Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) » biology

Bacteria turn tiny gears

admin — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 13:53:42 +0000

Swarms of bacteria turn two 380-micron long gears, opening the possibility of building hybrid biological machines at the microscopic scale. Read more at Wired: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/12/bacterial-micro-machine/#more-15684 or Scientific American: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=brownian-motion-bacteria

Courtesy Igor Aronson.

Duration : 0:0:21

Lipid bilayer formation

admin — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:43:13 +0000

Shows the deposition of liposomes on to the surface of an optical chip and their subsequent rupture and merger to form a lipid bilayer. Protein molecules then embed and float in the surface of the bilayer. This is an excerpt from a video that iemedia solutions (http://www.iemedia.co.uk) produced for the Scientific Instrumentation Division of the Farfield Group (http://www.farfield-group.com) to illustrate the measurement capabilities of their Dual Polarisation Interferometry technology.

Duration : 0:0:38

Platelet Rolling Adhesion (Fluxion Biosciences)

admin — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 03:51:41 +0000

Platelets rolling and adhering to a collagen coating in a BioFlux microfluidic channel (Fluxion Biosciences). For more information, please see www.fluxionbio.com.

Duration : 0:0:4

DNA and nanotechnology (Hao Yan)

admin — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 04:14:28 +0000

The Biodesign Institutes Hao Yan uses DNA as a nanotechnology building block for biosensors, bioelectronics and human health applications.

Duration : 0:3:52

Self-Assembling Nanoliter Containers

admin — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:42:14 +0000

Nanotechnology, the new science of extreme miniaturization, is a rapidly growing field in engineering. On this size scale, it is extremely difficult and expensive to fabricate analogs of macroscale engineering, such as grippers. Drawing inspiration from biological fabrication in nature, engineers are seeking to self-assemble structures from the bottom up. This manufacturing paradigm has been largely unexplored in human engineering since the process is generally perceived to be indeterminable and uncontrollable.

The Gracias Lab at Johns Hopkins has developed a relatively easy, precise, and cost-effective process by which the 2D templates of semi-tethered “faces” can self-assemble into controlled 3D structures by utilizing the natural phenomena of surface tension. This video highlights the development, manufacturing process, and proposed functions (cell encapsulation devices and controlled drug delivery carriers) of our self-assembling nanoliter containers.

Duration : 0:4:11

Small nanotechnology has big impact – part 2

admin — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 01:18:08 +0000

Researchers at Warwick University explain how the small scale world of nanotechnology is having a big impact on our everyday world, part two – cement and nano, amongst other things.

Duration : 0:9:42

Iron Biologist Part 1

admin — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 04:44:59 +0000

A takeoff of the Iron Chef television series in a molecular biology lab. Instead of interesting foods, the contestants use the ingredients and tools of molecular biology to identify genetic diversity in a freshwater snail population.

Duration : 0:8:34

Iron Biologist Part 2

admin — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 04:40:59 +0000

Duration : 0:3:22

SDJA AP Biology DNA Lab

admin — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 09:05:59 +0000

Professor Curt Wittenberg, a molecular geneticist at Scripps Research Institute and an SDJA parent, came in to do a lab with the students. They separated pieces of DNA using gel electrophoresis. The students learned how to calculate the sizes of DNA fragments based on the distances that they travel in the gel. It was a great opportunity for the kids to see and perform a sophisticated lab technique that is used in crime scene investigations, paternity tests, medicine, and genetic research. www.sdja.com

Duration : 0:1:36

Preparing DNA for Agarose Gel Electrophoresis

admin — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 18:43:59 +0000

Ok ummm…UWI genetics seminar for students doing Unit 1 Cape Bio…we were preparing DNA that we had extracted and cut with restricttion enzymes…for agarose gel electrophoresis

Duration : 0:2:13