Summer has come and we bring to you the hottest stories on all things cellulose, paper-based sensors and diagnostics. Remember to leave a comment or give us a shout on Twitter or Facebook if you have any suggestions!

1. Sweet cellulose heals all wounds

Bagasse is a type of pulp that comes from the sugarcane, which is a huge industry in South America. Now, the research project ValBio-3D project has used nanocellulose that comes from bagasse as a base material to 3D print wound dressings. This opens the door to personalisation of the wound dressing to each case, and to the possibility of including biosensors within it!

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2. New materials for a new (bio)economy

 

Bioeconomy is trying to turn the way we usually think about economics & profit. Mills that turn birch, spruce and pine into tall oil, turpentine and many other bioproducts. European companies developing bioplastics that reduce the impact we have on the environment. These are only some of the highlights of the article that Euronews has done on bioeconomy.

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3. Sensible tattoos

Tattoos can be both beautiful and useful! This paper caught our eye this month, on how to use tattooed biosensors to measure pH, glucose, and albumin concentrations. Don’t worry, no humans were harmed in the process, as the experiments were done in ex vivo porcine skin. The results are very promising!

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4. Paper noses to detect fishy smells

We throw away tonnes on food. Approximately the 30% of the production. So, detecting if what you are about to eat is spoiled or not could have a great global impact in reducing this waste. Researchers at Imperial College of London have developed sensors made of paper that can detect whether meat and fish are safe to eat or not.

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5. Literally tailor-made batteries

We wear our electronics constantly on us, and gadgets have become a day-to-day thing. However, batteries are still bulky and difficult to fit into wearables. These researchers from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University have developed a battery made of textiles that is flexible and has a performance close to that of lithium batteries.

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