Curious hackers get BioCurious: The idea of a hackerspace, or a place where, for a slight monthly fee, nerds with similar interests can meet, socialize, drink plentiful coffee, and make things, is nothing new in the world of Internet entrepreneurs. Hackerspaces exist all over (see here for one in your neighborhood) and are popular places to pursue side projects and meet others who can help. And some famous spaces, like Noisebridge in San Francisco, are even equipped with gnarly things like darkrooms, servers, sewing machines and electronics bits and pieces.
But hackerspaces, as far as we know, have stayed out of the realm of biotechnology and bioinformatics or computational biology. Eri Gentry, Joseph Jackson and Tito Jankowski are looking to change that and just got $30,000 in funding from 200+ people via Kickerstarter.com to open their very own biotechnology hackerspace in Mountain View, Calif. They’re calling the effort BioCurious, and are banking on the fact that things like PCR and Gel Electrophoresis are getting cheaper via efforts like OpenPCR and The Pearl Gel Box. They’ll keep monthly dues less than $200 and all revenue will be reinvested into the lab. 
Brown scientists create artificial ovaries: Researchers at Brown University developed the first "artificial ovary," a completely functional unit capable of in vitro oocyte maturation. The development of an artificial human ovary will allow investigators to study the complex interactions of the three functional ovarian follicle cell types under a variety of conditions in the laboratory and could have a great impact on the future of fertility treatments. The group suggests that their work may benefit reproductive-age women who would like to conceive after undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer. Such regimens may be lifesaving, but are often toxic to ovarian folliculogenesis.
To accomplish this feat, the group applied methodology previously developed by coauthor of the article detailing the research Jeffrey Morgan in creating “3D Petri dishes” — micro-molded agarose gels that provide the scaffolding needed for successful self-assembly of the 3D microtissues. This application of 3D tissue engineering allows the ovarian cell types to assemble and function as they do in vivo.
3D modeling software used to plan facial reonstruction: SensAble Technologies Inc., known for their haptic devices, announced that surgeons used its FreeForm 3D modeling software to plan and prepare for a complex facial reconstruction surgery on a five year-old boy. MedCAD, a medical modeling consultancy, worked with physicians from the Dallas-based LEAP Foundation to rehearse the procedure using virtual on-screen models and real models made using a 3D printer. SensAble said MedCAD used the Woburn, Mass.-based company’s FreeForm modeling software to show the doctors the impact of specific surgical approaches. The modeling application enabled the surgeons to virtually adjust their planned procedure and explore various surgical options, such as relocating their incisions, prior to the boy’s operation.
Stanford scientists develop artificial skin based on rubber: The same issue of Nature Materials that features UC Berkeley’s touch sensitive semiconductor based artificial skin MedGadget wrote about last week also profiled another artificial epidermis from Stanford University. This one is based on a rubber membrane stretched between two electrodes, and works similarly to electrostatic microphones and stethoscopes. Stanford said the largest sheet of sensors that its researchers produced to date measures about seven centimeters per side. The sheet exhibits a "great deal" of flexibility, indicating that the material should perform well when wrapped around a surface mimicking the curvature of something such as a human hand or the sharp angles of a robotic arm. According to the university, the team of scientists also invented a new type of transistor in which they used the flexible rubber film to replace a component that is normally rigid in a typical transistor. When pressure is applied to their new transistors, which could also be used to develop artificial skin, the pressure causes a change in the amount of current that the transistor puts out.
A weekly roundup of new developments in medical technology, by MedGadget.com.
