Opening the way to living implants
Tuesday, April 28, 2015 - 14:50
in Biology & Nature
Supramolecular chemistry is the science that is concerned with molecular self-assembly: chemical building blocks which, when you combine them, naturally form larger ordered structures. Researchers have now found a method that allows them to ensure that living cells - in this case bacteria from the human body - can be incorporated in materials while maintaining their mobility. This opens the way to a wide range of new applications, for example as part of medical implants. Examples include stents equipped with bacteria on which endothelial cells can grow, or bacteria that can release medicines in specific parts of the body.