Scientists create artificial flesh with self-healing properties

Scientists in Australia have invented a new jelly-like material which they claim has the strength and durability of actual skin, ligaments, or even bone. Using hydrogels, the researchers have created extremely thin films of 'flesh' without any breakage. These materials can be easily changed into different shapes after they are heated or cooled and they return back to their original state along with the temperature. The study was published in Advanced Materials which is a weekly peer-reviewed scientific journal covering material science.

Can repair itself

Chemist Luke Connal from the Australian National University explained that with special chemistry they've engineered in the hydrogel, it can repair itself after it has been broken as human skin can. He also said that Hydrogels are usually weak, but their material is so strong it could easily lift very heavy objects and can change its shape as human muscles do. Dr Zhen Jiang, a co-researcher and Postdoctoral Fellow, added that in a lot of science fiction movies, the most challenging jobs are done by artificial humanoid robots. Our research has made a significant step towards making that possible.

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A hydrogel is a network of polymer chains. While some hydrogels can withstand medical stress, some have self-healing properties. Some even have abilities to memorise shapes or change colours. Having a material with such remarkable properties could play a pivotal role in developing the next generation of soft robots and biomedical devices. 

Researchers said that dynamic bonds have a high response to stimuli, making them perfect for environmental adaptation. They also said that these materials can be easily prepared using simple chemistry and revealed that perhaps multiple other functions can be achieved if other polymers are added to the molecular mix. Creating a self-healing material has been a challenge for scientists since a very long time even after there are a lot of natural inspirations such as Jellyfish, Sea cucumbers, Venus flytraps.

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