Bubble wrap serves as sheet of tiny test tubes in resource-limited regions

Bubble wrap can serve as an inexpensive alternative to full-size test tubes. Credit: American Chemical Society

Popping the blisters on the bubble wrap might be the most enjoyable thing about moving.

But now, scientists propose a more productive way to reuse the popular packing material — as a sheet of small, test tube-like containers for medical and environmental samples. Their report, which shows that analyses can take place right in the bubbles, appears in the ACS journal Analytical Chemistry.

George Whitesides and colleagues explain that although bubble wrap filled with biological samples, like blood or urine, or chemicals would have to be handled carefully, the material offers numerous advantages for those living in resource-limited areas. The material is available almost everywhere around the world, is inexpensive, doesn’t generate sharp edges when broken (like glass containers), is easily disposed of by burning and is flexible. The interiors of the bubbles also are sterile, so there’s no need for costly autoclaves that have to be plugged in — a huge plus for the nearly 2 billion people around the world who do not have regular access to electricity.

To show that their idea could work, the team injected liquids into the air-filled pockets of bubble wrap with syringes and sealed the holes with nail hardener. They successfully ran anemia and diabetes tests on the liquids. They also could grow microbes such as E. coli in the blisters, which is important for detecting contamination in water samples. “The bubbles of bubble wrap, therefore, can be used for storing samples and performing analytical assays, a function that has the potential to be especially beneficial in resource-limited regions, and in very cost-sensitive applications,” they conclude.

via American Chemical Society

The Latest on: Uses for bubble wrap

[google_news title=”” keyword=”Uses for bubble wrap” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]

via Google News

The Latest on: Uses for bubble wrap

Doctor Who Travels to Disney+ For a Lavish, Fun New Regeneration
on May 6, 2024 at 7:20 am
It's funny to see a show barreling so ardently towards the new when its fundamentals, right down to its writing, hearken back to the last time the show was revived. The first two episodes of New-Who ...
The best DIY vinyl car wraps of 2024
on May 2, 2024 at 5:45 am
It features bubble-free air-release technology and is ... on how to apply a vinyl wrap properly. What can a vinyl wrap be used on? A vinyl wrap can be used on other things besides cars.
How to use plastic wrap for moving
on May 1, 2024 at 1:32 pm
These include tape, boxes, moving blankets, bubble wrap — and even plastic wrap. Plastic wrap has many uses when it comes to moving, but people primarily use it to protect upholstered and large ...
‘The Heart of Rock and Roll’ Broadway Review: Huey Lewis’ Jukebox Musical Is Paper Thin
on April 22, 2024 at 6:47 pm
If you’re going to set your musical in a cardboard box factory, why not have your chorus tap dance over bubble wrap? If only “The Heart of Rock and Roll” were so silly every moment of its ...
Is Bubble Wrap Recyclable? How to Handle This Popular Packing Material
on April 14, 2024 at 6:21 pm
Believe it or not, you can use bubble wrap in many ways you'd never expect! Bubble wrap, of course, is a sheet of plastic with air bubbles. A packing material, it's commonly used to protect or ...
Bubble Wrap Frenzy
on April 6, 2024 at 4:09 pm
All the Latest Game Footage and Images from Bubble Wrap Frenzy OK, ready for the most addicting, mind-blowing, fun action packed game for you and your family? Look no further, this game app will ...
In pictures: Cadbury opts for bubble wrap to unveil new Dairy Milk campaign
on December 15, 2023 at 3:50 pm
To receive full access to Campaign's content including: Unrestricted access to all The Information and The Knowledge content Access to Campaign's in-depth features and coveted reports including ...
Bubble Wrap Cure For Nexus 7 Speaker Distortion
on January 7, 2013 at 1:08 am
He figured out how to fix it using a small piece of bubble wrap. The eureka moment came when ... helps hold everything in place and now he can use his tablet at full volume without any problems.
Bubble wrap for warmth
on June 30, 2012 at 7:24 pm
As homeowner Denise Wheoki has discovered, the cheap plastic wrap traps heat. Photo / Rob Tucker Hang on to that wrap. It's a cheap home insulator. Bubble wrap is being rolled out as a budget ...