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Credit: 4D-BIOMAP
"The overarching idea of this research project is to influence different biological processes at the cellular level (i.e., wound healing, brain synapses or nervous system responses) by developing timely engineering applications", explains 4D-BIOMAP's lead researcher, Daniel García González from the UC3M's Department of Continuum Mechanics and Structural Analysis.
The so-called magneto-active polymers are revolutionising the fields of solid mechanics and materials science. These composites consist of a polymeric matrix (i.e., an elastomer) that contains magnetic particles (i.e., iron) that react mechanically by changing their shape and volume. "The idea is that the application of an external magnetic field leads to internal forces in the material. These forces result in alterations of its mechanical properties, such as stiffness or even shape and volume changes which may interact with the cellular systems'', explains Daniel García González.The researcher recently published a scientific article in