June 12, 2007 — A synthetic blood made from plastic molecules could one day help save the lives of soldiers on the battlefield or victims of natural disasters.
It is devoid of the problems associated with human blood, such as disease, compatibility and availability, and it can be developed into a dehydrated, "just-add-water" substance, giving it a longer shelf life.
"The method is cheap and we can make tons of this material if need be," said Lance Twyman, professor of chemistry and lead researcher on the project at the University of Sheffield in the U.K.
Twyman's team, like several others around the world, has been working for years to develop a viable synthetic blood to meet the need of emergency situations. But among the most popular approaches, challenges abound.
One technique wraps natural hemoglobin — the oxygen-transporting protein in living blood cells — in a polymer to replicate the role of blood cells. But these artificial cells can seep into fatty tissue and become toxic and oftentimes they produce too much oxygen, which can lead to hypertension.
Another popular technique uses fluorocarbon molecules that work to dissolve oxygen in the system the way that carbon dioxide dissolves in a fizzy drink to make it bubbly. But this approach also produces high concentrations of oxygen and ends up releasing the gas too fast to be of good use.
