Protein from a small, tasty mollusk inspired Michigan
Technological University’s Bruce P. Lee to invent a new type of hydrogel
actuator.
Hydrogels are soft networks of polymers with high water
content, like jello. Because of their soft, gentle texture, they have the
potential to interact safely with living tissues and have applications in a
number of medical areas, including tissue engineering. Lee, an assistant
professor of biomedical engineering, wanted to make a hydrogel that wouldn’t
just sit there.