Furqan Shah

@shahfa.bsky.social

1274 Followers 984 Following

Assoc. Prof. @ University of Gothenburg 🇸🇪 #bone #biomaterials #osteocyte #osseointegration #biomineralization #bacteria #electronmicroscopy #Ramanspectroscopy 🦴🔬🦠🧪 https://linktr.ee/shahfa_

What your graph colour pallet says about you Source: https://errantscience.com/
The Biomineralization and Biointerfaces Group investigates “bone as a material”, examining the structure, composition, and adaptation under diverse conditions using advanced techniques such as electron microscopy, micro-Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray micro-computed tomography, encompassing the macro-, micro-, and nanoscale. Bone is a complex, living tissue with a hierarchical architecture, from tiny mineral crystals to the entire skeleton. Particular attention is on the mineral component of the extracellular matrix and the mineralisation process of osteocytes (micropetrosis), bone repair biomaterials such as calcium phosphates, titanium, magnesium, and cobalt-chromium alloys, and distinguishing bone mineral from other bioapatites (e.g., in dental enamel) and geological apatites (i.e., hydroxy(l)apatite).
For treating osteoporosis, the medication was switched from a bisphosphonate (alendronate) to denosumab. The histological section shows large amounts of new bone, presumably formed after the switch. Could this be related to a partial(?) return of osteoclastic activity, which would in turn also bring about osteoblastic activity? I have no idea! Feel free to share your thoughts :)
Yes yes, it is the Earth that is moving relative to the stars that are assumed to be stationary! 🤓😅 The orange/brown structure is the balcony railing.
Adventures of a baby snail called Rainbow. Munching on some lichen at 10X speed.
I see so many PhD students struggling with imposter syndrome, often fuelled by perfectionism. As a self-confessed former perfectionist, I’ve learned an important lesson: the effort it takes to go from 50% to 95% “perfection” is the same as it takes to go from 95% to 99%. And that last 1%? It’s nearly impossible—because there will always be room for improvement. The key is knowing when 99% is necessary (e.g., for a thesis or scientific paper 📑, where the content matters most) and when 95% is good enough (e.g., for a formal report 📄 that just needs to be clear and complete). One thing, however, must always be 100% accurate: your data and results 🔬. Letting go of that last elusive 1% can make a huge difference to how you manage your workday ⏳, day after day, and help you avoid getting hyperfixated on one thing at the expense of everything else ⚖️.
Yet another paper stating that the mineral Whitlockite is a constituent of bone. That is simply NOT true, and there is zero evidence to support such a claim!
The physico-chemical characteristics of bone mineral remain heavily debated. On the nanoscale, bone mineral resides both inside and outside the collagen fibril as distinct compartments fused together into a cohesive continuum. On the micrometre level, larger aggregates are arranged in a staggered pattern described as crossfibrillar tessellation. Unlike geological and synthetic hydroxy(l)apatite, bone mineral is a unique form of apatite deficient in calcium and hydroxyl ions with distinctive carbonate and acid phosphate substitutions (CHAp), together with a minor contribution of amorphous calcium phosphate as a surface layer around a crystalline core of CHAp. In mammalian bone, an amorphous solid phase has not been observed, though an age-dependent shift in the amorphous-to-crystalline character is observed. Although octacalcium phosphate has been postulated as a bone mineral precursor, there is inconsistent evidence of calcium phosphate phases other than CHAp in the extracellular matrix. In association with micropetrosis, magnesium whitlockite is occasionally detected, indicating pathological calcification rather than a true extracellular matrix component. Therefore, the terms ‘biomimetic’ or ‘bone-like’ should be used cautiously in descriptions of synthetic biomaterials. The practice of reporting the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio (Ca/P) as proxy for bone mineral maturity oversimplifies the chemistry since both Ca2+ and PO43- ions are partially substituted. Moreover, non-mineral sources of phosphorus are ignored. Alternative compositional metrics should be considered. In the context of bone tissue and bone mineral, the term ‘mature’ must be used carefully, with clear criteria that consider both compositional and structural parameters and the potential impact on mechanical properties.
Adventures of a baby snail called Rainbow on a lichen stick exposed to moisture
Guitar solo sunday - “Hey Joe” (The Jimi Hendrix Experience) meets “Alive” (Pearl Jam)
Added some calcium carbonate (similar to chicken egg shell) for nutrition.
I can type fast. But so what? 😀
Fluorescence can originate from organic components, impurities, or the surrounding environment. For bone, the complex composition—including both mineral and organic phases—makes fluorescence levels highly variable. In the example shown, the fluorescence signal is noticeably different between: 1️⃣ Synthetic hydroxy(l)apatite (HAp) 2️⃣ Whole bone (maxilla, femur) 3️⃣ Isolated bone mineral (deproteinised) 4️⃣ Isolated organic matrix (demineralised) Synthetic HAp exhibits minimal fluorescence, whereas the organic matrix and whole bone produce stronger fluorescence. - High fluorescence can obscure weak Raman peaks, complicating spectral interpretation. - Additional steps, such as baseline correction and noise reduction, may be necessary to extract meaningful data. - The variability in fluorescence affects experimental design, including laser wavelength selection and sample preparation methods.
To date, a wide spectrum of efforts have explored the design of osteogenic or osseoinductive biomaterials such as polymers, metals, and ceramics. Increasingly, efforts have also explored alternative fabrication approaches to create patient-specific implants. These efforts include adaptation of generative design principles and 3D printing to create unique geometries, methods to incorporate exogenous cell sources, and the use of conventional and exotic growth factor patterning and release approaches to further improve biological response. Here, we discuss the mechanisms of bone repair, the current available technologies, biomaterial design criteria, 3D printing as a fabrication method, and the influence of cells and growth factors on bone repair.
Trametes versicolor – also known as Coriolus versicolor and Polyporus versicolor – is a common polypore mushroom found throughout the world. Meaning 'of several colors', versicolor accurately describes this fungus that displays a unique blend of markings. Additionally, owing to its shape being similar to that of a wild turkey's tail feathers, T. versicolor is most commonly referred to as turkey tail. A similar-looking mushroom commonly called "false turkey tail" is from a different order (Stereum), and thus may sometimes be confused with the 'true' turkey tail mushroom, T. versicolor. Another lookalike is the multicolor gill polypore, T. betulina.