Will investigate how synthetic blood can be produced

Evolution has shaped blood so it flows through the circulatory system at a rate that allows cells to absorb oxygen and nutrients. Wallenberg Academy Fellow Andrea Scotti will study how different particles in a fluid affect its flow. One of his aims is to understand which characteristics of a particle have to be controlled to create synthetic blood with the right viscosity.   

Some fluids behave in a very complex way; in certain conditions they can be runny like water, under others they behave almost like a solid. Examples of these are beauty creams, mayonnaise and blood. For example, our blood flows differently depending on whether it is moving through an artery, vein or capillary. 
Because blood has so many different components, it is difficult to know what causes its varying viscosity, but all fluids that behave in a complex manner contain various kinds of soft particles. To understand how soft particles affect flow, Dr Andrea Scotti, that at the time of the application was employed at the Institute of Physical Chemistry, RWTH, Aachen, Germany, will make detailed studies using model systems of fluids. Combining X-rays and neutrons, he will picture how soft particles organise and change shape under flow. 

In a second step, he will then develop synthetic equivalents to biological materials, such as red blood cells. One hope is that he will boost scientific progress towards the production of synthetic blood. As a Wallenberg Academy Fellow, Andrea Scotti will work at Lund University.  

Photo Patrik Lundin