Latest news with #DavidKisailus
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Scientists transform pee into material fit for medical implants
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Scientists have developed a method that can transform human urine into the hard mineral in bones and tooth enamel. The research, funded by the U.S. military's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), uses yeast to break urine down into hydroxyapatite, a form of calcium used in bone and dental implants. And hydroxyapatite isn't useful only for implants — the researchers behind the study said the material could be used in archaeological restoration, as biodegradable alternatives to plastic, and as building materials for construction projects. They published their findings May 6 in the journal Nature Communications. "This process achieves two goals at the same time," study co-author David Kisailus, a professor of materials science and engineering at the University of California, Irvine, said in a statement. "On the one hand, it helps remove human urine from wastewater streams, mitigating environmental pollution and the buildup of unwanted nutrients; and on the other hand, it produces a material that can be commercially marketed for use in a variety of settings." Hydroxyapatite is a tough solid containing charged molecules of calcium, phosphate and hydroxide. It's naturally occurring, as it is the primary component in both bones and teeth. This makes it useful in medical implants because it's not likely to be rejected by the body and can stimulate further growth. However, synthesizing the mineral is expensive, and some methods of doing so produce toxic intermediate chemicals. In mammals such as humans, hydroxyapatite is secreted by specialized cells called osteoblasts that draw in calcium phosphate from body fluids. But these cells don't live very long or divide frequently, which makes harnessing them at industrial scales challenging. Related: Are cavities 'contagious'? Tooth-decay yeast can pass from moms to babies To find another way of producing hydroxyapatite, the researchers turned to Saccharomyces boulardii, a type of yeast. Found on the skins of tropical fruits like lychee, the yeast species is commonly used as a probiotic. RELATED STORIES —Astronauts could ditch diapers on spacewalks thanks to new device that let's them drink their pee —A woman kept getting drunk despite not drinking. Fungi in her gut were brewing their own alcohol. —New urinal designs could prevent up to 265,000 gallons of urine from spilling onto the floor each day By applying some genetic tweaks to this yeast, the scientists transformed it into what they call an "osteoyeast" that breaks down urea to release hydroxyapatite. Urea is a waste product formed when the body breaks down proteins, and it's then filtered by the kidneys and excreted in urine. The process of transforming the urea produces a gram of hydroxyapatite for every liter of urine, the scientists reported. "This process to yield hydroxyapatite, or bone mineral, takes less than one day," Kisailus said. "The fact that it uses yeast as a chassis, which is inexpensive and can be placed in large vats at relatively low temperatures — think about beer that's made via fermentation processes and is well scaled — shows that this can be done easily without major infrastructural needs, and that has the added benefit of making it accessible to developing economies." With their method demonstrated, the scientists are now investigating ways to make it work at scale. They say that they hope to apply the process in order to 3D print hydroxyapatite-based materials for implants, plastics, construction and energy applications.
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Human urine can turn into this useful material. See what is it and how do scientists make this science wonder happen
Human urine can now be transformed into hydroxyapatite , a mineral found in bones and teeth as scientists have come up with a method. Funded by DARPA, this research uses genetically modified yeast to carry out the conversion. The process is efficient, environmentally useful, and could offer cost-effective materials for medical and industrial use. Human Urine Transforms into Bone-Like Material Researchers funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) have turned human urine into hydroxyapatite. This mineral is a key component of bones and teeth. The work was published in Nature Communications on May 6. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Hydroxyapatite is useful in medical implants because it is naturally found in the body. It is not usually rejected by the immune system. However, producing it in the lab is often costly and may involve toxic chemicals. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Llegan a RD cursos gratuitos para aprender a invertir en la bolsa de valores Clases de Economía Undo Also Read: Is Starbucks open or closed today on 4th of July? Check timings of stores on US Independence Day What Makes Human Urine Transformation Happen? Scientists used a yeast species called Saccharomyces boulardii. This yeast is usually found on the skin of tropical fruits and is used as a probiotic. Live Events The team genetically altered the yeast to break down urea from urine. Urea is a waste product formed when the body breaks down protein. The yeast, now called "osteoyeast," can turn the urea into hydroxyapatite. One liter of urine can produce about one gram of the mineral. This conversion happens in less than one day. Environmental and Commercial Benefits According to co-author David Kisailus from the University of California, Irvine, the process solves two problems. It removes urine from wastewater, helping the environment. It also creates a useful material. Hydroxyapatite made this way can be used in bone and dental implants. It may also serve other industries. These include archaeological restoration, biodegradable plastic alternatives, and construction materials. Also Read: NYT Mini Crossword Hints Today, July 4 2025: Answers, clues and tips to help save your winning streak Scalable and Low-Cost Production The process is simple and does not need advanced infrastructure. The yeast grows at low temperatures in large vats, similar to beer fermentation. This makes the method cheap and scalable. It can be used even in developing countries. The researchers are working on ways to expand the method. They want to use it to 3D print hydroxyapatite materials. These could be applied in implants, buildings, and other areas. Future Plans and Applications With the method now tested, scientists plan to scale it up. They aim to apply it in multiple industries. The team is looking into making energy-efficient, cost-effective materials that are also biodegradable. This discovery could help both the environment and industries that rely on strong, natural materials. It could also open new paths for medical and manufacturing advances. FAQs How does yeast convert urine into bone mineral? Yeast breaks down urea from urine and releases hydroxyapatite, the same mineral found in human bones and teeth. What are the uses of hydroxyapatite made from urine? It can be used for implants, biodegradable plastics, archaeological restoration, and eco-friendly construction materials.
NDTV
18-06-2025
- Health
- NDTV
Scientists Use Human Urine To Make Dental And Bone Implants
Scientists have said that they will transform human urine into a valuable medical resource - as a dental and bone implant. We have seen treated human urine being repurposed as fertiliser and toilet flushing water, but to use it in making implants is rather bizarre. However, scientists believe that recycling human urine offers a sustainable solution to environmental challenges posed by conventional wastewater treatment. A study titled cost-effective urine recycling enabled by a synthetic osteoyeast platform for production of hydroxyapatite, which gives details about this discovery, was published in Nature Communications. Researchers from the University of California, Irvine, collaborated with US and Japanese institutions to make a synthetic yeast system that converts urine into hydroxyapatite (HAp) - the main structural component of tooth enamel and bone mineral, which provides hardness. Notably, this biocompatible calcium phosphate mineral is widely used in bone and dental implants, archaeological restoration and biodegradable materials. The market for HAp is projected to exceed USD 3.5 billion by 2030, with a high sales price (over USD 80 per kg) enhancing the economic attractiveness of UD processes, the study revealed. "Inspired by the biological mechanisms of bone-forming cells, we develop a synthetic yeast platform, osteoyeast, which uses enzymes to break down urea and increase the pH of the surrounding environment," researchers said in the study. "This process achieves two goals at the same time," Interesting Engineering quoted Ico-author David Kisailus, UC Irvine professor of materials science and engineering, as saying. "On the one hand, it helps remove human urine from wastewater streams, mitigating environmental pollution and the buildup of unwanted nutrients; and on the other hand, it produces a material that can be commercially marketed for use in a variety of settings," Kisailus added. Human urine must be treated and handled properly to ensure safety and prevent the spread of diseases. The reuse of urine may face social and cultural barriers, requiring education and awareness efforts to promote acceptance. Overall, the reuse of human urine offers opportunities for sustainable resource management, water conservation and environmental protection. The team of researchers also think about the wider use of HAp, which is lightweight, strong and durable. "We are currently developing strategies to leverage his yeast platform with our 3D printing and structural knowledge to make multifunctional architected materials," Kisailus said.
