Blood-filled synthetic skin spares human volunteers itchy bites
In an effort to understand and help combat insect-borne diseases, many a human has sacrificed an arm in a tank full of mosquitos. Now, thanks to a new artificial skin impregnated with real blood, researchers might be able to spare humans the itchy bites, while gaining an even greater understanding of what makes mosquitoes tick.The synthetic skin was made out of a hydrogel, the water-rich gummy-like wonder material that's being investigated to do everything from purifying water to replacing human cartilage. It was…