The Clay That Could Change How We Take Our Meds
A Mexican research team discovers a novel way to improve drug delivery using synthetic clay called laponite. This innovation offers controlled release, low cost, and could even replace injections.
Dr. María Josefa Bernad Bernad has a problem most scientists would envy: she's got too much innovation on her hands. At the Faculty of Chemistry at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), her team is overflowing with ideas centered around a seemingly unremarkable material – the synthetic clay called laponite.
Don't let laponite's humble origins fool you. This unassuming clay is hiding a superhero alter-ego. Dr. Bernad Bernad's research reveals it can transform the way we deliver drugs. It's a discovery that caught the eye of the National Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry (CANIFARMA), earning her team a 2023 Award honorable mention for technological research. What makes laponite so special? Let's break it down.