The engineers have taken silk from a domestic silk moth and turned it into a form of jelly called a microgel using light. They have shown in mice that it is tolerated in the body and can help regenerate cells and tissue.

The microgel is designed to mimic the mechanics and physical properties of things that cells interact with anywhere in the body, as well as the properties of human tissue.

The ultimate goal is to continue to develop the material to assist in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and also support the heart muscle in people who have had a heart attack.