Modern methods of data analysis are successfully used in a number of biological and medical issues. And now a group of scientists has developed a robot that can automate the process of growing tissue from stem cells.
What is the point: In July 2020, a Russian-British group of scientists announced the development of a robot that can automate the process of growing new tissues from stem cells.
How it works: each of us is a collection of over 30 trillion cells. Each of them comes from one pluripotent cell type (capable of forming many others), called stem cells. They can replace any damaged tissue.
Stem cells can help treat many diseases. But growing organs from them in the laboratory is not yet a completely solved task by scientists. Current mechanisms are too long and not always controlled.
Therefore, scientists from ITMO have developed a 3D-printed laboratory assistant that will automate the experiment with the transformation of stem cells into neurons.
This reduces the cost and ease of the process, and also allows you to perform up to 384 experiments simultaneously or sequentially.
Why it matters: Stem cell therapy is one of the possible treatments for aging. According to entrepreneur and visionary Peter Diamandis, it can already significantly extend life and improve human health.
Who does it: The research team included Anton Nikolayev, a neuroscientist from the British University of Sheffield, and Pavel Katunin, a postgraduate student at ITMO University in St. Petersburg.
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