April 2014 in JoVE: Bioengineered ACL Repair, Insect Neuroscience, and Ancient Secret Inks
Exploring groundbreaking research from the Journal of Visualized Experiments
Making Science Visible
Imagine watching scientists perform cutting-edge research procedures as easily as following a cooking video. This is the innovative premise behind the Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE), which has been transforming how scientific knowledge is shared since its inception.
Visual Documentation
Complex procedures demonstrated step-by-step through video
Multi-disciplinary
Research spanning bioengineering, neuroscience, and materials science
Accessible Science
Making specialized techniques reproducible across labs worldwide
The April 2014 issue showcased how visual documentation can enhance understanding of specialized techniques—from repairing damaged ligaments using a patient's own cells to recording brain signals in freely moving insects.
Bioengineering Hope for ACL Tears
The ACL Healing Challenge
ACL injuries are among the most serious and common knee problems, especially for athletes. With over 200,000 occurring annually in the United States alone, these injuries have traditionally posed a significant treatment challenge 1 .
Even partial tears—which represent 10-28% of all ACL injuries—can lead to persistent instability and impaired function, with fewer than 30% of patients returning to their pre-injury activity levels 1 .
The Tissue Engineering Breakthrough
The team led by Gupta et al. developed a novel approach to ACL repair using the very cells that surgeons had been throwing away 1 5 . Their goal was to create a tissue-engineered patch that could potentially enhance repair of partially torn ACLs.
Surgical Retrieval
Mini specimens collected from ACL stump during reconstruction surgery
Tissue Digestion
Minced tissue treated with 0.4% collagenase for 4-6 hours to isolate individual ACL-derived cells
Cell Expansion
Cells cultured in DMEM/F12 medium with 10% fetal bovine serum
Scaffold Seeding
Cells transferred to PLAGA polymer scaffolds for cellular adherence
Promising Results
After seven days of growth, researchers examined the patches using scanning electron microscopy and immunofluorescence staining 1 5 . The results were encouraging—the ACL cells not only adhered well to the scaffold surface but displayed healthy, non-stressed morphological patterns 1 .
This technique represents a promising avenue for augmenting partial ACL repairs and potentially strengthening damaged ligaments.
Success Metrics
Cell Viability: High
Scaffold Adherence: Excellent
Morphology: Normal
Decoding the Neuroscience of Insect Locomotion
The Central Complex Mystery
While we often think of insects as simple creatures, they are actually remarkable athletes capable of astonishing agility and adaptability when navigating changing terrain 3 .
At the heart of this mystery lies the central complex—a group of midline brain structures known to play crucial roles in insect movement and navigation 2 .
Previous research methods have included intracellular recording from individual neurons and extracellular recording with multi-channel probes 2 . While these techniques provide detailed data, they're limited to one or two cells at a time and typically require restrained insects.
A Novel Approach to Neural Recording
The JoVE study from April 2014 presented an innovative solution to these limitations. Researchers developed a method for recording brain activity in freely moving discoid cockroaches (Blaberus discoidalis) as they navigated arenas and encountered obstacles 2 .
Tetrode Wires
Bundles of four ultra-thin wires twisted and fused together, implanted into the insect's central complex 2 .
Diameter: 12μm nichrome wire
Cluster Cutting Software
Custom algorithms for analyzing recorded data to identify activity of individual neurons within the recorded data 2 .
Neural Recording
Activity from multiple neurons simultaneously in freely moving insects
Natural Behavior
Correlation of neural activity with turning, climbing, and tunneling
Applications
Inspiration for robotic navigation algorithms
Revolutionizing Genetic Engineering in Crops
The Genetic Engineering Debate
The April 2014 JoVE issue also featured significant advances in plant genetic engineering, a field that has generated both enthusiasm and controversy.
While proponents argue that genetically engineered (GE) crops can help address world hunger by increasing yields and reducing pesticide use, critics point to evidence suggesting these benefits may be more limited than promised 6 8 .
Pesticide Usage
Studies show approximately 527 million pounds more herbicides were used across three major GE crops between 1996-2011 than would likely have been used without this technology 6 .
Genetic Engineering Outcomes
| Claim | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Reduced Pesticide Use | 527M lb increase in herbicides (1996-2011) due to resistant weeds 6 |
| Increased Yields | No yield increase from herbicide-tolerant traits; conventional breeding outperforms GE 6 |
| Solving World Hunger | International assessment concluded GM not the answer to world hunger 6 |
Innovative Solutions for Complex Challenges
Amid these debates, researchers continue developing more precise genetic engineering techniques. The JoVE article highlighted a novel method for transient gene expression in plants that addresses a particular challenge: getting gene products to specific parts of plant cells 3 .
The Strange Journey of Ancient Secret Inks
Historical Pigments Meet Modern Technology
In a fascinating intersection of archaeology and materials science, the April 2014 JoVE issue also explored two ancient pigments with surprising modern applications.
Egyptian blue (calcium copper tetrasilicate) and Han blue (barium copper tetrasilicate) were among the earliest synthetic pigments created by human civilization 3 .
Surprising Contemporary Applications
While these pigments were originally created for artistic and decorative purposes, modern researchers have discovered that they possess unusual optical properties that make them valuable for contemporary technologies.
Both Egyptian blue and Han blue exhibit strong near-infrared (NIR) emission—a property that wasn't relevant to their original uses but has significant modern applications 3 .
Even more remarkably, researchers demonstrated that these ancient pigments can be exfoliated into two-dimensional monolayers, or nanosheets 3 .
Modern Applications
- Security Inks
- Biomedical Imaging
- Advanced Materials
- Nanoelectronics
The Visible Future of Science
The diverse research highlighted in JoVE's April 2014 issue demonstrates both the specialization of modern science and the power of visual communication to make complex techniques accessible across disciplines.
ACL Repair
From discarded tissue to healing patches
Insect Neuroscience
Freely moving insects reveal neural truths
Crop Genetics
Precise engineering for agricultural challenges
Ancient Pigments
Historical materials enable modern technology
Underlying this diversity is a common theme: the solutions to challenging problems often come from unexpected places. Discarded ACL tissue becomes a healing patch, ancient pigments enable modern security systems, and freely moving insects reveal fundamental truths about neural processing.
As science continues to advance at an accelerating pace, the need for clear communication of complex methods becomes ever more important. Journals like JoVE remind us that seeing is not just believing—it's understanding, learning, and innovating.
The April 2014 issue provided a compelling snapshot of how visual science can connect fields as disparate as sports medicine and entomology, creating unexpected bridges that drive knowledge forward.