Material scientist Ioannis V. Yannas has made many significant contributions to science. Of these, he likely considers one lifesaving discovery to be his crowning achievement.
In tandem with his colleague, Dr. John Burke, Dr. Yannas developed what was once considered impossible by the medical community. The creation even earned Dr. Yannas a place on the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
The invention is a type of advanced bandage, once called artificial skin, and is now recognized as the first product to promote organ regeneration in adults.
As part of their process, the team working on the invention was sure to deeply analyze why each previous attempt had failed. It was this analysis that led researchers to a product that far exceeds expectation.
They were shocked to find that one assumed failure, was actually a world-changing discovery.
Rather than helping the body to produce scar tissue faster, a collagen-based sheet was actually helping animal subjects grow back functional skin. When applied to human subjects, the product changed burn units forever.
In the above video from MIT, Dr. Yannas describes his journey towards discovery.
