Lecture 'Ever wondered why plastics can save a person's life?'

Nowadays, plastics suffer from a negative connotation given environmental issues associated with microplastics polluting the ocean. However, biodegradable plastics, also referred to as polymers, can tackle these issues. What is more, polymers are a class of materials indispensable in human life. They are applied for many applications including automotive, furniture, clothes, food packaging, but even in health. Indeed, most implants currently applied in the hospital are polymer-based. In addition, polymers can even be applied to regenerate human tissue, which is thus an ideal alternative to tackle the current donor shortage. The current talk will provide an overview of recent advances including 3D printing approaches to develop patient-specific implants which can interact with human tissue and enable tissue integration.