Dear Readers,

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve last sent a newsletter. Here’s a quick word on what I’ve been working on before we start the newsletter.

I’ve been thinking of a way to help more people learn and understand science in a quick and easy way. As some of you might know, science technology math and economics (STEM) subjects are not favored by almost half the student population every year. Concepts might be abstract and complex, making them difficult to understand.

What if there was an app more powerful than Google and specialized in answering science questions? That’s when I thought of the science summarizer - a simple tool where AI will explain any science concept that you key in.

Since envisioning this concept, I’ve been learning Python and how to interact with OpenAI’s API to make this tool. Here’s my Twitter post showing the script and how it works.

However, there is more work to be done. I need to learn how to put this script onto a website to make it accessible to others. If you’d like to follow along this journey, do join me on Twitter here.

In The News

• The global hydrogel market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7% from 2023 to 2028, driven by the rising use of hydrogel in the sanitary and personal care industry and the agricultural sector.

• Researchers are exploring new methods to synthesize hydrogels with specific properties and functions that can respond to different stimuli.

• Hydrogels are being explored for many uses, including medical prosthetics, soft robotic components, novel sensor systems, and tissue engineering.

• A new hydrogel that outperforms natural cartilage could be used in human knees as early as 2023.

• A novel hydrogel may be a beacon of hope for infertility and fertility challenges.

Research Updates

Comparison of Bovine- and Porcine-Derived Decellularized Biomaterials: Promising Platforms for Tissue Engineering Applications

• This study compares bovine- and porcine-derived decellularized biomaterials for tissue engineering applications.

• Researchers used a Trypsin, Triton X, and sodium dodecyl sulfate protocol to decellularize bovine pericardium, porcine pericardium, and porcine tunica vaginalis.

• The results showed effective elimination of cellular antigens with preservation of the ECM integrity.

• All decellularized tissues were biocompatible with persistent growth of adipose stem cells over 30 days.

• Decellularized pericardia and tunica vaginalis are promising scaffolds for the engineering of different tissues.

• DPP has higher potential for use in cardiovascular applications, while DBP and DPTV have higher potential for use in the reconstruction of higher-stress-bearing abdominal walls.

• This work could lead to the development of new and improved tissue engineering strategies for various applications

New insights into Nanocomposite Hydrogels; A Review on Recent Advances in Characteristics and Applications

• This is a comprehensive review of recent advances in the characteristics and applications of nanocomposite hydrogels.

• The paper categorizes the fabrication methods of nanocomposite hydrogels are categorized, focusing on their types based on the nanoparticle types, and their properties with a new perspective on rheology, self-healing behavior, thermal stability, biologic, and morphology.

• This paper also includes a comprehensive table of the applicability of these materials in various fields such as biomedical, enhanced oil recovery, agriculture, etc. for the first time with comparisons and more details.

High-Performing Conductive Hydrogels for Wearable Applications

• Conductive hydrogels have various applications in healthcare monitoring, wearable sensors, electronic devices, soft robotics, energy storage, and human-machine interfaces.

• Researchers are working on enhancing the properties of conductive hydrogels such as sensitivity, mechanical strength, electrical performance at low temperatures, stability, antibacterial properties, and conductivity.

• Composite materials such as nanoparticles, nanowires, polymers, and ionic liquids are incorporated to improve the conductivity and mechanical strength of conductive hydrogels.

• Biocompatibility and biosafety are emphasized for safe integration with biological tissues.

• Conductive hydrogels exhibit unique properties such as stretchability, self-healing, wet adhesion, anti-freezing, transparency, UV-shielding, and adjustable mechanical properties, making them suitable for specific applications.

• Researchers aim to develop multifunctional hydrogels with antibacterial characteristics, self-healing capabilities, transparency, UV-shielding, gas-sensing, and strain-sensitivity.

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