News

October 15,2021

Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation Signs Agreement with Qatar Foundation

(LOS ANGELES)–The Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI) has recently signed an agreement with Qatar Foundation. Qatar Foundation is comprised of over 50 entities and is a non-profit organization that supports work in education, research, and community development. Under the umbrella of Qatar Foundation’s Research, Development, and Innovation division (QF RDI), the Qatar Genome Programme integrates genomic and omics data with phenotypic data from Qatar Biobank to facilitate precision medicine and effective health care for the Qatari population.

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August 30,2021

Scientists use the adhesive capabilities of mussels as a model for optimizing hydrogels’ mechanical properties

(LOS ANGELES)–Hydrogels are everywhere. They are water-loving polymers which can absorb and retain water and can be found in such everyday consumer products such as soft contact lenses, disposable diapers, certain foods, and even in agricultural applications. They are also extremely useful in several medical applications due to their high degree of biocompatibility and their ability to eventually degrade and be reabsorbed into the body.

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August 23,2021

Written by Chief Innovation Officer, Maurizio Vecchione

(LOS ANGELES)– I have often been asked what makes the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI) a unique place for both biomedical research and innovation. Of course, there is the caliber of our faculty, with their world-renowned platforms in leading biomedical frontiers, which include biomaterials, tissue engineering and organs on a chip, and the caliber of our research facilities which provides a unique, state-of-the-art inter-disciplinary laboratory that is home to our science work. But the most important feature might just be our commitment to innovation and the unique process of innovation that we are developing.

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August 16,2021

Scientists improve the longevity of silver nanowires to enhance capabilities in electronic devices

(LOS ANGELES)–Today’s nanoscale technologies are sophisticated enough to be applied in an endless number of useful devices, from sensors in touch screen devices and household appliances to wearable biosensors that can monitor chemical levels in our blood, muscle movement, breathing and pulse rate. In addition, there are technologies for precision devices such as high-resolution scanning probe microscopes which enable one to visualize surfaces not only at the atomic level, but even the individual atoms themselves.

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August 10,2021

(LOS ANGELES)–Medical imaging has long been a vital tool for the diagnosis and prognostic assessments of many diseases. In recent years, the use of artificial intelligence models has been used in conjunction with this imaging to augment their diagnostic capabilities. By using these models, some features can be extracted from images that may reveal disease characteristics not identified by the naked eye. The power to process data in this intelligent manner can have a big impact on the medical field, especially with the current growth in imaging features and the need for high precision in medical decisions.

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July 22, 2021

(LOS ANGELES) – This summer, our institute is hosting 25 student interns, both remote and in the lab, who are interested in biomedical research and entrepreneurship.

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July 19,2021

Researchers to develop bioinks using unique hydrogel

(LOS ANGELES)– The Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI) has formally signed a collaborative agreement with Tetratherix™, a company which produces Tetramatrix, a synthetic injectable hydrogel currently being clinically tested in a variety of biomedical applications.

Tetramatrix exhibits superior injectability, responsiveness to body temperature and tunable properties. It is also highly biocompatible and biodegradable and because it is purely synthetic, it is not subject to the regulatory and manufacturing restrictions of animal or human-derived products. The unique and advantageous features of Tetramatrix offers the potential for further development into biocompatible, adhesive bioinks for deep tissue applications.

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July 15, 2021

Researchers draw inspiration from snake skin in sensor’s structural design

(LOS ANGELES) – Many bodily functions in humans are manifested by mechanical deformations to the skin – from the stretching, bending and movement of muscles and joints to the flutter of a pulse at the wrist. These mechanical changes can be detected and monitored by measuring different levels of strain at various points throughout the body.

In recent years, much attention has been focused on wearable sensors to measure these strains for use in personal health monitoring. Some of these sensors can detect high-level (40-100%) strains, such as those associated with the movements of fingers and limb joints, others detect mid-level (10-40%) strains, as found in swallowing and facial movements and still others are sensitive to low-level (<1%-10%) strains observed in wrist pulses and vocal cord vibrations.

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