August 22, 2007

Programmable polymers can develop new structures

Scientists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have been working on programming polymers so that they can make complex structures.

The example given is that of a potato crisp, it starts off flat and round, yet as it cooks the shape changes into many diverse shapes, but never remains the same.

Apart from the obvious uses within industry and manufacturing, there are more useful applications for a programmable polymer, such as biomedical and even optical, being able to create such structures like this has almost limitless possibilities.

The team is headed up by Dr. Eran Sharon who explained the importance of such work, and how it would be possible to even see how complex structures develop in nature.

Source [TFOT]