Hydrogels

It's no secret that the more we use antibiotics, the greater the chances that bacteria will develop a resistance to them. A new antibacterial wound dressing is designed to get around that problem, by using proteins instead of regular antibiotics.

A newfound understanding around the intricate architecture of lobster underbellies has provided MIT engineers with a model for a tough and stretchy new hydrogel, which features great durability and resistance to tearing.

As anyone with arthritis will know, cartilage plays a vital role in allowing our joints to move freely. Scientists have now replicated its qualities in a synthetic self-lubricating material, that only needs occasional infusions of water.

In many parts of the world there may not be much precipitation, but there is a fair amount of water vapor in the air – particularly at night. An experimental new device draws in that vapor, then uses it to irrigate edible plants.

Once it's been injured, the protective cartilage in our knees and other joints heals very slowly – if at all. A new injectable gel, however, could both reinforce the tissue after it's been damaged, and encourage new cartilage to grow over top of it.

Scientists in Japan have developed a versatile new hydrogel that can be packed with cancer-fighting drugs and triggered to release their payload in response to temperature and pH changes in the tumor microenvironment.

Scientists in Spain have made a promising breakthrough in the field of regenerative medicine, developing a hydrogel that releases the chemical boron at the site of an injury to dramatically accelerate the formation of new muscle fibers.

Scientists have come up with a new tool to study the way cancerous cells can hide away in body tissues and spring back into action once the danger appears to have passed, with a new hydrogel that turns different cancer cells into cancer stem cells.

Although not a huge seller everywhere, durian fruit is consumed in great quantities in countries like Singapore. Scientists there have now developed a method of using its husks to create cheap, eco-friendly, antibacterial hydrogel bandages.

Ordinarily, if you want to build a device that's highly electrically conductive, you have to use rigid metals. Now, however, scientists at Carnegie Mellon University have created a soft and flexible material that fits the bill.

Stanford scientists have developed a new hydrogel with a Velcro-like molecular structure, letting it last longer at body temperature. The hope is that it could be injected into a patient to deliver drugs over weeks or months as it slowly dissolves.

Presently, glaucoma is treated via daily-administered eye drops, surgery, or implanted devices – none of which are guaranteed to be successful. In the future, however, it's possible that a twice-yearly injection could do the trick.