MIT and USDA develop silk microneedles for safer fish vaccination
Water-resistant, food-grade microneedles could offer a safer way to vaccinate farmed fish.
In a study published in ACS Nano, researchers from MIT and the U.S. Department of Agriculture describe a new vaccination system for farmed fish using silk microneedles coated with shellac. The microneedles are designed to pierce fish skin underwater, release vaccines in a controlled manner, then decompose, and could offer a safer, more efficient approach to traditional needle injection.