Two of the same: 3D-printed jelly made from seaweed for biomedical materials

A team of researchers from North Carolina State University (NC, USA) has developed a 3D-printed hydrogel by merging two different physical forms of seaweed material. The water-based gels – termed homocomposite hydrogels – offer strength and flexibility through the merging of the same alginate with scale networks of different sizes. This process eliminates fragility that can sometimes happen when different materials are merged to form a hydrogel. Corresponding study author Orlin Velev – S. Frank and Doris Culberson Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at North Carolina State University – stated: “Water-based materials can be soft and brittle. But...