Biomaterials & Nanotechnology

Recent news:

Healy Lab startup receives LSEC Venture Grant

October 15, 2024

MuscleMatrix and their hydrogel scaffold for muscle loss injuries is part of LSEC’s 2nd cohort of Venture Grant startups.

Drawing of cell experiencing efficient endosomal disruption by mRNA. Image by Murthy Lab

Acid-degradable lipid nanoparticles enhance the delivery of mRNA

August 23, 2024

Research by Niren Murthy’s lab presents a new acid-degradable linker that rapidly hydrolyzes in endosomes but is stable in the blood, which could significantly increase the efficiency of delivering mRNA-based therapies to cells.

Illustration of alpha-lipoic acid molecular structure, as clear bubbles on a light blue background

New recyclable adhesives can be easily adapted for medical, consumer and industrial applications

August 23, 2024

Messersmith Lab has created a family of polymers from a stabilized alpha-lipoic acid which could lead to versatile, high-performance and environmentally friendly recyclable adhesives.

photo of the members of the 2024 MEng capstone innovation award team, four women, holding their award certificates

BioE team wins 2024 Fung Institute Capstone Innovation Award

May 28, 2024

The Master of Engineering capstone design team advised by bioengineering faculty Kevin Healy and Syed Hossainy has won the 2024 Capstone Innovation Award. The team of Angana Dasgupta, Isabella Lopez, Natalie Saadeh, and Boyan Yin was selected for their project, “Experimental assessment of multiple cell lines’ function and morphology on piezo-responsive films under small amplitude…

photo of Dueber in lab coat working at lab bench

Berkeley’s ecosystem of innovation, entrepreneurship combats climate change

May 17, 2024

Professors John Dueber and David Schaffer are featured in this article highlighting campus research and entrepreneurship in sustainability.

Photo of person with hand on stomach, drawing of digestive system superimposed on top. Image by iStock.

Researchers make advances toward more effective IBD therapies

February 1, 2024

Researchers in Professor Phillip Messersmith’s lab have demonstrated that treatment with DPCA, an enzyme inhibitor molecule shown to trigger regeneration in mammals, can protect against and repair colon damage in a mouse model of colitis. This work suggests that short-term use of this small molecule drug could someday provide a restorative therapy for patients with IBD — and a path to remission.

photo of Messersmith

Messersmith named MRS Fellow

March 16, 2023

Professor Phillip Messersmith has been named to the 2023 class of Fellows of the Materials Research Society. The Fellows program recognizes outstanding contributions to the field, including research, leadership, and service that have advanced the mission of the materials community world-wide. It is intended to be a lifetime recognition of distinction in the field. 

drawing of cell stiffness mechanism

Kumar and Schaffer discover how biomaterials regulate stem cell neurogenesis in 3D

April 18, 2022

Engineered biomaterials are increasingly used to expand and differentiate stem cells for technological and therapeutic applications. A major open question in the field is how the mechanical properties of material scaffolds regulate stem cell differentiation, especially in complex 3D geometries like those found in tissue. In a collaborative study published in Science Advances, the labs of Sanjay Kumar and David Schaffer have discovered a 3D-specific molecular mechanism through which mechanical inputs act through the transcription factor Egr1 to determine how efficiently neural stem cells turn into neurons.

photo of used plastic bags

Upcycling: Turning plastic bags into adhesives

December 17, 2020

Professor Phil Messersmith’s lab has collaborated on a new chemical process that converts polyethylene plastic into a strong and valuable adhesive, and could make plastic bag recycling economically worthwhile.