Wyss InstituteSurface Coatings – Wyss Institute

Nixe: Bioinspired Sustainable and Water-repellent Textile Coating

Jessica Leff — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 16:48:28 +0000

PFAs, per- and polyfluorinated chemical compounds, were first used with the invention of Teflon in 1938 and by now are found in the blood of 97% of Americans. They pose risks to human reproductive and immune health, and are strongly suspected to cause cancer, developmental defects, and other health problems. As “forever chemicals,” they are passed through entire ecosystems and along food chains.

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Implantable biosensors get a major longevity boost

Jessica Leff — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 14:55:18 +0000

By Benjamin Boettner (BOSTON) — Wearable and implantable biosensors that can accurately detect biological molecules in a non- or minimally invasive manner have vast potential for monitoring patients’ physiology and response to therapies. For example, wearable glucose monitors that measure blood glucose levels and convert these measurements into readily readable and continuously recorded…

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Preventing pollution with bioinspired solutions

Jessica Leff — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 21:14:47 +0000

By Lindsay Brownell In honor of Pollution Prevention Week, we’re highlighting three Wyss projects that are taking on the formidable problems of PFAS and plastic – persistent and toxic pollutants that threaten the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or “forever chemicals,” are toxic substances that increase the risk of many health…

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The Wyss Institute’s 2024-2025 Validation Projects

Jessica Leff — Wed, 29 May 2024 14:55:23 +0000

Every year the Wyss Institute names a class of Validation Projects whose teams receive dedicated funding, business development support, and other resources to advance their promising technologies towards commercialization. They also collaborate with key opinion leaders, investors, and potential customers to de-risk their innovations and speed their progress to the market. This year…

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Catalytic Materials: Cheaper, Better Air Purification for a Healthier World

Mariel Schoen — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 20:22:04 +0000

Catalytic converters are the most widely used kind of air pollution control device, and are installed in many smokestacks and car tailpipes. However, standard catalytic converters are very expensive because the catalysts used in them are precious metals like platinum, meaning they are not always replaced as often as they should be, and are the target of theft in lower-income areas.

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eRapid: Multiplexed Electrochemical Sensors for Fast, Accurate, Portable Diagnostics

admin — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 19:58:09 +0000

Handheld electrochemical sensors have revolutionized at-home medical testing for diabetics, but they have not yet been successfully applied to diagnosing other conditions. These sensors are based on the activity of an enzyme, and there are only a limited number of enzymes that can be used to detect biomarkers of human disease. An alternative, much more broadly applicable sensing strategy based on…

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Repairing patients’ dura more durably

Jessica Leff — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 17:55:14 +0000

By Benjamin Boettner (BOSTON) — The dural membrane (dura) is the outermost of three meningeal layers that line the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain and spinal cord. Together, the meninges function as a shock-absorber to protect the CNS against trauma, circulate nutrients throughout the CNS, as well as remove waste. The dura also is a critical biological barrier that…

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A new glue, potentially also for you

Jessica Leff — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 15:50:09 +0000

By Benjamin Boettner (BOSTON) — Hydrogels are versatile biomaterials conquering an increasing number of biomedical areas. Consisting of water-swollen molecular networks that can be tailored to mimic the mechanical and chemical features of various organs and tissues, they can interface within the body and on its outer surfaces without causing any damage to even the most delicate parts of the…

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Advancing precision diagnostics at the patient point-of-care

Jessica Leff — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 15:55:59 +0000

By Benjamin Boettner (BOSTON) — Aging populations and the tendency to lead a more sedentary lifestyle in many parts of the world is thought to dramatically increase the numbers of people living with multiple, chronic conditions. Moreover, climate change, as well as shifting patterns in land-use and travel, keep increasing the risk of infectious diseases that can emerge and spread locally and…

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Staying dry for months underwater

Mariel Schoen — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 17:18:22 +0000

By Leah Burrows/SEAS Communications (CAMBRIDGE) — A species of spider lives its entire life underwater, despite having lungs that can only breathe atmospheric oxygen. How does it do it? This spider, known as the Argyroneta aquatica, has millions of rough, water-repellent hairs that trap air around its body, creating an oxygen reservoir and acting as a barrier between the spider’s lungs and the…

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