Indian scientists make breakthrough discovery of material that repairs itself

Scientists have developed piezoelectric molecular crystals that repair their own mechanical damage without the need for any external intervention, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) said on Saturday.

Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/science-and-environment/indian-scientists-make-breakthrough-discovery-of-material-that-repairs-itself-1012430.html

Scientists have developed piezoelectric molecular crystals that repair their own mechanical damage without the need for any external intervention, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) said on Saturday.

Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/science-and-environment/indian-scientists-make-breakthrough-discovery-of-material-that-repairs-itself-1012430.html

Scientists have developed piezoelectric molecular crystals that repair their own mechanical damage without the need for any external intervention, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) said on Saturday.

Piezoelectric crystals are a class of materials that generate electricity when it undergoes a mechanical impact.

Devices that are used daily often break down due to mechanical damage, forcing users either to repair or replace them. This decreases the life of the equipment and increases maintenance costs. In many cases, like in a spacecraft, human intervention for restoration is not possible.

"Keeping such necessities in mind, researchers from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata, in collaboration with IIT Kharagpur, have developed piezoelectric molecular crystals that repair themselves from mechanical damages without need for any external intervention," the DST said in a statement.

Called bipyrazole organic crystals, the piezoelectric molecules developed by the scientists recombine following mechanical fracture without any external intervention, autonomously self-healing in milliseconds with crystallographic precision, it said.

In these molecular solids, due to the unique property of generating electrical charges on mechanical impact, the broken pieces acquire electrical charges at the crack junction, leading to attraction by damaged parts and precise autonomous repair.

This research, supported by the DST through its Swarnajayanti Fellowship to CM Reddy and Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) grants, has been published in the journal 'Science' recently.

This methodology was initially developed by the IISER Kolkata team led by professor C M Reddy, a recipient of Swarnajayanti fellowship (2015), Professor Nirmalya Ghosh of IISER Kolkata, a laureate of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) G.G. Stokes Award in Optical polarisation 2021, used a custom-designed state-of-the-art polarisation microscopic system to probe and quantify the perfection of the piezoelectric organic crystals, the the statement said.

These materials with perfect internal arrangement of molecules or ions are called 'crystals' which are abundant in nature.

In the IIT Kharagpur's team, Professors Bhanu Bhusan Khatua and Sumanta Karan studied the performance of the new materials for fabricating mechanical energy harvesting devices, it added.

The material may find application in high-end micro-chips, high precision mechanical sensors, actuators, micro-robotics. Further research into such materials may eventually lead to the development of smart gadgets that self-repair cracks or scratches.

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These 3 Creepy Animals Can Save Human Lives

Wasps, spiders, and cockroaches may be creepy, but all 3 may soon be able to revolutionize medical research. Let’s all admit it, the majority of people have a difficult relationship with most arthropods. One of the most common phobias in the world is arachnophobia, the fear of spiders (and other arachnids such as scorpions), so that relationship has gone downhill before it had a chance to start. The story with insects is very similar: we consider a lot of them to be pests, and the rest are just some strange alien creatures that just happen to live on the same planet with us. Little did we know that these creepy-crawlies may hold the key to the medical research of the future.

1. Spiders

Although arachnid research in the field of medicine is still in the developing stages, scientists managed to isolate two main resources (spider venom and spider silk) that could potentially transform the way we treat certain conditions.
Spider venom, in particular, has been tested as an experimental treatment of pain caused by IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), as well as a substance that could potentially treat epileptic seizures.
More specifically, an Australian research team has managed to isolate a protein from the venom of a species of tarantula, Heteroscodra maculata, that can block the pain signals from the intestines to the central nervous system. The researchers then developed a treatment that was shown to inhibit IBS-related pain, at least in animal models. A different Australian research group looked at how a peptide isolated from spider venom can potentially help treat seizures in Dravet’s syndrome, a severe type of epilepsy characterized by an extreme sensitivity to high temperatures. 
Spider silk is the strongest biological material on the planet, not to mention it’s very flexible and light, no wonder researchers are looking at its potential to be used in sutures and bandages, as well as medical devices and prosthetics. A research team antiobiotic resistantpromises to come up with a new generation of spider silk-based materials that may soon transform not only medical supplies but also protective and sports equipment.

2. Cockroaches

Cockroaches may be a pest in your mind, which they definitely are, but medical science found a use even for these creepy creatures. Some researchers plan on using them as a cheaper alternative to common lab animals, like mice, in some experiments, whereas others claim the cockroach brain may hold the secret to treatment for antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

In fact, in China, there are entire cockroach-breeding farms, as ground-up cockroaches are believed to treat gastrointestinal problems. Also, a research team in the UK found that the brains of cockroaches and locusts contain at least 9 different compounds that could potentially kill drug-resistant bacteria.

The researchers hope one of these compounds may be the key to a cure for infections caused by such increasingly-resistant bacteria, like Escherichia coli and MRSA.

3. Wasps

A fear of wasps is completely warranted, as their stings can be not only spontaneous and extremely painful, but also commonly cause allergic reactions. But, as it often happens in medicine, toxic substances may hide a secret medical use that may save lives in the future.

In the case of wasp and hornet venom, there are at least 2 different compounds that may open the door to medical innovation. The most-studied compound is mastoparan, a peptide that can be found in the venom of different species of wasps and hornets. Mastoparan has been found to have antimicrobial, antibiotic and even anti-cancer properties, but there is a catch.

It turns out that, while mastoparan does kill the harmful bugs and makes certain tumors vanish, it is toxic to the healthy cells as well, so the next hurdle in clinical research is a more targeted treatment. Finally, a different type of peptides (ampulexins) from the venom of emerald jewel wasps, on the other hand, are currently reviewed as a potential treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

As you can tell, the majority of these research projects are a work in progress, but it’s fun to entertain the idea of these arthropods saving human lives nevertheless. It would be an unexpected turn of events to find yourself in a situation where you owe your health to a creature you despise, wouldn’t it?

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