Now in our 13th year of bringing you beautiful imagery from biomedical science every day

Search the archive of over 4000 images

25 August 2014

Patched-up Plastic

Skin is the largest organ of the human body, and one of its many functions is to provide a protective barrier which is able to repair itself when damaged. Scientists have recently taken inspiration from this biological system and developed a self-healing plastic. The chemical components of the plastic are held separately in a network of tiny channels which run throughout the material. When the plastic is damaged – as shown in the video – the chemicals spill out and mix together. They react in a process known as polymerisation, which causes them to harden and form a plastic patch of up to one centimetre in diameter. This process could be used to protect medical devices which are implanted in the body – such as artificial joints and pacemakers. A coating of self-healing plastic could prevent micro-fractures that these devices can incur as they degrade over time.

Written by Helen Thomas

Search The Archive

Submit An Image

Follow on Tumblr

Follow on Instagram

What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

Read More

BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.