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Department of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University
One of the first biomedical engineering programs in the United States, the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University consistently ranks among the best in the world. As the department has grown, our faculty have continued to pioneer new areas of biomedical engineering, with strengths in tissue engineering, biomaterials, drug delivery, biophotonics and neuroengineering. Duke BME’s ethos reflects the department’s aspiration to advance biomedical engineering to serve society. As we strive towards this goal, we continue to attract outstanding faculty and students who create innovative solutions to the world’s most challenging healthcare problems.
This collection of articles from Nature Research journals is produced with support from Duke University. Duke University retains sole responsibility for the selection of articles.
Inspired by the post-translational modifications of polypeptides widespread in biological systems, the one-pot synthesis of biohybrid materials was engineered within Escherichia coli using a recombinant expression and post-translational lipidation. The fatty-acid-modified elastin-like polypeptides (FAMEs) prepared, which comprise peptide-amphiphile segments prone to self-assembly fused to a thermally responsive elastin-like polypeptide, exhibit temperature-triggered hierarchical assembly.
The generation of functional skeletal muscle tissue from human pluripotent stem cells has not been reported. Here, the authors describe engineering of contractile skeletal muscle bundles in culture, which become vascularized and maintain functionality when transplanted into mice.
It is unclear whether the transfer of plasmids carrying antibiotic resistance genes can explain their persistence when antibiotics are not present. Here, Lopatkin et al. show that conjugal plasmids, even when costly, are indeed transferred at sufficiently high rates to be maintained in the absence of antibiotics.
Cardiomyocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells could be used to generate cardiac tissues for regenerative purposes. Here the authors describe a method to obtain large bioengineered heart tissues showing advanced maturation, functional features and engraftment capacity.
Intestinal type 2 innate lymphoid cells express the neuropeptide receptor NMUR1, which makes them responsive to neuronal neuromedin U, thereby promoting a type 2 cytokine response and accelerated expulsion of the gastro-intestinal nematode Nippostrongylus brasiliensis.
The extracellular matrix protein agrin promotes cardiac regeneration in adult mice after myocardial infarction; it modulates cardiac differentiation and proliferation by interacting with the dystrophin–glycoprotein complex, Yap and ERK-mediated signalling.
Site-specific recombination and CRISPR-Cas9 have been used to generate genetically engineered mouse models of cancer. Here the authors compare sarcomas generated using both systems and see similar genetic and cellular phenotypes, suggesting CRISPR-Cas9 can be used to rapidly generate sarcoma models.
An optimized formulation of glucagon-like peptide-1 recombinantly fused to an elastin-like polypeptide leads to zero-order release kinetics from a subcutaneous depot and to 10 days of glycaemic control in three mouse models of diabetes.
A programmable model of membraneless organelles comprised of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) containing sequences of low complexity has now been developed. The rules governing the assembly of archetypal IDPs into biologically inspired mixed, layered and size-controlled configurations provides a new means for understanding intracellular phase behaviour of IDPs.
Capacitive coupling between tissue and flexible integrated electronics through a sealing dielectric layer facilitates long-term electrophysiology measurements, as demonstrated in ex vivo Langendorff heart models.
Conjugation of exendin-4 — a drug to treat type 2 diabetes — with a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based brush polymer reduces the conjugate's reactivity towards anti-PEG antibodies and leads to lower blood glucose levels in mice for up to 5 days after a single injection.
Restoring lost excitability of injured tissue is a paramount of regenerative medicine. By using a combined expression of bacterial voltage-gated Na+ channel, Kir2.1, and connexin-43 in non-excitable human fibroblasts, here the authors generate excitable cells that rescue action potential conduction in an in vitromodel of cardiac fibrosis.
Arrays of bioresorbable, highly doped silicon electrodes with multiplexing capabilities are used as electrocorticography sensors to perform in vivo, reliable acute and chronic recordings for up to one month before dissolving in the body.
Antibiotic-mediated selection may promote or suppress conjugation dynamics, dependent on the population structure, physiological status of cells and energy availability.