Tag Archives: Pulp and Fibre Research Institute

Norwegians weigh in with research into wood nanocellulose healing application

It’s not just the Norwegians but they certainly seem to be leading the way on the NanoHeal project. Here’s a little more about the intricacies of healing wounds and why wood nanocellulose is being considered for wound healing, from the Aug. 23, 2012 news item on Nanowerk,

Wound healing is a complicated process consisting of several different phases and a delicate interaction between different kinds of cells, signal factors and connective tissue substance. If the wound healing does not function optimally, this can result in chronic wounds, cicatrisation or contractures. By having an optimal wound dressing such negative effects can be reduced. A modern wound dressing should be able to provide a barrier against infection, control fluid loss, reduce the pain during the treatment, create and maintain a moist environment in the wound, enable introduction of medicines into the wound, be able to absorb exudates during the inflammatory phase, have high mechanical strength, elasticity and conformability and allow for easy and painless release from the wound after use.

Nanocellulose is a highly fibrillated material, composed of nanofibrils with diameters in the nanometer scale (< 100 nm), with high aspect ratio and high specific surface area (“Cellulose fibres, nanofibrils and microfibrils: The morphological sequence of MFC components from a plant physiology and fibre technology point of view” [open access article in Nanoscale Research Letters]). Cellulose nanofibrils have many advantageous properties, such as high strength and ability to self-assembly.

Recently, the suitability of cellulose nanofibrils from wood for forming elastic cryo-gels has been demonstrated by scientists from Paper and Fibre Research Institute (PFI) and Lund University (“Cross-linking cellulose nanofibrils for potential elastic cryo-structured gels”  [open access in Nanoscale Research Letters). Cryogelation is a technique that makes it possible to engineer 3-D structures with controlled porosity. A porous structure with interconnected pores is essential for use in modern wound healing in which absorption of exudates, release of medicines into the wound or exchange of cells are essential properties.

The Research Council of Norway recently awarded a grant to the NanoHeal project, from the project page on the PFI (Pulp and Fibre Research Institute) website,

This multi-disciplinary research programme will develop novel material solutions for use in advanced wound healing based on nanofibrillated cellulose structures. This proposal requires knowledge on the effective production and application of sustainable and innovative micro- and nanofibres based on cellulose. The project will assess the ability of these nanofibres to interact with complementary polymers to form novel material structures with optimised adhesion and moulding properties, absorbance, porosity and mechanical performance.  The NanoHeal proposal brings together leading scientists in the fields of nanocellulose technology, polymer chemistry, printing and nanomedicine, to produce biocompatible and biodegradable natural polymers that can be functionalized for clinical applications. As a prototype model, the project will develop materials for use in wound healing. However, the envisaged technologies of synthesis and functionalization will have a diversity of commercial and industrial applications.

The project is funded by the Research Council of Norway/NANO2021, and is a cooperation between several leading R&D partners.

  • PFI
  • NTNU [Norwegian University of Science and Technology], Faculty of medicine
  • Cardiff University
  • Swansea University
  • Lund University
  • AlgiPharma

Project period: 2012-2016

I wonder when I’m going to start hearing about Canadian research into wood nanocellulose  (nanocrystalline cellulose or otherwise) applications.