This week we will discover a new material that is as light as plastic but stronger than steel. We also examine a new material that will allow us to create a more bullet proof vest. Finally we investigate a couple of new bio therapies that use our own cells to cure cancers and the Infinity Train which is planned for Western Australia.
Stronger than Steel
MIT researchers have developed a 2D polymer that weighs the same as plastic but is stronger than steel. The new material was developed via a new polymerization process which allows polymers to form in two dimensional chains. Previous processes formed polymers in one dimensional chains that became noodle like.
This robust lightweight material could sever as a a coating for automotive parts, smartphones and construction materials. The polymer has a yield strength that is twice that of steel. It takes up to six times more force to deform it than bulletproof glass and it has the strength to support a building. It is also completely impermeable to gases and liquids.
The team started with Melamine as the monomer. Melamine has a structure of carbon and nitrogen rings. In a solution exposed to the right conditions the molecule grew sideways into disk shapes. The disks then stack on top of each other with hydrogen bonds holding the layers together.
The process is very easily scalable and thin coat films that are extraordinarily strong can easily be spun. The team is looking at tweaking it for other types of materials.
A better Bulletproof vest
A team at the University of Wisconsin-Madion has developed an ultralight armor material that is better at absorbing impact than Kevlar or steel. One of the key considerations when making bullet proof materials is the weight.
This new ultralight armor called “nano fiber mat” is based upon carbon nanotubes which are tiny cylinders of carbon that are the same thickness as a single atom. For this new material the team combined the carbon nanotubes with Kevlar nano fibers. The team managed to produce hydrogen bonds between fibre which resulted in a dramatic leap in performance. The hydrogen bond is a dynamic bond, it can continuously break and reform. This allows it to dissipate a high amount of energy when it breaks before naturally reforming. At certain supersonic velocities there is almost a 100% improvement in performance against impacts allowing it to perform better than Kevlar or steel plates.
In addition to armor the new material has potential to allow spacecraft to absorb impacts from high-speed space debris.
New Biotherapies
Myeloma
The US FDA has approved a new cell based therapy for Blood cancer that was developed by Janssen (a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary) and Legend Biotech (from China) . The therapy is the second Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR-T) product to be approved.
CAR-T is a personalized medicine that works by reprogramming a patient’s T-cells (the cells that fight infection) with a transgene encoding a CAR that identifies and eliminates cells that express the B-cell maturation antigen. Every patient needs a personal medicine to be created from the patient’s white blood cells. As such it is currently very expensive to produce however that cost will reduce in time.
The therapy is approved for use in adults with relapsed myeloma or refractory (i.e. no longer responding to other treatments) multiple myeloma. The process is not simple and it does involve chemotherapy and other fatal risks however it does provide hope for patients that previously had no form of treatment.
Solid tumors
A2Bio is a Californian company that is focused on the treatment of solid tumors. They have released preclinical data related to their proprietary Tmod cell therapy platform. Tmod therapy is designed for cancer patients with tumors that harbor specific genetic deletions. Genetic testing enables early identification of the patients that may benefit from the therapy.
Tmod cell therapy exploits the genetic deletions to selectively destroy tumors while sparing normal cells. The cellular system incorporates two receptors, an activator and a blocker. The activator recognizes antigens on tumor cells that trigger their killing while the blocker recognizes antigens on normal cells that prevent them from destruction.
Exploiting the loss of genes in tumor cells provides an opportunity to unequivocally differentiate tumors from normal tissues. This allows the precise, personalized and effective T-cell targeting. This is a potential new way to safely and effectively treat solid tumor cancers.
The Infinity Train
Australian mining company Fortescue has acquired UK based Williams Advanced Engineering with whom it will develop a battery-electric train designed to transport train loads of iron ore without ever needing to be charged.
The train will use the gravitational energy created on the downhill sections of the rail network to recharge the batteries. The loaded train travels mostly downhill on the way to port and the empty train needs less power to return for another load. This eliminates the need for additional charging on the return trip and the need for electrification and recharging infrastructure on the line.
Time will tell if this is a one off solution or if it can be used in a wider market.
Paying it Forward
If you have a start-up or know of a start-up that has a product ready for market please let me know. I would be happy to have a look and feature the startup in this newsletter. Also if any startups need introductions please get in touch and I will help where I can.
If you have any questions or comments please comment below.
I would also appreciate it if you could forward this newsletter to anyone that you think might be interested.
Till next week.