Monday, August 8, 2022
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright
TV USA | Live
Weather ☀
Exchange Rates $
  • Politics
  • International
  • Society
  • Sports
  • Blog
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
  • Politics
  • International
  • Society
  • Sports
  • Blog
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
TV USA | Live
No Result
View All Result
Home Society

NTU Singapore scientists turn aquaculture waste into new biomaterial for tissue repair

TV USA | Live by TV USA | Live
May 27, 2021
in Society
0
NTU Singapore scientists turn aquaculture waste into new biomaterial for tissue repair

Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a new biomaterial made entirely from discarded bullfrog skin and fish scales that could help in bone repair.

The porous biomaterial, which contains the same compounds that are predominant in bones, acts as a scaffold for bone-forming cells to adhere to and multiply, leading to the formation of new bone.

Through laboratory experiments, the NTU Singapore team found that human bone-forming cells seeded onto the biomaterial scaffold successfully attached themselves and started multiplying – a sign of growth. They also found that the risk of the biomaterial triggering an inflammatory response is low.

Such a scaffold could be used to help with the regeneration of bone tissue lost to disease or injury, such as jaw defects from trauma or cancer surgery. It could also assist bone growth around surgical implants such as dental implants.

The scientists believe the biomaterial is a promising alternative to the current standard practice of using a patient’s own tissues, which requires additional surgery for bone extraction. At the same time, the production of this biomaterial tackles the problem of aquaculture waste, said Assistant Professor Dalton Tay of the NTU School of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE), who led the multidisciplinary study.

More than 20 million tonnes of fishery by-products, such as fins, scales, and skins, are discarded every year. In Singapore, the combined annual consumption of frog flesh and fish is estimated to be around 100 million kilograms, making bullfrog skin and fish scales two of Singapore’s largest aquaculture waste side streams.

Asst Prof Dalton Tay said: “We took the ‘waste-to-resource’ approach in our study and turned discards into a high-value material with biomedical applications, closing the waste loop in the process. Our lab studies showed that the biomaterial we have engineered could be a promising option that helps with bone repair. The potential for this biomaterial is very broad, ranging from repairing bone defects due to injury or ageing, to dental applications for aesthetics. Our research builds on NTU’s body of work in the area of sustainability and is in line with Singapore’s circular economy approach towards a zero-waste nation.”

Professor Matthew Hu Xiao, the study’s co-author and Director of the Environmental Chemistry and Materials Centre, Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute (NEWRI), added: “These waste streams can also be converted into green chemicals and materials for environmental remediation and timely treatment can reduce wastewater contamination.”

Clinical Associate Professor Goh Bee Tin, Director for Research at the National Dental Centre Singapore, who was not involved in the study, said: “The National Dental Centre Singapore is excited about the use of bullfrog skin as a natural biomaterial for tissue regeneration. We see many potential dental applications ranging from the regeneration of gum tissues in periodontal disease, to bone for placement of dental implants, to jawbone following tumour surgery. Obviating the need for additional bone harvesting surgery also translates to time and cost savings, and less pain for patients.”

The research findings were published online in Materials Science and Engineering C in April and will be published in Volume 126 of the journal in July.

The research team has filed patents for the biomaterial’s wound healing and bone tissue engineering applications. The team is now further evaluating the long-term safety and efficacy of the biomaterial as dental products under a grant from the China-Singapore International Joint Research Institute and aims to bring the waste-to-resource technological pipeline closer to commercialisation.

Turning waste to treasure

With the combined annual consumption of frog flesh and fish in Singapore estimated to be around 100 million kilograms, bullfrog skin and fish scales are two of Singapore’s largest aquaculture waste side streams. The fishery waste used by the NTU team was collected from Khai Seng Fish Farm and Jurong Frog Farm.

To make the biomaterial, the team first extracted Type 1 tropocollagen (many molecules of which form collagen fibres) from the discarded skins of the American bullfrog, locally farmed and imported into Singapore in large numbers for consumption; and hydroxyapatite (a calcium-phosphate compound) from the scales of snakehead fish, commonly known as the Toman fish.

Collagen and hydroxyapatite (HA) are two predominant components found in bones, thus conferring on the biomaterial a structure, composition, and ability to promote cell attachment that are like the bone. These two components also make the biomaterial tough.

The scientists removed all impurities from the bullfrog skin, then blended it to form a thick collagenous paste that is diluted with water. Collagen was then extracted from this mix. “Using this approach, we were able to obtain the highest ever reported yield of collagen of approximately 70 per cent from frog skin, thus making this approach commercially viable,” said Asst Prof Tay, who is also from the NTU School of Biological Sciences (SBS).

HA was harvested from discarded fish scales through calcination – a purification process that requires high heat – to remove the organic matter, and then air-dried.

The biomaterial was synthesised by adding HA powder to the extracted collagen, then cast into a mould to produce a 3D porous scaffold. This entire process took less than two weeks and the team believes it can be both further shortened and scaled-up.

Proof-of-concept experiment

To assess the biological performance of the porous biomaterial scaffold for bone repair, the scientists seeded bone-forming cells onto the scaffold.

In their laboratory experiments, they found that the number of cells increased significantly. After a week, the cells were uniformly distributed across the scaffold – an indicator that the scaffold could promote proper cellular activities and eventually lead to the formation of tissues. The scientists also found that the presence of HA in the biomaterial significantly enhanced bone formation.

The biomaterial was also tested for its tendency to cause an inflammatory response, which is common after a biomaterial is implanted in the body. Using real-time polymerase chain reaction, the scientists found that the expression level of pro-inflammatory genes in human immune cells exposed to the biomaterial remained “relatively modest” when compared to a control exposed to endotoxins, a compound known to stimulate immune response, said Asst Prof Tay.

For instance, the expression of the gene IL6 in the biomaterial group was negligible and at least 50 times lower than that of the endotoxins-exposed immune cells. This suggests that the risk of the NTU-developed biomaterial to trigger an excessive acute inflammatory response is low.

Taken together, these findings demonstrate the potential of the biomaterial scaffold, synthesised from discarded bullfrog skin and fish scales, as a promising waste-to-resource bone graft substitute material for bone repair and regeneration.

Ms Chelsea Wan, Director, Jurong Frog Farm said: “The aquaculture industry is an important avenue to meet the global growing demand for safe and quality seafood, but a big challenge we face is the huge wastage and downcycling of valuable aquatic resources. In Singapore, the combined annual consumption of frog flesh and fish is estimated to be around 100 million kilograms, making bullfrog skin and fish scales two of the largest aquaculture waste side streams here. The integration of multiple seafood waste streams into a single high value product is a leading example of sustainable innovation for the aquaculture industry.”

Going forward, the research team hopes to work with clinical and industrial partners on animal studies to find out how tissues in the body would respond to this biomaterial in the long term, and the material’s ability to repair bone defects and dermal wounds, as well as to bring the entire waste-to-resource technological pipeline closer to commercialisation.

This multidisciplinary research is carried out by MSE, SBS, NEWRI, and the Energy Research Institute at NTU.

###

Note to Editors:

Paper ‘Sustainable aquaculture side-streams derived hybrid biocomposite for bone
tissue engineering’ published online in Materials Science & Engineering C and will be published in Volume 126, July 2021.

Media contact:

Foo Jie Ying

Manager, Corporate Communications Office

Nanyang Technological University

Email: [email protected]

About Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

A research-intensive public university, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has 33,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students in the Engineering, Business, Science, Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences, and Graduate colleges. It also has a medical school, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, established jointly with Imperial College London.

NTU is also home to world-class autonomous institutes – the National Institute of Education, S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Earth Observatory of Singapore, and Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering – and various leading research centres such as the Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute (NEWRI) and Energy Research Institute @ NTU ([email protected]).

Ranked amongst the world’s top universities by QS, NTU has also been named the world’s top young university for the past seven years. The University’s main campus is frequently listed among the Top 15 most beautiful university campuses in the world and has 57 Green Mark-certified (equivalent to LEED-certified) buildings, of which 95% are certified Green Mark Platinum. Apart from its main campus, NTU also has a campus in Novena, Singapore’s healthcare district.

Under the NTU Smart Campus vision, the University harnesses the power of digital technology and tech-enabled solutions to support better learning and living experiences, the discovery of new knowledge, and the sustainability of resources.

For more information, visit http://www.ntu.edu.sg.

TV USA | Live

See author's posts

Tags: AgingBiomedical/Environmental/Chemical EngineeringBiotechnologyDentistry/Periodontal DiseaseFisheries/AquacultureMaterialsMedicine/HealthOrthopedic MedicineTransplantation
Previous Post

Aung San Suu Kyi didn’t have enough time with lawyers: Legal team head

Next Post

Mark Denning stakeholders for policy makers

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Popular Stories

  • Capitol Hill's dangerous kangaroo court

    The desperation of the Jan. 6 House Committee

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • U.S. sanctions on Russia violate the Constitution

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Voting kicks off in a New York City mayor’s race like no other

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Unleash the Power of Postbiotics in Pets

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Tensions Rise Over Future of Abortion Rights in US

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

International

Saskatchewan’s Sweet Nutrition quadruples sales since 2019, lands deal with 7-Eleven
International

Saskatchewan’s Sweet Nutrition quadruples sales since 2019, lands deal with 7-Eleven

June 29, 2022
Saskatchewan’s Sweet Nutrition quadruples sales since 2019, lands deal with 7-Eleven
International

Saskatchewan’s Sweet Nutrition quadruples sales since 2019, lands deal with 7-Eleven

June 29, 2022
Saskatoon artist inks locals to raise money for Ukraine
International

Saskatoon artist inks locals to raise money for Ukraine

June 28, 2022
‘I kept it hidden’: Survivor of Kamloops Indian Residential School speaks for 1st time
International

‘I kept it hidden’: Survivor of Kamloops Indian Residential School speaks for 1st time

June 28, 2022
WATCH: Global National – June 27
International

WATCH: Global National – June 27

June 28, 2022
‘A body check’: Kids restrained over 2000 times in one year in Ontario’s child-welfare system
International

‘A body check’: Kids restrained over 2000 times in one year in Ontario’s child-welfare system

June 28, 2022
NOTE FROM JOÃO BAPTISTA BORGES, EMERGENCY PLAN TO COMBAT EPIDEMIC COVID-19: MINEA WANTS AN EPAL THAT MEETS THE POPULATION’S NEEDS
International

NOTE FROM JOÃO BAPTISTA BORGES, EMERGENCY PLAN TO COMBAT EPIDEMIC COVID-19: MINEA WANTS AN EPAL THAT MEETS THE POPULATION’S NEEDS

June 16, 2022

TV USA | Live

 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

 

 

© 2022 JNews. All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Politics
  • International
  • Society
  • Sports
  • Blog
  • Contact

© 2022 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT