gels

11.25.09

A Squirt of Stem Cell Gel Heals Brain Injuries

By Sandeep Ravindran Posted 09.04.2009 at 9:59 am 10 Comments

Scientists have developed a gel that helps brains recover from traumatic injuries. It has the potential to treat head injuries suffered in combat, car accidents, falls, or gunshot wounds. Developed by Dr. Ning Zhang at Clemson University in South Carolina, the gel is injected in liquid form at the site of injury and stimulates the growth of stem cells there.

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READ MORE ABOUT > brain, brain injuries, brain trauma, gels, health, medicine, science news, short science articles

Pectin: Not Just For Jelly

The kitchen alchemists unleash the power of a familiar plant-derived edible gel

By Aki Kamozawa and H. Alexander Talbot Posted 07.07.2008 at 5:00 pm 1 Comment

Pectin is probably most recognizable to home cooks as the ingredient that thickens jellies and jams and gives them that smooth, sticky texture. Pectin is an indigestible soluble fiber which, when combined with water, forms a colloidal system and gels. It has a wide range of uses. It can be found as a gelling, thickening or stabilizing additive in food, an ingredient in laxatives, a demulcent in throat lozenges, and vegetable glue for cigars.

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READ MORE ABOUT > Aki Kamozawa, cooking, gels, H. Alexander Talbot, Kitchen Alchemy, pectin, polysaccharides