More Surprising Uses For Alginate

3-D printing produces cartilage from strands of bio-ink. Those who have osteoarthritis in their joints suffer a lot. A new alternative treatment is needed for this. A research team has developed a method to produce cartilage tissues without using a scaffold. They create a tiny — from 3 to 5 one hundredths of an inch in diameter — tube made of alginate, an algae extract. They inject cartilage cells into the tube and allow them to grow for about a week and adhere to each other. Because cells do not stick to alginate, they can remove the tube and are left with a strand of cartilage. The researchers reported their results in the current issue of Scientific Reports.

Probiotics — do they work? And how about prebiotics? They're everywhere. Probiotics. But did you know most of them aren't going to fix anything? Remember, probiotics are essentially reinforcements for the good bacteria. You can buy them in supplement form or ingest them by eating certain foods. BUT: The hydrochloric acid in your stomach kills most live bacteria cultures. The only way to guarantee the effects of probiotics reach the intended areas is if they are enteric. That means they must be protected against the acids in the mouth and stomach. The question is how to take them? If you need them to address a medical condition you're going to need to beat stomach acid. Enteric coating is a polymer barrier on oral supplements. This helps protect tablet supplements from the acid in the stomach. Another coating, alginate, also protects the bacteria until it gets into the small intestine where it is safe. So, tablets are going to be a better option if you are trying to address a specific health problem. Senior Americans Association.

Chef Invents Deep Fried Water Jonathan Marcus, a innovative culinary chef, invented a way to deep fry water for the Stupid Shit No One Needs and Terrible Ideas “Hackathon" hosted in San Francisco this past May. Marcus dipped the spheroid water in flour, an egg wash, and then panko bread crumbs. After dropping the ball in 375-degree heated peanut oil for a few minutes, he cracked open the shell to find the successfully deep-fried water inside. Water can be deep-fried through a process known as spherification. Calcium alginate, a gelatinous substance made of calcium chloride and sodium alginate, can surround liquids with a membrane, allowing water to hold its shape and be handled like a solid. The liquid will even hold together when coated n flour egg and bread crumbs. Scienceexplorer.com