https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. In a study published in the journal Microsystems & Nanoengineering, researchers from Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU) have unveiled a breakthrough in the detection of hydrogen peroxide H2O2, a vital biomarker in biological processes, with the development of dual-functional portable sensors based on Pt-Ni hydrogels. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-portable-sensors-hydrogen-peroxide.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Thu, 01 Feb 2024 15:56:38 EST news626025396 When researchers want to study how COVID makes us sick, or what diseases such as Alzheimer's do to the body, one approach is to look at what's happening inside individual cells. Researchers sometimes grow the cells in a 3D scaffold called a "hydrogel." This network of proteins or molecules mimics the environment the cells would live in inside the body. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-proteins-tunable-hydrogels-cells.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 31 Jan 2024 10:08:28 EST news625918105 The water in the air originates from both natural and forced evaporation, with condensation being the final and crucial step in water harvesting. Condensation involves nucleation, growth, and shedding of water droplets, which are then collected. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-bioinspired-hydrogel-pattern-atmospheric-harvesting.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Fri, 26 Jan 2024 09:59:03 EST news625485541 Hydrogels inevitably undergo dehydration, structural collapse, and shrinkage deformation due to the uninterrupted evaporation in the atmosphere, thereby losing their flexibility, slipperyness, and manufacturing precision. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-scientists-door-high-precision-slippery.html Polymers Materials Science Tue, 16 Jan 2024 12:30:50 EST news624630647 In a review published on 1 January 2024, in the journal Microsystems & Nanoengineering, researchers discuss hydrogels in photonics, highlighting their potential to revolutionize the field. The article emphasizes how hydrogels enable devices to adapt and respond to their environment, promising significant advances in technology and biomedicine. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-unveiling-future-photonics-hydrogel-pave.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 09 Jan 2024 15:51:08 EST news624037867 Microscopic magnetic probes that change shape in response to their environment may greatly enhance magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, producing the probes, which are still experimental and have not yet been used in humans, has required access to a clean room and expertise in nanofabrication, limiting their widespread use. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-ultra-small-shape-shifting-gems-easier-cheaper.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 20 Dec 2023 15:06:57 EST news622307212 Princeton researchers have created a new type of hydrogel that is recyclable, yet still tough and stable enough for practical use (and reuse). https://phys.org/news/2023-12-reusable-recyclable-environmentally-friendly-hydrogel.html Polymers Materials Science Wed, 20 Dec 2023 08:52:04 EST news622284722 Hydrogels, ubiquitous materials in our daily lives, are the focus of scientific research published in Chemistry—A European Journal. Conducted by the SupraBioNanoLab at the Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering Giulio Natta at Politecnico di Milano, the work demonstrated how the combination of supramolecular chemistry and crystallography can be used to design hydrogels with specific characteristics. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-explores-amino-acid-gel.html Biochemistry Materials Science Tue, 19 Dec 2023 16:05:10 EST news622224305 Acting as the main interface between the internal and the external world, the skin is the largest and most important organ of the human body. It is frequently exposed to many types of physical injuries or wounds, including cuts, scrapes, scratches, infections, and ulcers. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-sustainable-wound-hydrogel-based-seaweed.html Biochemistry Materials Science Fri, 15 Dec 2023 14:10:01 EST news621871546 Traditional medical adhesives used in surgical applications often have limited bio-absorbability, high toxicity and a lack of customizability, leading to suboptimal surgical outcomes. Recent advances in synthetic biology offer a promising alternative—tailored biocompatible and biodegradable adhesives designed for specific internal biomedical applications, such as in tissue repair and for surgical glues. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-customizable-bio-adhesives-personalized-medical.html Biochemistry Materials Science Wed, 06 Dec 2023 13:00:59 EST news621090057 Janus adhesive hydrogels hold promising applications across health care fields. Nevertheless, a simple method to synthesize the material had yet to be bioengineered in the lab. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-one-step-synthesis-janus-hydrogel.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Mon, 04 Dec 2023 09:42:46 EST news620905360 Wood is the source for a brick-breaking mini robotic muscle material developed by researchers in Sweden and Germany. The material—a specially-developed hydrogel—can shape-shift, expand and contract on demand when controlled with electronic impulses of less than 1 volt. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-tiny-brick-busting-muscles-miniature-robotics.html Nanomaterials Fri, 27 Oct 2023 11:12:03 EDT news617623921 Scientists at UNSW Sydney have created a new material that could change the way human tissue can be grown in the lab and used in medical procedures. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-lab-made-substance-mimics-human-tissue.html Biochemistry Materials Science Mon, 23 Oct 2023 10:48:04 EDT news617276882 Our cells have a complex relationship with the body's microenvironment. It has been studied in the lab, but, to date, most studies leave out dynamic changes to the microenvironment. In other words, they look at cell life in a static world. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-redesigning-hydrogels-cell-responses-body.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Fri, 29 Sep 2023 10:45:04 EDT news615203101 Chenfeng Ke, an incoming associate professor of chemistry in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, developed a unique design for tough but stretchable hydrogels, reported Aug. 23 in the journal Chem. The new material is both flexible and durable thanks to a ring-shaped sugar molecule that encases its polymer network and allows it to stretch without sacrificing strength. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-chemists-unique-tough-stretchable-gels.html Polymers Materials Science Wed, 23 Aug 2023 14:13:37 EDT news612018814 Materials scientists aim to develop autonomous materials that function beyond stimulus responsive actuation. In a new report in Science Advances, Yang Yang and a research team in the Center for Bioinspired Energy Science at the Northwestern University, U.S., developed photo- and electro-activated hydrogels to capture and deliver cargo and avoid obstacles on return. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-hydrogel-locomotion-electric-fields.html Polymers Materials Science Tue, 22 Aug 2023 05:30:01 EDT news611828810 Global CO2 emissions for 2022 reached 36.1 gigatons, and this consumed 13–36% of the remaining carbon budget to limit warming to 1.5°C, which means our permissible emissions could be depleted within two years. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-sustainable-gel-capture-carbon-dioxide.html Nanomaterials Thu, 17 Aug 2023 09:26:41 EDT news611483191 A research team led by Prof. Wu Dong from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) proposed a femtosecond laser 2-in-1 writing multi-material processing strategy to fabricate micromachined joints composed of temperature-sensitive hydrogels and metal nanoparticles, and developed multi-jointed humanoid micromachines with multiple deformation modes (>10). The results were published in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-femtosecond-laser-technique-births-microrobots.html General Physics Optics & Photonics Fri, 11 Aug 2023 12:33:00 EDT news610975976 Researchers from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) have recently achieved a remarkable breakthrough in the injectable hydrogel with the development of Fibro-Gel. This groundbreaking innovation successfully overcomes the challenges of scalable manufacturing and on-demand drug release, while also demonstrating exceptional biocompatibility and the potential for vascularization. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-breakthrough-hydrogel-drug-delivery-advanced.html Materials Science Wed, 09 Aug 2023 10:17:18 EDT news610795033 Chitin hydrogel is recognized as a promising material for a variety of biomedical applications. Its biocompatibility and biodegradability make it useful in tissue repair, artificial organs, and wound healing. Yet scientists continue to face challenges in fabricating chitin hydrogel. A team of researchers has developed a green, efficient and scalable preparation method for chitin hydrogels. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-team-fabricates-chitin-hydrogel-chemical.html Biochemistry Polymers Mon, 17 Jul 2023 15:37:03 EDT news608827021 Massachusetts Institute of Technology engineers have synthesized a superabsorbent material that can soak up a record amount of moisture from the air, even in desert-like conditions. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-salty-gel-harvest-air.html Polymers Materials Science Thu, 15 Jun 2023 10:06:32 EDT news606042389 Stimuli-responsive fluorescent hydrogels (FHs) are excellent and attractive candidates for information encryption and anti-counterfeiting applications, which can allow the stored information to be visualized by a vibrant display with a higher degree of security levels. However, hydrogel-based information storage devices for anti-counterfeiting are still in their infancy, so developing an environment-friendly, low-cost, and scalable approach to produce stimuli-responsive FHs is still challenging. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-strategy-curcumin-smart-fluorescence-anti-counterfeiting.html Biochemistry Materials Science Tue, 13 Jun 2023 15:55:02 EDT news605890501 Hydrogel materials are widely used due to their excellent biocompatibility. However, the micro- and nanofabrication biomaterials, such as small-diameter artificial blood vessels, flexible biomaterial microdevices, minimally invasive tissue adhesives, and organ and tissue engineering stents, still face the challenge of higher precision. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-higher-precision-biocompatible-hydrogel-photoresist.html Polymers Materials Science Mon, 12 Jun 2023 15:07:02 EDT news605801221 Recently, researchers from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, led by Prof. Tian Xingyou and Prof. Zhang Xian, along with associate Prof. Yang Yanyu from the College of Materials Science and Engineering at Zhengzhou University, used gallium indium alloy (EGaIn) to initiate the polymerization and serve as flexible fillers to construct liquid metal/polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)/P(AAm-co-SMA) double network hydrogel. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-multifunctional-self-healing-liquid-metal-hydrogel.html Polymers Materials Science Thu, 08 Jun 2023 16:43:15 EDT news605461393 A team of researchers from Nanjing University has developed a probiotic nanozyme hydrogel to regulate the vaginal microenvironment for Candida vaginitis therapy. Candida vaginitis, a common fungal infection that affects about 75% of women worldwide, is known for its high recurrence rates and negative impact on women's health. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-nanozyme-hydrogel-breakthrough-solution-candida.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 05 Jun 2023 10:34:54 EDT news605180091 In a new study, researchers at Karolinska Institutet show that recombinant spider silk protein hydrogels have many attractive features. They allow encapsulation of cells and bioactive molecules simply by incubation at 37°C. They are transparent, which allows monitoring of encapsulated cells, and the fibrillar network mimics that of the extracellular matrix. The mechanical properties of these hydrogels match those of different tissues, and the gels can be used for continuous drug release. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-recombinant-tunable-spidroin-hydrogels-drug.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 02 Jun 2023 12:41:46 EDT news604928503 Recent advancements in the field of electronics have enabled the creation of smaller and increasingly sophisticated devices, including wearable technologies, biosensors, medical implants, and soft robots. Most of these technologies are based on stretchy materials with electronic properties. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-self-healing-hydrogel-flexible-sensors.html Polymers Materials Science Fri, 02 Jun 2023 09:10:11 EDT news604915800 In the face of increasing global scarcity of freshwater resources, desalination is considered one of the most effective ways to alleviate this problem. However, it does come with a catch—efficient and low-cost evaporation materials are key to achieving large-scale applications. https://phys.org/news/2023-05-high-efficiency-salt-resistance-strength.html Materials Science Tue, 16 May 2023 16:03:45 EDT news603471822 Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC), an emerging bio-based material, has been widely applied in fields such as electronics, bioplastics and energy. However, the functional failure of such materials in wet or liquid environments inevitably impairs their development in biomedicine, membrane separation, environmental monitoring, and wearable devices. https://phys.org/news/2023-05-flexible-sensor-based-photonic-cellulose.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 08 May 2023 10:42:49 EDT news602761367 Synthetic hydrogels show great promise in tissue repair, drug delivery, medical implants and many other applications. Hydrogels functionalized with electrically conductive components can be used in bioelectronic devices for cardiac or neural interfaces, for applications such as neural prosthetics, cardiac patches and electronic skin. https://phys.org/news/2023-05-electroconductive-hydrogel-biomedical-applications.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Wed, 03 May 2023 08:38:32 EDT news602321909