Keep Those Crab and Shrimp Shells for Biomedical Purposes

In Portugal, researchers have now given us a reason to keep those crab and shrimp shells after consuming the deliciousness inside. Three researchers at the University of Minho have discovered that by taking a sugar called chitosan found in crab and shrimp shells and combining it with nano-materials, they can create a biomaterial capable of helping the biomedical community. The biomaterial could potentially help with bone regeneration and bone grafts as well as be developed as an antibacterial wound dressing to help them heal faster. They are doing further research to figure out applications and answer questions with how it degrades and how a human body accepts or interacts with the biomaterial.