bioengineering

From the NHL to the local rink, he’s helping ice hockey players stay sharp

People would roll their eyes whenever Northeastern graduate Russell Layton described his invention: a machine that enables hockey players to sharpen their skates at home. His fast-growing company, Sparx, has silenced the doubters.

by Ian Thomsen August 23, 2019

A faster way to bounce back from injury

Tendon injuries can be devastating—but Jeff Ruberti, a professor of bioengineering at Northeastern, is creating new ways to reverse the damage.

by David Levin - contributor August 1, 2019

Of mice and women

Victorian-era stereotypes that were originally used to keep women out of leadership positions are still with us today, says Rebecca Shansky, an associate professor of…

by Adam Fischer and Benjamin Bertsch July 23, 2019

This new technology can analyze more proteins in a single cell than ever before. What does it mean for cancer treatments?

Nikolai Slavov, an assistant professor of bioengineering at Northeastern, has developed a data-driven technique to detect more than 2,000 proteins in a single cell. He says the method could be used to help scientists create new therapies to treat cancer, diabetes, and other diseases.

by Roberto Molar Candanosa July 8, 2019

He left his comfort zone to explore the frontiers of engineering and culture

Recent graduate Conor Messer has lived, worked, and studied in Germany, Jordan, and the United States. Now, supported by a Fulbright Scholarship, he’s headed to Abu Dhabi to design a robot that performs minimally invasive cardiac surgery.

by Khalida Sarwari May 15, 2019

'Star Wars' inspired him to fight disease

Minhal Ahmed was entranced watching Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace at the age of 7, not realizing at the time that he was absorbing an idea that would later propel him to study the gut microbiome as a bioengineering student at Northeastern.

by Khalida Sarwari March 30, 2019

Fighting wildfires is a dangerous job. These researchers have a plan to make it safer.

Chiara Bellini and Jessica Oakes, assistant professors of bioengineering at Northeastern, recently received a $1.5 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to study the health consequences of smoke inhalation on wildland firefighters.

by Laura Castañón October 30, 2018

How this researcher's risky idea could mean big things for regenerative medicine

Quantifying the proteins in a single cell has implications for cell biology, cancer treatments, and stem cell research. But so far, scientists have been able to identify fewer than 100 proteins in an individual cell. Nikolai Slavov, an assistant professor of bioengineering at Northeastern, has devised a method to quantify 10 times that many.

by Laura Castañón October 22, 2018

A tiny antenna could be good for your health. All you have to do is stick it in your brain.

Hwaider Lin, a doctoral student at Northeastern, recently received an award for designing a nano-antenna that is 100 times smaller than the one that’s currently in your smartphone. He said the tiny antenna could eventually be used to help treat depression and migraines.

by Laura Castañón October 11, 2018

E-cigarettes may be safer, but that doesn’t mean they’re safe

E-cigarettes have been marketed as the new, safer way to smoke. But scientists say they don’t know enough about the long-term health hazards.

by Laura Castañón September 26, 2018