Engineered miniature kidneys come of age

In recent years, researchers have created mini-organs known as organoids in the culture dish that contains many of the cell types and complex microarchitectures found in human organs, such as the kidney, liver, intestine, and even the brain. However, most organoids grown in vitro lack the vasculature required to provide oxygen and nutrients, remove metabolic waste, and facilitate communication between different cell types that drive their maturation into truly functional tissue building blocks.
For kidney organoids, this shortcoming prevents researchers from emulating key kidney functions in vitro, including blood filtration, reabsorption, and urine production. Creating robustly vascularized kidney organoids could enable better modeling of kidney diseases, enhance renal drug toxicity testing and, ultimately, lead to new building blocks for renal replacement therapies.

Spotlight

Spotlight

Related News

Construction

NV5 Awarded $7 Million for Pedestrian Safety Improvements by the New York City Department of Design and Construction

GlobeNewswire | October 19, 2023

NV5 Global, Inc., a provider of technology, conformity assessment, and consulting solutions, announced today that it has been awarded a $7 million contract to design pedestrian safety improvements along Lexington Avenue in New York City by the New York City Department of Design and Construction (“NYCDDC”). NV5 will deliver engineering design, project management, and inspection services for the three-year project along Lexington Avenue from 41st to 49th Street and 49th Street from Lexington Avenue to 3rd Avenue. The improvements will enhance safety and provide equitable mobility for all users by providing traffic calming measures, ADA-compliant walking routes, upgrades to accessible pedestrian signals, drainage improvements, and subsurface utility infrastructure upgrades to support the recent Midtown rezoning. NV5 has provided professional design and resident engineering inspection services to the NYCDDC since the department’s inception in 1996. We are pleased to support sustainable infrastructure through pedestrian safety and accessibility for the residents and visitors of New York City, said Dickerson Wright, PE, Chairman and CEO of NV5. NV5 has a long history of delivering award-winning projects to the NYCDDC, and we look forward to continuing our relationship with the Department. “We are proud and eager to support the New York City Department of Design and Construction in its efforts to improve safety and provide accessibility for all,” said Joseph Menzer, PE, DBIA, V.P., Director of New York Operations. About NV5 NV5 Global, Inc. is a provider of technology, conformity assessment, and consulting solutions for public and private sector clients supporting utility, infrastructure, and building assets and systems. The Company primarily focuses on six business verticals: Utility services, infrastructure engineering, construction quality assurance, buildings & technology, environmental health sciences, and geospatial services. NV5 operates out of more than 100 offices nationwide and abroad.

Read More

Markets

Construction Partners, Inc. Completes South Carolina Acquisition.

PR Newswire | October 03, 2023

Construction Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROAD) ("CPI" or the "Company"), a vertically integrated civil infrastructure company specializing in the construction and maintenance of roadways across six southeastern states, today announced that it has acquired Hubbard Paving & Grading, Inc., headquartered in Walhalla, South Carolina. The acquisition adds one hot-mix asphalt plant and related construction operations to CPI's South Carolina platform company, King Asphalt, Inc., and will expand its service market in the Upstate region. Fred J. (Jule) Smith, III, the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "The Upstate area of South Carolina continues to be one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing areas in the United States. We welcome the skilled team of professionals from Hubbard and look forward to serving the infrastructure needs of the greater Greenville metro area as a combined organization." About Construction Partners, Inc. Construction Partners, Inc. is a vertically integrated civil infrastructure company operating across six southeastern states. Supported by its hot-mix asphalt plants, aggregate facilities and liquid asphalt terminal, the company focuses on the construction, repair and maintenance of surface infrastructure. Publicly funded projects make up the majority of its business and include local and state roadways, interstate highways, airport runways and bridges. The company also performs private sector projects that include paving and sitework for office and industrial parks, shopping centers, local businesses and residential developments.

Read More

Engineering Tech

YOUNG & Associates Acquires IN-Line Consulting, LLC

YOUNG & ASSOCIATES | September 26, 2023

Property and claims consultants YOUNG & Associates (YA), has acquired the claims and engineering company IN-Line Consulting, LLC. Founded by Matt Watson and Mark Lively more than 16 years ago, IN-Line was formed to manage the consulting work offered by a full-service restoration company operating primarily in the Southeast United States. The move strengthens YA's footprint in that part of the country, solidifying the company's role as a national and international leader. IN-Line will operate as a subsidiary of YA and its day-to-day operations will continue to be directed by the existing IN-Line leadership team. The company's management and support teams also will remain in place. "This partnership with IN-Line is a significant step forward in growing our professional service offerings," said Wade Bushman, YA's CEO. "We appreciate IN-Line's diverse base of technical experts, exceptional customer service track record, shared cultural values, and employee-first workplace model. They are a natural addition to the YA team." IN-Line President Matt Watson explained joining forces with YA allows the company to better serve clients by broadening its resource base and expanding its capabilities nationally and internationally. The move also offers new avenues for personal and professional growth for IN-Line's employees. "Since our inception, we have focused on building a great team and culture that can best serve the wide-ranging needs of our clients," Watson said. "Now, with YA's resources and platform, we are well positioned to carry that commitment into the future." ABOUT YOUNG & ASSOCIATES YOUNG & Associates (www.youngonline.com) is a property consulting firm providing building damage assessments, forensic and investigative consulting services to the insurance industry, public and private sector clients. YA was founded in 1997 by Ray and Linda Young on the core values of knowledge, integrity, and professionalism. Through its 26 years, YA's range of property damage services has expanded, developing a broader client base, and growing the team to almost 600 staff strategically located across the U.S. and internationally. ABOUT IN-LINE CONSULTING, LLC IN-Line Consulting, LLC (www.inline.us) is a national construction consulting firm specializing in property damage restoration and reconstruction recommendations for all phases of construction. Historically, IN-Line has been engaged on large, complex losses which require the technical diversity, expertise, and experience unique to our team of professionals. IN-Line's principal services include the preparation of comprehensive and market-specific construction estimates, as well as detailed and practical scopes of reconstruction. IN-Line's other competencies include but are not limited to: cost of repair audits; on-site clerking; code reviews; construction schedule analysis; production efficiency and economy analysis; forensic engineering; and construction defect analysis.

Read More