Awards

• Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year
• Junior Library Guild Selection

Overview

Scientists are on the verge of a revolution in biomedical engineering that will forever change the way we think about medicine even life itself. Cutting-edge researchers are working to build body organs and tissue in the lab. They are developing ways to encourage the body to regenerate damaged or diseased bone and muscle tissue. Scientists are striving to re-route visual stimuli to the brain to help blind people see. They may soon discover methods to enlist the trillions of microbes living in our bodies to help us fight disease. Learn about four strands of bioengineering-tissue engineering and regenerative medicine neuroengineering microbial science and genetic engineering and synthetic biology-and meet scientists working in these fields.

Full Product Details

9781541528130

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Reviews

Hot and heady: an enticing calling card for researchers of tomorrow. --starred, Kirkus Reviews -- (8/23/2019 12:00:00 AM) This compelling work of nonfiction about the science of improving the human condition would make an excellent addition to a career readiness or biology classroom library. --School Library Journal -- (10/17/2019 12:00:00 AM) Young scientists need look no further for a solid introduction to engineering in biology and medicine. . . . [A] must-have for juvenile nonfiction collections. --Booklist -- (11/12/2019 12:00:00 AM)

A primer on biomedical engineering. Veteran science author Latta (Zoom in on Mining Robots, 2018, etc.) here spotlights the fascinating convergence of medicine, engineering, and scientific discovery, offering provocative glimpses into the burgeoning fields of tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, neuroscience, microbiology, genetic engineering, and synthetic biology. Inspiring problem-solving-minded teens to explore these STEM disciplines by describing projects so cutting edge they seem like science fiction, Latta also includes brief profiles and photos of diverse researchers that enable readers to imagine themselves pursuing similar careers. Says Dr. Gilda Barabino, 'I think there's a little bit of an engineer in everybody. It's curiosity! Everybody wants to know how things work.' Areas of potential breakthrough covered include brain-computer interfaces that may one day allow people with paralysis or limited mobility to move their limbs or control a robot helper; editing the human genome to treat chronic diseases like sickle cell disease by removing and replacing damaged DNA; optogenetics, which hopes to combine gene therapy with light to reduce pain and cure blindness; and growing bespoke body parts like bone, skin, arteries, and more in the lab, seeded by one's own cells and partially crafted by 3-D bioprinters. Full-color diagrams and photos combined with informative text boxes and a lively, conversational style make this an appealing choice. Hot and heady: an enticing calling card for researchers of tomorrow. --starred, Kirkus Reviews --Journal

Author Information

Sara Latta has written several books for middle grade and YA readers, including Body 2.0: The Engineering Revolution in Medicine (Twenty-First Century Books, 2020); Black Holes: The Weird Science of the Most Mysterious Objects in the Universe (Twenty-First Century Books, 2018); Smash! Exploring the Mysteries of the Universe with the Large Hadron Collider (Graphic Universe, 2017), and Scared Stiff: Everything You Need to Know about 50 Famous Phobias (Zest Books, 2014). She lives in New York City with her husband and children. Visit her online at www.saralatta.com.

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