Internal Band-Aids from Larva

“I am stuck on band-aid brand because band-aids stuck on me!” This jingle featured in countless Band-Aid commercials over the years advertises the wonders of Band-Aids and their ability to help external wounds. But what if there was a band-aid for internal injuries? Well, thanks to the caddis fly larva, this may be a reality someday soon. The caddis fly larva lives underwater and creates a shell to protect it during development by spinning a sticky silk that collects sand grains and other debris. Scientists are currently studying this silk production and structure in hopes of a possible application in surgical situations such as a tape-like suture. It would act like an internal band-aid or scotch tape that could be used in place of sutures and be specifically adaptable for wet areas because the larva lives underwater. So far, scientists have determined that there are phosphates used in the creation of the silk, making it unique from moth or butterfly silks. In addition, scientists have discovered that the proteins of the silk are water insoluble due to electric charges and the plus and minus orientation of those charges. Hopefully, the mysteries surrounding this shocking discovery will soon be revealed so that this technology can be utilized to make surgeries safer and more efficient.

Bones Grow on Trees

It’s true that money doesn’t grow on trees, but now bones may. Italian scientists have come across a way to convert rattan, the wood material used to make wicker furniture, into synthetic bone material. As it turns out, rattan matches human bone structure very closely, more closely in fact than anything that is currently known. By heating rattan wood at high pressure while adding calcium and phosphate, a synthetic bone can be created that is durable and structured so similarly to real bone that blood and tissue cells recognize it as if it were a continuation of the actual bone. So far this synthetic bone has been tested in sheep and this study revealed that the synthetic bone was so well accepted by the body of the sheep, that it became difficult to tell where the synthetic bone ended and the real bone began. Also, unlike metal or ceramic materials, which are currently used for bone replacements, this rattan material never needs to be replaced. This technology could be potentially life changing for anyone, from cancer patients to people hurt in accidents, but it will probably be another five years until this technology is available for human use.

Sharkskin Technology to Reduce Bacteria

Sharkskin technology is not just being researched for its applications in swimwear anymore. Its applications also extend to the microorganisms which lie on the skin beneath the suit. Sharkskin, it turns out, has a unique patterning to it, which discourages growth of bacteria on its surface. This technology is currently being applied in research by a biotech company in Florida, to print the pattern onto an adhesive film, which will ward off bacteria, and is ideal for use in places like schools and hospitals where germs are easily spread. Scientists think that the way that this topography works is that the bacteria come across the surface and make a decision based on energy conservation, such that an uneven surface is not the ideal place to make a colony. Also, because this technology doesn’t kill the bacteria, there is little chance of these microbes developing resistance.  With diseases such as H1N1, this could offer an amazing solution and potentially save millions of lives.

Sea Worm Glue Helps Broken Bones

Humpty Dumpty is infamous for his fall, which left all the king’s horses and men unable to put him together again.  Perhaps if he had had access to this biomimetic invention, he would have been able to piece together a whole life once more. Researchers at the University of Utah are studying sea worms, who in order to make their underwater homes, secrete their own natural glue. These researchers are working on synthesizing the glue and using it in place of pins, screws, and other mending technology currently available.  This glue will be used to repair injuries like facial fractures and joint damage by literally gluing the piece back together. The hope for this research is that this glue will be biodegradable and biocompatible with humans and that over time it will be replaced by natural bone. The goal of this technology is not for it to forever hold the fracture together, but rather be used as a bone setting application. Because the glue works well in wet conditions and sets quickly, it is ideal for this application. Furthermore, this glue can be mixed with drugs like antibiotics, painkiller and other medicines. Currently, this technology is only being tested on animals, and it will probably be a decade before testing on human subjects will begin, but if this glue proves successful it could change forever the way that broken bones are repaired.