innovation | TechieTonics

Biomolecular Condensates possesses an Electric Potential: Biological Chemistry

May 1, 2023May 2, 2023 Pooja Kashyap

Electrical charges have a vital role in majority of biological processes in the human body. In fact, the human body is an incredibly complex electrical system that relies on the flow of electrical charges to carry out its functions. Electrical signals, for instance, are not only used by the brain and nerves to communicate with each other. But the same signals also allow us to move our muscles, feel sensations, and think. At the cellular level, ions such as sodium, potassium, and calcium work in tandem to regulate various processes…

Piezoelectric Effect observed in Ionic Liquids: Pressure Electricity

April 3, 2023April 3, 2023 Pooja Kashyap

Certain materials like crystals, ceramics, and at times even biological matter (bone, DNA, and proteins), can generate an electrical charge. The effect is seen when the material is put under the influence of some mechanical stress – such as pressure or vibration – this phenomenon is termed as piezoelectricity. The charge is accumulated on the surface of the material. From there, it can be used for various applications.

Gas Entrapping Materials to Mitigate Tumor Hypoxia: GeM Technology

February 3, 2023February 3, 2023 Pooja Kashyap

Cancer treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy have been shown to be less effective when exposed to a hypoxic environment. In fact, low oxygen levels in tumors can also escalate disease progression. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy and microbubble infusion are the two techniques through which oxygen levels in tumors can be increased to improve treatment outcomes.

Human Brain Organoids Implanted in Mice: Human-mouse Synapses

January 10, 2023January 11, 2023 Pooja Kashyap

An international team of neuroscientists has demonstrated that human brain organoids when implanted in the cerebral cortex region of a mice can respond to external sensory stimuli. Brain organoid, here, refers to a three-dimensional tissue that is made from skin cells.

Wearable Electrotactile Feedback System: Skin VR

December 29, 2022December 29, 2022 Pooja Kashyap

Haptic systems are mainly designed to control virtual objects. Their efficacy is good, but when it comes to controllers, joysticks, and steering wheels, things look slightly bulky. And tangled wires is another task to deal with. Researchers at City University of Hong Kong have come up with a portable solution to enhance the tactile VR experience.

Butterfly Robots with Bistable Wings: Biomimicry

November 24, 2022January 11, 2023 Pooja Kashyap

In an effort to create faster and more energy-efficient soft robots, researchers at North Carolina State University have created a prototype of swimming soft robots based on manta rays. The team got inspired from the biomechanics of the marine animal. Rate of swimming for most of the (swimming) soft robot is one body length per second, manta rays, however, glide at much faster rate. Their swimming efficiency triggered the scientists to look into the potentiality of creating a similar robot, biomechanically.

Interview: Dr Philipp Simons, Materials Scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

July 20, 2022July 20, 2022 Pooja Kashyap

Dr. Philipp Simons recently hit headlines with his new paper on miniature glucose fuel cells for implantable devices. According to him, human body is saturated with glucose hence, harvesting this energy to power implantable devices is an achievable feat. Dr. Jennifer L.M. Rupp from Technical University Munich in Germany, also Dr. Simons’ thesis supervisor, postulated that battery takes up 90% of an implant’s volume. Interestingly, the new fuel cell will mask the implant and power it with no volumetric footprint. Their innovative approach to solve medical problem gave me an…

Shapeshifting Nanobots to Brush and Floss Teeth: Toothbrushing Microbots

July 14, 2022July 14, 2022 Pooja Kashyap

Toothbrush, or the heads per say, have not much evolved since ages, from rectangular they have only graduated to diamond shaped geometry. I really doubt how far does the new shape has been able to reach the teeth in the back. In the dental hygiene sequence floss, brush and rinse go hand in hand. And each step is an important and at times, cumbersome task especially for people with disabilities. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have put in an effort to combine these three steps in one with the…

The Ear-EEG Measure How Astronauts Sleep: Sleep in Orbit

July 8, 2022July 8, 2022 Pooja Kashyap

Sleep is the most vital process for overall mental development. Irrespective of age, sleep deprivation leads not only to mood fluctuations the next day but it also affects the overall productivity including decision-making skills, creativity and judgment. Astronauts who spend quite some time in zero gravity face issues while maintaining normal sleep patterns. Even an artificial day-night cycle does not help them in keeping up with a natural circadian rhythm. Therefore, to get more understanding in the brain’s electrical activity and map sleep patterns, researchers at Aarhus University have developed…

Compact Cas7-11 Enzyme for RNA Editing: CRISPR-Cas System

June 1, 2022June 1, 2022 Pooja Kashyap

The CRISPR CAS9 system famously known as genetic scissors was discovered by Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna in 2012. And since then, the new tool has been studied extensively across global academia. Initial studies of the genome editing tool altered only the DNA. However, lately the CAS system is also studied for editing RNA. What is CRISPR-CAS system? CRISPR-CAS system is an adaptive immune system of bacteria, which protects it from invaders. Also, it defends the bacterial host from renewed infection as it memorizes previous infections. DNA has the fingerprint.…

Magnetic Tentacle Robot for Autonomous Endoscopy: Soft Catheters

April 5, 2022April 5, 2022 Pooja Kashyap

Magnetic tentacle robot, strange it may sound but researchers at STORM Lab at the University of Leeds have come up with a tiny canular form of robot that can explore the smallest bronchial tubes in the lungs. The nano tubiform bot measures around 2 millimetres in diameter. That happens to be two times the size of the tip of a ballpoint pen. The tentacle robot will be guided from the outside with the help of (external) magnets.

Insulation-free Magnet to Facilitate Development of Fusion Power Plant: Superconductors

March 7, 2022March 7, 2022 Pooja Kashyap

Replicating fusion on earth is one of the things that scientists globally look forward to. Once they are able to reach a state through which fusion could be created, we might get virtually inexhaustible supply of power to generate electricity.

Insect sized Flying Robot with Flapping Wings: Micro air Vehicle

February 4, 2022February 4, 2022 Pooja Kashyap

Researchers at the University of Bristol, U.K. have fabricated a flapping-wing microrobot that can produce more power than a similar-sized insect. The micro-air vehicle is a product of biomimicry, inspired from bees and other flying insects.

Skin-Integrated Electronics to Capture Haptic Feedback: Human-Machine Interfaces

January 19, 2022January 19, 2022 Pooja Kashyap

To control a remote robot via electromechanical devices, require the operator to wear huge and at times bulky gear. To make things easier, researchers from Hong Kong and China have fabricated a flexible skin patch, which has an ability to provide haptic feedback. Now not only the user can receive feedback from another (human) user but also from a robot to be more specific, haptic feedback from remotely controlled robot.

Interview: Takashi Ozaki, Research Scientist at Toyota Central R&D Labs, Japan

December 24, 2021December 24, 2021 Pooja Kashyap

Takashi Ozaki is the frontier research leader at Beyond-X Research Domain, Toyota Central R&D Labs. Inc. Japan. He completed his B.E. and M.E. from Kyoto University. His area of research fields includes – bioinspired actuators and robotics, micro electromechanical systems and microfabrication processes.