Jimena González

"""Maintaining the skin hydrated is the most crucial aspect of proper healing."" The Argentinian Jimena González uses this resounding statement to describe the problem she set out to address: providing an environment that is more moist than dry to speed up the repair of damaged tissue and reduce pain and scarring. To this end, González is working on the creation of the best possible substitute for human skin: a water-based film, whose elasticity and strength imitate our own skin.

The material developed by this researcher, designed for use as a dressing or bandage to improve the healing process of wounds and burns, improves upon existing alternatives in several key ways like, for example, its price.

Currently, the researcher is coordinating biological trials of her material which are underway at specialized dermatology clinics. González is confident that ""since this is not a material which would be implanted, but rather applied externally, it will be easier to pass the necessary tests for commercialization."""