A study led by Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), in collaboration with the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), sample first biomaterial developed from shrimp shells that is not only water-resistant, but becomes stronger upon contact with water.
Taking inspiration from the cuticle of arthropods, the researchers adapted the chitosan to create a biointegrated material that not only resists hydration, but increases its strength when wet, reaching values far superior to those of conventional plastics.
This process does not alter the biological nature of chitosan. "The material remains biologically pure in the eyes of nature; it is still essentially the same molecule found in insect exoskeletons or fungi," he explains. Javier G. FernándezICREA research professor at IBEC, principal investigator of the Biointegrated Materials and Engineering group and leader of the study, published in Nature Communications.This purity allows for perfect reintegration of the material into natural ecological cycles, without the need for recovery.
Caption: Javier G. Fernández & Akshayakumar Kompa – IBEC laboratories.
