Understanding Bioengineering
Bioengineering is a massive field where engineering knowledge is converted to assist biological means.
This is done in many different ways and is currently a developing branch of science that incorporates many other scientific disciplines in chemistry, biology, botanics, and of course sophisticated cutting-edge technology.
The conversion of engineering methods to biological assistance, and the conversion of natural mechanisms into mechanical engineering feats is the frontier of the new age of science.
Thousands of scientists are learning, experimenting and improving this special method of scientific advancement.
To understand bioengineering conversion let us take the simplest of examples:
Chemical reaction of electrolytes.
Salt is made of sodium and chlorine atoms. When dissolved in water they break apart from each other. Sodium atoms have a positive charge (cations) and chlorine atoms negative charge (anions).
That they are flowing freely in the water makes them a good conductor of electricity.
If you take an electric resistance measuring meter (ohmmeter - electrical resistance is measured in ohms) and put it in a glass of water that doesn't have salt in it, you will find the resistance to be 900,000 ohms as was reported in Britannica Encyclopedia.
When salt was added the resistance read less than 80,000 ohms.
Water does conduct electricity, but if you add salt the electrical flow will be even stronger.
So this is a basic chemical reaction in chemistry and physics.
Our body is 60% water and we need electrolytes to generate electrical signals for the movement of our muscles and electrolytes are also needed to maintain the balance of fluids in our body.
So in the above example we can see how an electrical test to conduct electricity (do not try to touch electricity - you could get electrocuted and die. It will be painful.
In the biological conversion of the same phenomena we see electricity generated in the body to power muscles movement. The electricity in our body doesn't kill us because it is sufficient for its task in the body but not strong enough to electrocute us.
Another example of the many fields of bioengineering is using plants and animals biological/botanic. A team from WPI in 2017 used spinach leaves to grow human heart tissue.
"In a series of experiments, the team cultured beating human heart cells on spinach leaves that were stripped of plant cells. They flowed fluids and microbeads similar in size to human blood cells through the spinach vasculature, and they seeded the spinach veins with human cells that line blood vessels. These proof-of-concept studies open the door to using multiple spinach leaves to grow layers of healthy heart muscle to treat heart attack patients. " - WPI Beyond These Towers
One more example of the types of bioengineering is the progress being made in using 3D printers to mimic organ functions that can be used to test medicine safety and efficacy. And in the future bioengineers hope to be able to print functioning replica organs that can be planted in patients with defective organs.
"In a paper published in Nature Materials, researchers from Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University report the development of a new hydrogel ink infused with gelatin fibers that enables 3D printing of a functional heart ventricle that mimics beating like a human heart. They discovered the fiber-infused gel (FIG) ink allows heart muscle cells printed in the shape of a ventricle to align and beat in coordination like a human heart chamber." - WYSS Institute|By Kat J. McAlpine / SEAS
The methods being developed to use metal based nanoparticles as an alternative to antibiotics against microbial resistance is another form of bioengineering.
A simple example of how metals destroy viruses on the surface when in direct contact is copper for example, it has electrically charged atoms (ions) these blast through the membrane of bacteria and viruses when they come into contact. In fact there are medical devices made with coating of metals that destroy viruses and bacteria to stop their spreading.
But on the cellular level it is not possible to use this form of treatment, so it is where bioengineering comes in.
There are many ways to perform synthesis of metals from inorganic materials to extract metal based nanoparticles. Green synthesis is the most preferred.
A metal nanoparticle when administered as treatment for an infection can attract the bacteria to it (Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria both have negative electrical charges) the nanoparticle can destroy or disrupt the function of the bacteria, in addition it will be effective against all types of bacteria, giving no chance for bacterial resistance as this metal based mechanism is completely unknown to the bacteria.
These experiments and studies are in development, as deaths from anti bacterial resistance has reached pre-antibiotic era rates.
Biophotonics also comes under the umbrella of bioengineering. It is very fascinating as it incorporates the science of photonics which deals with light energy and information.
In the treatment of cancer tumors lasers are used to damage the tumors. And there are many other delicate surgeries in which laser can be used.
Many different sciences are applied and mixed in bioengineering. Perhaps I'll write about them in future articles.
Arjuwan Lakkdawala is an author and independent journalist.
Copyright ©️ Arjuwan Lakkdawala 2023
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