MASSDEVICE ON CALL — A team of researchers is working out a new way to turn the brewery waste into orthopedic devices, leveraging substances naturally found in spent grain for bone grafts and implants, Medgadget reports.

Researchers said that a cheaply acquired residue from beer brewing, called bagasse, contains chemical components that are also found in bones, including phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and silica. Once processed, those substances can be used to promote bone regeneration or provide support, or even as bio-coating for medical prosthetics.

Early viability studies have shown promise, with cell cultures demonstrating the biocompatibility of the processed bagasse, Medgadget reported.

The research was conducted by the Centre for Biomedical Technology of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and the Institute of Materials Science and the Institute of Catalysis and Petrochemistry of Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas in collaboration with Philippine food and beverage company Mahou and Createch Co.

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