Scientists have designed a gel that, when injected into a human or animal cell, can conduct electricity like an implant.
—a small electronic device implanted to correct irregular heartbeats—is a good example of one, as is a vagus nerve stimulator used to prevent seizures in people with epilepsy.
Strakosas and his team have been researching softer, more flexible bioelectronics for years to reduce these issues. They decided that an ideal technology was not a solid at all, but rather a gel. Their bioelectronic relies on enzymes naturally found in living cells to activate it so it can conduct electricity.
In the future, Strakosas said, the team will begin testing the gel on mice. It is not clear yet how often the bioelectric gel might need to be replaced in a living organism, and if it remains harmless as it degrades over time. Injecting a gel into humans would be less invasive than implanting a solid device, and, Strakosas hopes, more effective at addressing humanity’s most difficult diseases.
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