Biology & Biomedical
Effective biological and biomedical research requires specific control of the cellular microenvironment and biomaterial characteristics. Plasma treatment cleans and activates the surfaces of biomaterials through the introduction of functional groups without affecting the bulk. Increased hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity of material surfaces increase the adhesion, coverage and proliferation of cells or induce the formation of spheroids respectively. In addition, plasma treatment has been shown to improve biocompatibility characteristics for numerous applications. As a result plasma treatments is used extensively for cell seeding, protein adsorption, biomaterial coating and implant surface activation. This page contains brief application summaries and relevant articles concerning the use of plasma treatment in biological and biomedical research.
Bacteria Sensors
Bacteria sensors play a crucial role in reducing food spoilage, minimizing economic losses and illness from foodborne diseases. These sensors can detect spoilage earlier, eliminating its potential to spread throughout the supply chain, from...
Textile Chemistry
Textile chemistry is important for numerous markets, including clothing, automotive, and outdoor recreation industries. Plasma treatment is a dry, non-toxic process that can make textiles water-repellent, oil-repellent, or both. In this application...
Research Spotlight: Osteogenic Differentiation
Electrical stimulation plays a critical role in a cell’s interactions with its microenvironment, guiding proliferation, differentiation, and function. Consequently, electroactive materials hold significant promise as tissue engineering scaffolds, to...
Innovations in Disease Modeling 2024
Harrick Plasma is excited to sponsor Technology Network’s upcoming Innovation in Disease Modeling Online Symposium on April 24th and 25th! The event brings together leaders in disease modeling from across the globe and covers a wide range of disease...
Research Spotlight: Microplastics
Harrick Plasma Synthetic textiles such as polyester or nylon have many desirable properties, including low cost and moisture-wicking ability. However, synthetic fabrics shed large amounts of microplastics when the fabric rubs against itself during washing. These...
Solar Collectors
Non-toxic Electroplated Coatings for Solar Parabolic Trough Collectors Despite contributing to 50% of the global energy demand, thermal energy has often been neglected as an application for renewable energy technologies, instead losing ground to...
Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS)
What is Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS)? Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a modified form of Raman spectroscopy often used in the life sciences for cell analysis. SERS has also been used to detect chemical residues for...
Superhydrophobic Surfaces
Plasma treatment can be a beneficial step for creating superhydrophobic surfaces through promoting strong adhesion of a hydrophobic coating, surface roughening, and plasma polymerization.Applications of Superhydrophobicity Hydrophobic surfaces have...
Research Spotlight: Ice Crystallization
Ice crystallization on electrical lines or airplane wings can disrupt operations and even endanger lives. A proposed technique to reduce ice crystallization involves slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS). These ice-repellent surfaces...
Research Spotlight: Blood Plasma Separation
Blood plasma separation is a vital process for the detection of biomarkers which can indicate diseases such as cancer and diabetes. Centrifuges, the most commonly used method of separation, requires large amounts of time and blood. Additionally,...
Research Spotlight: Membrane Distillation
Many desalination plants around the world rely on membrane distillation to extract drinkable water from seawater. However, membrane distillation is also used to treat industrial wastewater prior to discharging it into the environment. Industrial...
Research Spotlight: Rewritable Graphene Oxide Holograms
Security holograms are a vital anti-counterfeiting measure on banknotes, ID cards, and passports. A recent hologram fabrication method involving graphene oxide reduction explores new materials which can be used as holographic substrates. In this...
ASCB-2023
The Harrick Plasma team is pleased to announce that we will be exhibiting at the American Society of Cell Biology (ASCB) conference 2023 in collaboration with Alvéole! We will join Alvéole at booth 508 to discuss the benefits of pairing plasma...
C. Elegans
Caenorhabditis elegans (C. Elegans) is an invaluable model organism in cell biology due to its simplicity, transparency, genetic tractability, and the conservation of many cellular processes. It has contributed significantly to our understanding of...
Microrobotics
Microrobotics is an emerging technology attractive to the biotechnology industry and environmental sciences because of its versatility and vast potential. While microrobot design and function varies widely, they are defined by their small size and...
Thin Film Electronics
Thin film electronic devices made using flexible materials, such as plastics, metals, or polymers, are growing in popularity. Their ability to be bent, folded, and rolled as well as being lightweight and durable makes them ideal for a variety of...
Alveole Primo
Harrick Plasma is thrilled to announce a new collaboration effort with Alvéole, makers of PRIMO: Bioengineering Technology. PRIMO is a maskless photopatterning platform that offers precise control over the cellular microenvironment. Applications of...
Porous Metal Nanoshells
Hollow porous nanoshells can be tailored to have unique physical and chemical properties for potential use in catalysis and biosensor applications. Plasma treatment can be applied to facilitate nanoshell fabrication and alter physical properties and...
Zinc Oxide Films
Creative Commons license. Zinc oxide (ZnO) is an exciting alternative wide bandgap semiconductor that has promising use in sensors and flexible electronics. Plasma treatment can be applied to prepare surfaces for ZnO deposition, improve electrical properties through...
Graphene Transfer
Graphene is commonly deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on a growth substrate followed by transfer onto a target substrate appropriate for its specific application. Plasma treatment can be applied to support and facilitate various graphene...