BIOMATERIALS A REVOLUTIONARY GLUE FOR GELS AND BIOLOGICAL TISSUES Until now, bonding together gels mainly composed of water, such as gelatine, some cosmetics, food jelly or even contact lenses, was a feat requiring sophisticated or aggressive techniques. Now, thanks to the work of researchers at the Soft Matter and Chemistry Laboratory1 and Physical Chemistry of Polymers and Dispersed Media Laboratory2, gluing gels together has become child's play, and does not take more than a few seconds. The secret is to apply a solution containing nanoparticles instead of traditional polymer-based adhesives. This is a conceptual revolution, since adhesion is obtained by solid particles such as silica, cellulose or carbon nanotubes binding to the molecular network of the gel. “This method is not only rapid and easy to use, but the adhesion provided by the nanoparticles is strong since the junction often withstands deformation better than the gel itself. In addition, it offers excellent resistance to immersion in water,” explains Ludwik Leibler of the Soft Matter and Chemistry Laboratory. While industrial applications are obvious in sectors such as food and cosmetics, the researchers went further by suggesting that this revolutionary technique could be used to bond biological tissues. Because of their structure, namely a molecular network immersed in a liquid, gels are very similar to biological tissues including skin and organs. The researchers' hunch proved correct. For the first time, they successfully glued together two pieces of connective tissue—calf's liver— that cannot otherwise be bonded. “This opens new avenues in surgery as this method allows suturing in places where it was previously impossible,” points out Leibler, who has begun in vivo trials in collaboration with an Inserm laboratory. 1 CNRS/ESPCI ParisTech. 2 CNRS/ESPCI ParisTech/UPMC. Nature December 2013 10 2013, A yaer at teh CNRS Using an aqueous solution of silica nanoparticles to glue together two pieces of gel of different composition. The three steps only take around ten seconds. © CNRS Photothèque / Cyril Frésillon 2013 CNRS GOLD MEDAL AWARDED TO THE BIOLOGIST MARGARET BUCKINGHAM The Franco-British scientist Margaret Buckingham was awarded the 2013 CNRS Gold Medal, France's highest scientific distinction, for her work in developmental biology. She elucidated the mechanisms of muscle formation and regeneration, as well as the origin of embryonic heart cells. Her research has had spin-offs in biomedicine, in particular for the understanding and correction of heart defects in infants. The distinguished biologist, who is a CNRS emeritus research director and professor emeritus at the Institut Pasteur, has received many awards and is a member of several prestigious Academies of Science. © CNRS Photothèque/ESPCI/MMC / Marie Gracia Portrait
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