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The Department of Biomedical Engineering at Yang Ming Jiaotong University, Professor Zhong Jiwen said that silk protein has a proven track record as a biomaterial because of its high biocompatibility, and he has also used the same material to make heart muscle patches that repair heart muscle cells.
In Taiwan, more than 40,000 people are equipped with pacemakers, and now scientists have discovered a biomaterial made from silk that can convert heart muscle cells that would otherwise not discharge electricity into heart rhythm cells that can beat themselves, allowing the heart to resume beating. This major discovery has changed the way people think about the treatment of arrhythmias and has led to a study from Taiwan that was featured in the top international journal Nature Biomedical Engineering.

The heartbeat of about 60-100 beats per minute comes from the discharge of the sinoatrial node of the pacemaker, a spontaneous electric current that allows the heart's muscles to contract and pump blood throughout the body. However, as we age, the organ always wears out over time. Because of the aging failure of the pacemaker rhythm cells, a slow heartbeat may occur, such as sinus syndrome and atrioventricular conduction block, resulting in weakness, difficulty breathing, fainting, and even sudden death, with a prevalence of about 1% to 2%. The prevalence rate is about 1% to 2%. This figure may be higher in elderly people over 65 years old.

The current treatment for this heart-borne disease is a two-hour surgery to install a pacemaker in the body. However, the pacemaker requires battery replacement in about 6 to 8 years, invasive surgery also has the risk of surgical infection, and even in the era of the prevalence of cell phones, such installation of electronic pacemaker patients must also be as far away from the heart as possible, so scientists invariably hope to find alternative methods.

The research team, led by Professor Zhong Jiwen of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Yang Ming Jiaotong University and Dr. Yu-Feng Hu of the Department of Cardiology at the Taipei General Hospital, successfully used silk from a modified farm in Miaoli, Taiwan, to purify silk protein gel, which was injected into the hearts of mice to convert heart muscle cells that would otherwise not beat into pacemaker rhythm cells that could discharge electricity. This is the first time that silk proteins have been used as surgical sutures and artificial dressings, but this is the first time that silk proteins have been found to have mechanical and biochemical properties, as well as cellular transformation and bioelectricity production.

In animal studies, the research team found that silk proteins can be used as biomaterials to initiate the ectopic expression of calcium mucin in cardiac muscle cells, initiating a series of downstream mechanisms that allow the heart to be recharged and restored. In other words, the research team has re-generated the cells that discharge electricity from the heart. In this way, once the sinus node ages or becomes diseased, the newly generated cells can take over the important role of discharging electricity to keep the heart beating.



Dr. Yu-Feng Hu and Prof. Ji-Wen Chung of the Department of Cardiology at Northwestern University have discovered that biomaterials made from silk proteins can convert cardiac muscle cells that would otherwise not discharge electricity into self-beating heart rhythm cells, allowing the heart to resume beating.
The company's main goal is to provide the best possible service to its customers.

The research team tried dozens of biomaterials and finally found a way to use silk protein, said Professor Zhong Jiwen of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Yang Ming Jiaotong University. He said that silk protein is highly biocompatible as a biomaterial, in fact, there are signs, including artificial skin, surgical sutures, wound dressings can be found in its trace. He has also used the same material to make myocardial patches to repair heart muscle cells, showing that domestic silk has the potential for advanced medical applications.

Dr. Yu-Feng Hu and Professor Chung met at a conference four years ago, sparking this collaboration. Dr. Yu-Feng Hu describes how he found that the heart muscle cells "came to life" and kept beating when he incubated them on Chung's silk proteins, and began the research to find out why.

The study was published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, a division of Nature, and proved that in addition to stem cell culture and gene therapy, biomaterials also have the potential to treat heart-borne diseases.

Source: Silkworm protein restores a heart that has stopped beating, and a team at NYCU successfully uses biomaterials to convert heart muscle cells into rhythm cells - NYCU

Deputy Director of Social and Family Affairs Department, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Mei-Mei Chang (left) presents a certificate of appreciation to Director Li Shu-Ching
This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the ICF and Assistive Technology Research Center, a university-level research center of National Yang Ming University of Transportation, helping to promote assistive device services for people with physical and mental disabilities, and the establishment of the Multifunctional Assistive Device Resource Integration and Promotion Center commissioned by the central government. At the National Liaison Meeting on Nov. 26, the Deputy Director of the Social and Family Affairs Department of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Mei-Mei Chang, presented a certificate of appreciation to the team led by the Director of ICF, Shu-Ching Li, for their contribution to the development of assistive technology services in China over the past 20 years.

In her acceptance speech, Ms. Lee talked about the 20 years of her life spent in running the Center and building the national assistive device service system, and cited the following five major achievements of the Center in the past 20 years.

First of all, the center introduced the core concept of the international assistive devices classification standard - ISO 9999 at the early stage of the development of the assistive devices service system in China. It is the first achievement of the Center to shape the development of assistive services in China from a broad perspective.

Furthermore, since 2005, the team of the Center has been commissioned to build the "Aids Resource Portal" in Taiwan, which integrates all the information on aids in the fields of industry, government, academia, research, and medicine, and is a valuable and leading platform of aids information in the world. This is the second major achievement of the Center.



The Social Welfare Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare thanks the ICF and Assistive Technology Research Center of Yang Ming Jiaotong University for its 20 years of assistance in promoting the development of assistive technology services.
In addition, with the joint efforts of all of us, the new system of ICF for the protection of the rights of the physically and mentally disabled was launched in 2012, making "assistive devices services" a statutory service for the physically and mentally disabled in China. As a WHO observer in 2019, Director Li was pleased that our country has a state-of-the-art system of assistive devices that is proud of the world. Helping to plan and promote a new system of assistive services based on professional understanding and meeting needs is the third major achievement of the Center.

The key to the success of the auxiliary service is not only the training of human resources and the professional quality management of the auxiliary service centers, but also the experience of our country over the years shows that strengthening the support function of county and municipal governments through evaluation indicators and guiding the integration of services between county and municipal governments and auxiliary service centers, instead of focusing only on the auxiliary service centers, is a pragmatic and highly effective approach, which is also a model worthy of international promotion. The fourth major achievement of the Center is to establish evaluation indicators that effectively promote the success of the auxiliary aid services in Taiwan.

Lastly, the ICF and Assistive Technology Research Center of National Yang Ming University of Transportation has been hosting the Assistive Devices and Long-term Care Exhibition since 2016, which is an international professional exhibition with more than 100,000 visitors for three consecutive years. Among the many functions of this exhibition, it provides a positive learning platform for assistive technology professionals to learn about the latest international assistive technology development, and through a more comprehensive understanding of the products and manufacturers, it will be conducive to the improvement of professional services. The fifth major achievement of the center is to successfully link the three elements of assistive technology development: professionals, industry and products.



2021 Aids and Long-term Care Exhibition
Director Lee said that there are still many goals to be developed in the future, which need to be improved step by step in a competitive manner.

First of all, 2022 will be a new era for our country's auxiliary aids services, including the draft amendment of the benchmark table of auxiliary aids for the physically and mentally disabled, which has been notified through the efforts of the Social Welfare Department and is scheduled to be officially implemented on September 1 next year. It is expected that the new system of auxiliary aids will be implemented smoothly next year, including the continued support of county and municipal governments and the smooth transformation of auxiliary aids centers, so as to successfully move to the next stage.

In addition, for the successful implementation of the new system of aids for the mentally and physically disabled and Long Term Care 2.0, the participation of inter-ministerial units is very important, including the effective performance of the functional roles of each ministry and the positive interaction and cooperation between ministries.

Finally, the current situation shows that the volume of long-term care assessment services in most county and city auxiliary care centers has increased significantly, which indicates the inevitable trend of further integration of mental and physical disabilities and long-term care services in the social welfare system, including the integration of auxiliary care center audits by the central authorities.

Under the leadership of Director Li, the Multifunctional Assistive Devices Resource Integration and Promotion Center has assisted the Ministry of Health and Welfare in the vertical and parallel coordination of various units for 20 years, and has worked hard to promote the policy of assistive device services, the training of assistive device professionals, and the development of the industrial market. We look forward to your continued support and to working together for a better and more prosperous future!



Source: 20 Years of Glory! "ICF and Assistive Technology Center of Yang Ming Jiaotong University Receives Certificate of Appreciation for 20 Years of Contribution - NYCU National Yang Ming Transportation University

Congratulations to Professor Wang, Yang, and Liu for winning the top 2% of the world's top scientists!

Congratulations to Jiang Hui-hua from the Department of Medical Engineering for leading the team to invest in the research and development of innovative medical materials "Ultrasonic Anesthesia Probe" won the Ministry of Science and Technology Seedling Program

National Yang Ming University of Transportation "Asia Biotechnology Exhibition 2021
From Medicine, Psychology to Agriculture! National Yang Ming Jiaotong University Pavilion 8 industry-academia AI solutions unveiled Global Biotechnology Report
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The Taipei City Government organized the "2021 Taipei Biotechnology Awards", and the award ceremony was held on the morning of September 11, when Mayor Ko Wen-Che unveiled the winners of the "Innovation Technology Award", "International Advancement Award", "Technology Transfer Cooperation Award" and "Cross-Disciplinary Excellence Award". This year, during the epidemic prevention period of the new crown, the award ceremony was held in accordance with the epidemic prevention regulations and encouraged outstanding biotechnology research institutions and enterprises in Taiwan through a concrete commendation ceremony.

The "Design and Development of Parametric Implants for Dental Implants with Optimized Structure of the Mandibular Region" developed by Professor Lin Junli of the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Dr. Wu Zhengxian of the Department of Oral Surgery of Taipei Veterans General Hospital won the "Excellent Award for Technology Transfer Cooperation". The main theme of the research and development is to integrate CT scan, optimized structural design, computer-aided simulation analysis and metal 3DP printing technologies to develop a customized reconstructed metal implant for patients with extensive jaw bone defects, which has functional features such as segmental occlusion biomechanics, lightweight structural design and can be used with post-operative dental implants. After the company has passed the QMS certification for medical devices, the implant will enter clinical trials for the benefit of patients with extensive mandibular deficiencies, so that patients can have their jaws reconstructed with a combination of cosmetic, biomechanical, and occlusal considerations and improved quality of life.


Professor Lin Junli and Mayor Ko Wen-je

Interview with Professor Lin Junli

2021 Taipei Biotechnology Award Certificate

The Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiology of National Yang Ming Jiaotong University (hereinafter referred to as Yang Ming Jiaotong University Department of Medical Radiology), one of the leading departments in Taiwan to train medical radiologists and medical physicists, signed a multi-million scholarship and multi-year cooperation agreement with Platinum Technology Co. In addition to clinical services and further studies, students will have the option to engage in industrial services and R&D.
Dean Lin Junli of the School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, Yang Ming Jiaotong University, said in his speech that the cooperation between the enterprise and the Department of Medical Radiology has become a model of medical talent cultivation, which will attract more outstanding students to the development of medical technology. Yang Feng Yi, Director of the Department of Medical Radiology, Yang Ming Jiaotong University, also expressed that the signing of this multi-year contract expresses the determination of the academia and the enterprise to jointly promote the cultivation of talents in the long term, and hopes that the medical professionals will be involved in the research and development of industrial applications in the coming years to consolidate the sustainable development of the relationship between the two parties.

President Chih-Hung Lin of Yang Ming Jiaotong University expressed his enthusiasm for the bilateral cooperation between the university and the industry, which coincides with the university's recent promotion of the Ten-Year Vision Plan of One Tree, One Hundred Harvest.
Platinum Technology Co., Ltd. is a technology company whose core business is material development and manufacturing, optical thin film design and manufacturing, and has been actively involved in the development of nuclear medicine in recent years, with complete material development and process technology. In the past, Platinum Technology has been cooperating with the nuclear medicine team of Yang Ming Jiao Tong University for many years. Now, Platinum Technology attaches more importance to the cultivation of nuclear medicine talents and professional research and development in the Department of Medical and Radiological Sciences of Yang Ming Jiao Tong University, and has provided a 10-year scholarship of $1.2 million to encourage the cultivation of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging bachelor and master talents.

In recent years, we have further developed a cloud-based medical information platform and integrated the booming AI services and telemedicine in Taiwan and abroad to gradually create a new medical service and user environment. In the medical imaging and AI services, we need talents who are familiar with medical imaging, AI features and foreign language skills from the Department of Medical and Radiology of Yang Ming Jiaotong University. In addition to the $300,000 scholarship for three years, the program also provides paid internship opportunities for bachelor's and master's degree students to enhance their career development and field experience.

While most of the medical personnel training in China is aimed at clinical professional services and obtaining national licenses, the Department of Medical Technology of Yang Ming Jiaotong University has not only been deeply engaged in training top medical technology personnel for a long time, but also continues to innovate and make breakthroughs as a benchmark for research and development in related fields both domestically and internationally. Now, the Department of Medical Technology of Yang Ming Jiaotong University has joined hands with platinum technology and business tool technology, which are the benchmark companies in China, to jointly create a job market for the industrial development of medical talents.
The CEO of Platinum Technology, Mr. Xinmiao Peng, and the General Manager of Business Tools Technology, Mr. Wei-Neng Ding, are both alumni of Jiaotong University. Both of them laughed at the opportunity to give back to their alma mater after this year's merger, and will continue to participate in the cultivation and development of cross-disciplinary talents in the fields of information and medicine, and materials and medicine to create more valuable sparks.

      

　　第六任生物醫學暨工程學院於8月5日上午吉時舉行交接典禮儀式，本校多位長官撥冗蒞院觀禮，場面熱鬧不已，交接典禮上林奇宏校長親自監交學院印信，六年前之今日亦是梁賡義前校長親自監交，象徵著對學院承先啟後、繼往開來的祝福。
　　林校長感謝吳俊忠院長過去六年來對生醫工程學院的辛勞與貢獻，特別製作感謝紀念獎牌贈予吳院長，同時感謝吳院長願意暫代醫技系主任乙職，並期許在林峻立院長及各系所主管的通力合作帶領之下，未來院務必能蒸蒸日上。
  

　　林峻立院長對醫工學院有極高期許，於典禮上提出幾項未來學院規劃重點，包括持續培育醫學與工程跨域人才並發展Med-Tech，教學提升並與交大校區密切合作，成立大型研究團隊爭取計劃，結合本床教學醫院資源及拓展產學合作，使本院研研發成果在產醫學密切合作下能有效落地，同時配合國際化趨勢，推動教學及行政國際化等，相信在林峻立院長帶領之下，未來生物醫學暨工程學院必能開拓新局，展現新的風貌。
　　活動尾聲，本次參與典禮之嘉賓長官於生醫工程館大廳合影留念，在眾多祝福聲下，活動劃下完美的句點，並也開啟嶄新的領航。
 

白金科技股份有限公司與生物醫學影像暨放射科學系企業贊助簽約儀式

　　吳俊忠院長擔任生物醫學暨工程學院六年職務，任期自2015.08至2021.07，卸任之際，於疫情之下，於七月三十日舉辦卸任感恩茶會，當天學院參與教職員約四十名，依據防疫要點採梅花座入座，場面溫馨感人。

　　吳院長先回顧過去六年的工作內容，從內部員額、外部檢討、教學規劃、研究團隊、空間優化、經費爭取等，在吳院長任內下逐一落實，他更說明當初應聘時給自我期許的4E(EFFORT、EFFICIENCY、EFFECTIVENESS、EXCELLENCE)，同樣將此工作信念傳遞給在座的每位嘉賓，演講最後，吳院長感性地說：「感謝當初遴選委員的厚愛、梁賡義校長的聘任，以及全院師生行政人員的幫忙，才能順利完成六年的任期」。

　　最後，為表達吳俊忠院長對學院的辛勞與付出，由新任林峻立院長準備唐三彩駿馬代表學院全體教職同仁作為謝禮，並由楊雅如副院長及吳育德副院長代為致贈，於活動結束後與在座所有嘉賓一同於生醫工程館大廳合影留念。