Team:Exeter/Applications
From 2012.igem.org
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<p>Several polysaccharides currently show biocompatible and biodegradable properties, making them suitable for both external and internal functions. Chitin and chitosan have already been studied for their effect on blood coagulation, tissue growth and wound healing. They are now used in wound dressings to aid the natural healing process and chitin, because of its strength and flexibility and the fact it decomposes completely over time is used as surgical thread for stitches. We would suggest an improvement to dressing wounds would be to make an equivalent in the form of a gel, this could then be coated over an open/closed wound. A gel would offer the advantage of being able to use an open-window type dressing thus enabling the injury to be clearly visible and the healing process closely observed. Not only could a gel be used over a wound, it could also be used during extensive surgeries internally on tissue. This could potentially massively increase the rate of healing. </p> <br> | <p>Several polysaccharides currently show biocompatible and biodegradable properties, making them suitable for both external and internal functions. Chitin and chitosan have already been studied for their effect on blood coagulation, tissue growth and wound healing. They are now used in wound dressings to aid the natural healing process and chitin, because of its strength and flexibility and the fact it decomposes completely over time is used as surgical thread for stitches. We would suggest an improvement to dressing wounds would be to make an equivalent in the form of a gel, this could then be coated over an open/closed wound. A gel would offer the advantage of being able to use an open-window type dressing thus enabling the injury to be clearly visible and the healing process closely observed. Not only could a gel be used over a wound, it could also be used during extensive surgeries internally on tissue. This could potentially massively increase the rate of healing. </p> <br> | ||
- | <p>Hyaluronan is a polysaccharide that is present within joints and as a solution offers an interesting property. It is viscoelastic, at low strain frequencies it has viscous behaviour whilst at high strain frequencies it displays elastic tendencies. These properties are what enable joints to survive on a daily basis with normal use and sudden impacts. | + | <p>Hyaluronan is a polysaccharide that is present within joints and as a solution offers an interesting property. It is viscoelastic, at low strain frequencies it has viscous behaviour whilst at high strain frequencies it displays elastic tendencies. These properties are what enable joints to survive on a daily basis with normal use and sudden impacts. We think that future prosthetics would benefit from research within this area and could possibly provide a replacement limb capable of rivalling, mechanically, the natural design. They may even progress to be able to withstand larger amounts of impact force making the possibilities of running faster for longer and jumping higher a possibility. </p> <br> |
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<p>Cyclodextrin is a cyclic oligosaccharide which has hydroxyl groups. They are able to engulf hydrophobic molecules and dispatch them within environments such molecules would be unable to reach. This gives them the ability to be a drug delivery system able to access fatty tissues, organs and even bone!</p> | <p>Cyclodextrin is a cyclic oligosaccharide which has hydroxyl groups. They are able to engulf hydrophobic molecules and dispatch them within environments such molecules would be unable to reach. This gives them the ability to be a drug delivery system able to access fatty tissues, organs and even bone!</p> |
Revision as of 10:53, 24 September 2012
Polysaccharides have a spectacular range of properties. These properties stem from the relationships between the chemical nature of the sugars within the polysaccharide, their arrangement within the polymer and the arrangement of the polymer itself. Polysaccharides appear in every corner of the natural world and have multiple applications ranging from protection to energy storage. Not surprisingly humanity has taken advantage of their diversity and by doing so created a huge variety of uses within the medicinal, material and consumable sectors. In this section we invite you to take a brief look at what could one day be possible if a system to design and build bespoke polysaccharides existed. Alex Clowsley, 2012. |