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Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, invites applications for the post of JRF
Project Title: “Engineering Stable and Bio-compatible Microbubbles Formulation for Biomedical Applications”
Centre For Knowledge Management of Nanoscience & Technology (CKMNT)
(A Project of ARCI, Dept. of Science & Tech. Govt. of India)
12-5-32/8, Vijaypuri Colony, Taeanka, Secunderabad – 500017, A.P
Advt. No. CKMNT/CONTRACT/RECTT/1/2011
CKMNT is a time-bound project partially sponsored by Nano Mission of Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India and operated by the International Advanced Research Centre for powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI) in Hyderabad. CKMNT invites applications in prscribed form for the following contract posts:
Researchers at MIT and Northeastern have come up with a new system for monitoring biomedical indicators — such as levels of sodium or glucose in the blood — that could someday lead to implantable devices that would allow, for example, people with diabetes to check their blood sugar just by glancing at an area of skin. A number of researchers have developed microparticle-based systems — hollow, microscopic particles filled with specific chemicals — for monitoring biomedical conditions or for the selective delivery of drugs to certain organs or areas of the body. But one drawback of these systems is that the particles are small enough to be swept away from the initial site over time. The new system involves a different kind of microparticle that can avoid this problem. While traditional particles are spherical, the new particles are shaped like long tubes. The tubes’ narrow width, which is comparable to that of the previously studied microparticles, keeps the tubes’ contents in close proximity to blood or body tissue, making it easy for the particles to sense and respond to chemical or other conditions in their surroundings. The tubes’ relatively greater length keeps the tubes very well anchored in place for long-term monitoring, perhaps for months on end. The particles eventually could be used to monitor the glucose levels of diabetics or the salt levels of those with a condition that can cause swings in blood salt concentrations.
What they do: Design and develop medical devices, treatments, and procedures, from artificial hearts to drug-delivery systems. Breathtaking technological advances are intersecting with the medical needs of an aging population, creating what the U.S. government projects will become “the fastest-growing occupation in the economy.”
What’s to like: The mix of disciplines, says Steve Sherman, 54, a biomedical engineer for Maine Manufacturing in Sanford, Maine, which produces lab supplies and components for medical equipment. “Some days I’ll work only in biology, other days in engineering, and sometimes combine the two.”
Micro-fabrication of Silk-based Scaffold Materials for Tissue Engineering: Formulation Design, Processing Control and Stem Cell Differentiation
Applications are invited for a Ph.D studentship in School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science (http://www.ceas.manchester.ac.uk/), and Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre (http://www.mib.ac.uk/), University of Manchester.
Silk produced by the domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori, is readily available in large quantity and has a long history of use in medicine as sutures. The fibrous proteins exhibit unique mechanical and biological properties, including good biocompatibility, good oxygen and water vapour permeability, biodegradability, and minimal inflammatory reaction. Such distinctive properties, in combination with the possibility of genetic control to tailor sequence, provide an important set of material options for construction of biomaterial and scaffolds for tissue engineering. Recent experimental studies of engineering cartilage tissue using human mesenchymal stem cells (hMST) have demonstrated that silk-based scaffold materials are superior to collagen and synthetic polymer-based scaffold materials.