Professor Lih-Sheng (Tom) Turng: Advancing Microcellular Polymers
Thanks to the research of Professor Lih-Sheng (Tom) Turng, plastics can have applications in products ranging from eyeglass lenses to engineered tissues.
The promise of tissue engineering stretches the limits of our imagination.
Biotechnology in general, and stem cell research in particular, has made great strides in spurring the growth (and re-growth) of specific human cell types. But cells alone cannot replace human tissue. Cells need scaffolds to serve as structural guides while growing into useful tissues or life-saving drug delivery systems.
Cell-scale scaffolds share similarities with building-scale scaffolds used in construction projects. Viable scaffolds allow for the mass transport of oxygen and nutrients. These scaffolds can direct the growth of cells migrating from nearby tissue or provide a foothold for new tissue growth. This directed growth could be used to replace destroyed nerves or heal fractured bones, damaged blood vessels, or parts of diseased organs.
Tissue engineering researchers at WID are laying the research foundation for these transformative scaffolding technologies. Ultimately, their work aims to heal damaged tissues with remarkable speed and minimal complications.
By working at the intersection of biotechnology and nanotechnology, tissue engineering researchers are building a library of scaffolding materials and cost-effective, mass-production methods that will work for a variety of cell types used in a wide range of in-body applications.
Thanks to the research of Professor Lih-Sheng (Tom) Turng, plastics can have applications in products ranging from eyeglass lenses to engineered tissues.
Kris Saha and colleagues from the BIONATES Theme detail a new approach that can refine gene editing in this month’s issue of Stem Cell Reports.
Kris Saha, Assistant Professor in the BIONATES theme, is featured in a Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News article for his work with High Content Analysis.
WID scientists David Page and Bill Murphy were part of a study using stem cells to create model neural tissues to screen for toxicity.
Tools for Discovery is a monthly profile series that inspects the computer programs, gadgets and methods behind WID’s ideas and discoveries.
Published today in Stem Cell Reports, researchers led by Randolph Ashton and Ethan Lippmann present a unifying protocol to create neural stem cells from diverse regions of the hindbrain and spinal cord.
Through an Environmental Protection Agency initiative, WID researchers are playing a key role in learning how toxins impact human health and the environment.
Rupa Sridharan, Assistant Professor of Cell and Regenerative Biology at Wisconsin Institute for Discovery explains how she increased reprogramming efficiency to get pluripotent stem cells.
Peering through lenses, researchers are finding award-winning fluorescent landscapes, artful strokes, and a multitude of cell shapes and signals.
Researchers are working on ways to standardize how stem cells are harnessed to advance therapies and study disease.
Harvesting data and harvesting crops? There’s an app for that.
WID and UW-Madison researchers are finding ways to program stem cells to behave more like heart muscle cells.
WID and UW-Madison are national partners for the newly formed Digital Lab for Manufacturing, a White House initiative to develop digital tools to enhance manufactured products, from conception to production.
A WID team examines greener materials to offer a cheaper and more sustainable way to absorb oil from water.
What are your tools for discovery? BIONATES researcher Kris Saha’s tools focus on personal communication, examining problems from multiple vantage points and — dare we say — a penchant for procrastination.
WID scientists are developing more efficient ways to culture pluripotent stem cells and study disease.
Four different disciplines, four different uses of 3D printers. WID collaborators provide a glimpse into the revolutionary, unusual and downright cool ways 3D printing is influencing all types of research.
WID scientists are refining “smart” plastics that change shape based on temperature.
One WID researcher is searching for a way to better coax stem cells into forming certain tissue types.