Scientists from Linköping University in Sweden have developed a substance that, when interacting with the chemicals of a living organism, turns into a polymer that conducts electricity.

The authors of the discovery claim that their mixture will be widely used in medicine. For example, it could replace traditional electrodes placed in the human body to stimulate the brain or restore damaged nerves. Such electrodes leave scars and often cause inflammation. In addition, they can eventually degrade inside living tissues.

The substance created by Swedish scientists, when it enters a living organism, it reacts with glucose and lactate metabolites, and as a result, the gel polymerizes and turns into a harder material. Working under the guidance of biological chemist Roger Olsson, the study’s authors were able to “grow” conductive polymers in the fins and brains of Danio rerio aquarium fish. Experiments were also conducted with muscle tissue from chickens, cows and pigs.

But multiple tasks will need to be solved before the injection gel can be tested on humans. For example, although the resulting polymer has a fairly high conductivity, there is currently no way to make it functional by connecting it to an external power source. Also, scientists have yet to prove the safety of their product. Source