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Already widely used in applications including wound care, hydrogels are emerging as a highly useful material for tissue engineering scaffolds. GSBmE team members including , and are pursuing research that will deepen our understanding of the chemistry of hydrogels, the cross-linking functionality that allows hydrogels to form in situ, and the potential to incorporate biological signals. Their work will inform further advances in the use of hydrogels to help repair and replace tissues and restore physical capabilities.Ìý

Many conditions that profoundly impact on our quality of life, from pathological conditions like cerebral palsy to natural processes like ageing, represent a challenge to medical research because of the complexities of the relationship between the neuromuscular system and the musculotendinous mechanisms that drive skeletal movement. is working with NeuRA’s Dr Bart Bolsterlee and PhD student Andrea Sgarzi to develop innovative neuro-musculoskeletal models that will deepen our understanding of the neural and muscular contributions to healthy and pathological motion, and drive progress in how we prevent, diagnose and treat these conditions.

In the field of neural implants, the enduring goal is to reduce the invasiveness of the treatment. is focussed on building innovative new tools that enable scientists to test the likely responses of the brain and peripheral nerves, streamlining the development of next-generation neural interventions.

Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) requires animal testing and clinical trials to show a new therapy or device is safe and effective before it’s approved, but such processes take time and money. To reduce delays, bioengineers and scientists are working with alternative methods of testing to deliver results more quickly and at a lower cost – with animal testing and clinical trials used much later in a project, or not at all. At GSBmE, , and others are using both computational models and tissue models to pinpoint and develop the most effective methods for stimulating sensory neurons. For more, see the case study on this page.

Disturbances to the electrical signals and rhythms of the body underlie many disorders, including epilepsy and Parkinson’s Disease. The instruments and systems we currently use to understand, diagnose and manage these disturbances rely on electrodes and wires, however these electronics can be invasive, and limiting in terms of the information they provide to clinicians. To address the issue, is working on the development of a light-and-fibres approach that will enable the deployment of high-bandwidth optical telecommunications in ultra-miniature neural and cardiac interfaces. His collaborators include , , Professor Francois Ladouceur and Associate Professor Torsten Lehmann.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an umbrella term for progressive immune disorders that cause chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, with no prospect of a cure. Conventional treatments often focus on reducing inflammation with immunosuppressive medications, however these drugs can carry significant risks, and often become less effective over time. An alternative is to use bioelectronic therapy, inducing anti-inflammatory effects through electrical stimulation of the vagus or sacral nerve. is leading a project to make IBD treatments easier to manage and more successful with a ‘closed loop’ approach that uses timely and accurate monitoring of inflammation patterns to inform optimal, personalised therapy via vagus nerve stimulation. With collaborators from the GSBmE including , , , , along with Dr Sophie Payne, Professor James Fallon, and Associate Professor Peter De Cruz, Mohit has developed ‘AutoGut’, a novel implantable biosensor device that will deliver a paradigm shift in IBD therapies.

Understanding why we age and whether ageing is preventable are the profound research challenges being investigated by with the support of her colleagues , , and . The project aims to uncover the links between cellular function and ageing processes, specifically in cells that must survive for many decades, such as neurons. A machine-learning approach will help identify the interventions which hold the greatest promise for modulating, slowing down, preventing or reversing biological ageing, leading to better health in later life.Ìý

In the field of neural implants, the enduring goal is to reduce the invasiveness of the treatment. is focussed on building innovative new tools that scientists and clinicians can use to design flexible, large-scale, high-resolution bioelectronic neural implants, and to monitor how these interact with the brain and the peripheral nerves.Ìý

Chronic pain affects more than , with profound economic and social impacts. Spinal cord stimulation can provide relief from pain related to nerve damage (neuropathic pain), but it is not the solution for all pain-types, including the pain that comes from damage to the skin, muscles, bones, or other tissues (nociceptive pain). is leading a team of researchers in the development of an implant that uses an electrical current to stimulate the peripheral nerves in the site where pain originates, blocking the signals associated with pain. This ‘electro-analgesic therapy’ is showing promise for the relief of pain connected with knee replacement surgery. For more,

Disturbances to the electrical signals and rhythms of the body underlie many disorders, including epilepsy and Parkinson’s Disease. The instruments and systems we currently use to understand, diagnose and manage these disturbances rely on electrodes and wires, however these electronics can be invasive, and limiting in terms of the information they provide to clinicians. To address the issue,Ìý is working on the development of a light-and-fibres approach that will enable the deployment of high-bandwidth optical telecommunications in ultra-miniature neural and cardiac interfaces. His collaborators include , , Professor Francois Ladouceur and Associate Professor Torsten Lehmann.

Inherited retinal degenerative diseases are a group of eye conditions that cause a progressive loss of photoreceptors: the light-sensitive cells in the retina at the back of the eye. Due to the lack of effective treatments, these conditions are now the leading cause of irreversible blindness in working age people. Over the past twenty years, two possible solutions have emerged – optogenetics technology, an approach that uses gene therapy to create artificial photoreceptors; and bionic technology, using electrical pulses to generate the neural activation of retinal cells – but both have significant limitations. is leading a team in the development of a novel hybrid stimulation approach that promises to maximise the benefits of both technologies to deliver a new, improved treatment for artificial vision. GSBmE colleagues Mathi Manoharan and are part of the team, along with Associate Professor Chi Luu from the University of Melbourne.

Platinum is the main material used in electrodes for neurostimulators like the cochlear implant and deep brain stimulators. Platinum electrodes can degrade during implantation, reducing their effectiveness – but the mechanisms governing this process are complex and still not fully understood. is leading a program of research which aims to understand the chemical, electrical and biological factors that impact on the function of platinum electrodes. With colleagues including and , Laura will develop new 3D models to simulate conditions in the human body for more rapid testing of electrodes, and use the knowledge generated to investigate new approaches for minimising dissolution. For more,

Human nerves can deteriorate and lose their function due to degenerative disease, injury and ageing. While nerves in the peripheral nervous system are capable of slow regeneration, those in the central nervous system, including in the brain and spinal cord, are not. A cross-disciplinary team of »Ê¹Ú²ÊƱ biomedical engineers has developed BaDGE®, a gene therapy delivery platform that can precisely target therapeutic DNA or RNA molecules to prompt nerve tissue to regenerate. For more,