Stimulation of Muscle Cells Using a Microbial Fuel Cell E. S. Vakhnitskaya, A. O. Romanov, K. Yu. Bazyleva, A. F. Gabdrakhmanova, D. D. Gafurova, A. N. Kasatkina, N. A. Gulyaev, I. I. Shchembelov, N. M. Bogomolov, M. K. Barzaev, N. A. Sharikova Nanobiotechnology Reports, 2023 Today there are a lot of areas where the use of soft robotics is necessary. Nowadays the main task in this field is to find a device that sets a soft robot in motion. In this work we propose the prototype of a mechanism that works by stimulating muscle cells and can act as an actuator. The possibility of using low-power biofuel elements as a battery for the actuator is also investigated. A microbial biofuel cell is selected as the most suitable for this field of application. During assembly of the biofuel cell, the materials of the electrodes and biofilms are explored, and the voltages produced by the cell are measured. In addition, we develop and assemble a board that generates a pulse-width-modulation (PWM) signal to stimulate muscle cells with a pulse which has certain characteristics. The attained results make clear the fact that a low-power energy source such as a biofuel cell can be successfully used to stimulate muscle cells in the development of soft robots.
Impact of Freezing Conditions on the Morphology and Mechanics of PVA-Based Sponge-Like Materials Christina G. Antipova, Christina Y. Bazyleva, Sergey V. Krasheninnikov, Roman V. Sharikov, Sergey N. Malakhov, Timofey D. Patsaev, Sergey N. Chvalun, Timofei E. Grigoriev Macromolecular Symposia, 2022 Abstract Highly porous polymer materials have been studied a lot for applications in biotechnology and biomedicine, because of their high surface area and percolated pore structure. Varying processing conditions, in this study, can tune the morphology, mechanical, and physicochemical characteristics of the materials. In the present work, cross‐linked poly(vinyl alcohol)‐based freeze‐dried sponges linked by glutaraldehyde are studied. The current study analyzes the influence of cooling speed on the sponge's morphology and mechanical properties. Complex analysis of the tests carried out shows agreement in morphology, surface area, equilibrium degree of swelling, and mechanical properties of the sponges with dependence on the amount of cross‐linking agent and freezing conditions.
