By Rideeta Raquib ‘19 Electronic implants are usually powered by batteries. Rechargeable batteries, which are rare, require continuous charging and primary batteries require implant replacements if they are completely used up. Thus, lead researcher Dr. Lukas Bereuter, and his research team at the University of Bern in Switzerland investigated whether sunlight could serve as an alternative source of energy to power medical implants.   Models … Continue reading Solar Cells Could Power Medical Implants

By Ashwin Kelkar Introduction What constitutes a cell?  In a very general sense, the first successful cell-like structures necessitated a biological barrier that would mediate the flow of molecules into and out of their “bodies.”  What developed was the phospholipid bilayer, a semi-permeable membrane intermeshed with various proteins to regulate the passage of important bioactive molecules – ones that regulate cellular responses – in order … Continue reading More Than a Structural Component: The Vast Biological Functions of Sphingolipids