to make MXenes. 2D structures, such as surface terminations, are defined by the ending -ene. The same mechanical exfoliation processes that were utilized to separate the graphene layer from the graphite are employed to synthesize MXenes. However, selective etching is commonly utilized due to the low volume of production with mechanical exfoliation.

The mechanical and tribological properties are influenced by the transition metal, surface terminations, and monolayer thickness[1], [2]. As a result, it can be employed as lubricant additives, lubrication coatings, and composite fillers. Its application as a solid lubricant has been extensively investigated, although its usage as a reinforcement is still in its early stages. Tribological study for few and multilayer of Ti3C2Tx  as solid lubricant using air spraying on stainless steel has shown that multilayer MXenes  exhibited the low COF compared to the few layer MXenes.  Another study found that employing a solid lubricant layer improved tribological properties[3]. MXenes have also been shown to decrease microstructural changes in materials and to efficiently transfer tribofilm to the counter surface, resulting in improved tribological characteristics. MXenes have a longer normalized wear life than other 2D solid lubricants, and they can achieve super lubricity if the experimental conditions are optimized [4].

The most remarkable aspect regarding their use in biotribological applications is their intrinsic biocompatibility combined with antibacterial and antiviral capabilities, which is true for several 2D materials like graphene, GO, rGO, MXenes, MoS2, and others [6], [7]. Despite the fact that MXenes is still in its infancy, its popularity is constantly increasing.

You can learn more by watching Philipp Grützmacher’s webinar and going through the references.

MXenes: A Model Material for Solid Lubricants | Surface Ventures

 

This article was written by Dilesh Raj Shrestha as part of an ongoing series of scientific communications written and curated by BioTrib’s Early Stage Researchers.

Dilesh is researching the Development of 3D-printable, self-lubricated polymer composites with improved wear resistance for total joint replacement at Luleå University of Technology, Sweden.

 

 

References

[1]        Y. Gogotsi and B. Anasori, “The Rise of MXenes,” ACS Nano, vol. 13, no. 8, pp. 8491–8494, Aug. 2019, doi: 10.1021/ACSNANO.9B06394/ASSET/IMAGES/MEDIUM/NN9B06394_0005.GIF.

[2]        J. Huang, Z. Li, Y. Mao, and Z. Li, “Progress and biomedical applications of MXenes,” Nano Select, vol. 2, no. 8, pp. 1480–1508, Aug. 2021, doi: 10.1002/NANO.202000309.

[3]        X. Lin et al., “Fascinating MXene nanomaterials: emerging opportunities in the biomedical field,” Biomaterials Science, vol. 9, no. 16, pp. 5437–5471, Aug. 2021, doi: 10.1039/D1BM00526J.

[4]        A. Zamhuri, G. P. Lim, N. L. Ma, K. S. Tee, and C. F. Soon, “MXene in the lens of biomedical engineering: synthesis, applications and future outlook,” BioMedical Engineering Online, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 1–24, Dec. 2021, doi: 10.1186/S12938-021-00873-9/METRICS.

[5]        Y. Gogotsi and Q. Huang, “MXenes: Two-Dimensional Building Blocks for Future Materials and Devices,” ACS Nano, vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 5775–5780, Apr. 2021, doi: 10.1021/ACSNANO.1C03161/ASSET/IMAGES/MEDIUM/NN1C03161_0003.GIF.

[6]        X. le Hu et al., “Low-dimensional nanomaterials for antibacterial applications,” Journal of Materials Chemistry B, vol. 9, no. 17, pp. 3640–3661, May 2021, doi: 10.1039/D1TB00033K.

[7]        Z. Tu, G. Guday, M. Adeli, and R. Haag, “Multivalent Interactions between 2D Nanomaterials and Biointerfaces,” Advanced Materials, vol. 30, no. 33, p. 1706709, Aug. 2018, doi: 10.1002/ADMA.201706709.

 

Observing anisotropic wear evolution

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Additive manufacturing of medical devices can be used to fabricate the next generation of patient-specific implants and customised interventions. In particular metal additive manufacturing can be used to produce a wide range of load bearing orthopaedic and cranial implants.

However, a consensus on the tribological performance of components by additive-versus-conventional manufacturing has not been achieved; mainly because the tribological test set-ups thus far were not suited for investigating the underlying microstructure’s influence on the tribological properties.

As a result, utilization of additive manufacturing techniques, such as selective laser melting (SLM), for tribological applications remains questionable. Here, the Imperial researchers investigate the anisotropic tribological response of SLM 316L stainless steel via in situ SEM reciprocating micro-scratch testing to highlight the microstructure’s role.

In-situ SEM observation of tribological contact evolution during micro-scratch testing of an additively manufactured 316L stainless steel specimen.

These findings uncover some microstructurally driven tribological complexities when comparing additive to conventional manufacturing.

This study found that:

  1. Microgeometric conformity was the main driver for achieving steady-state friction,
  2. The anisotropic friction of the additively manufactured components is limited to the break-in and is caused by the lack of conformity,
  3. The cohesive bonds, whose strength is proportional to frictional forces, are stronger in the additively manufactured specimens likely due to the dislocation-dense, cellular structures,
  4. Low Taylor-factor grains with large dimension stimulate microcutting in the form of long, thin sheets with serrated edges. These findings uncover some microstructurally driven tribological complexities when comparing additive to conventional manufacturing.
Qualitative assessment of onset damage. (a) Grain rupture was observed in AM and conventional specimens (scale bar 20 μm). (b) Crescent-like ridges that appeared after the first scratch, indicated by arrow in addition to slip traces outside the scratch region. scale bar in SEM micrograph is 5 μm.

Read more: Bahshwan, M., Gee, M., Nunn, J., Myant, C. W., & Reddyhoff, T. (2022). In situ observation of anisotropic tribological contact evolution in 316L steel formed by selective laser melting. Wear, 490, 204193.

Header Image: Contrasting the microstructure of 316L by additive manufacturing versus conventional manufacturing. The bottom photos show the actual specimens. The top cubes are microscopic images of etched specimens.