Synthetic DNA Makes Better Hydrogels for Drug Delivery: "Hydrogels are liquid or semisolid materials composed of long-chain molecules cross-linked to one another to create many small empty spaces that can absorb water or other liquids like a sponge. If the spaces are filled with a drug, the hydrogel can dispense the drug gradually as the structure biodegrades. Widespread research also is under way on using hydrogels as scaffolds for tissue engineering and tissue repair, where the spaces in the gel might be filled with stem cells, tissue-growth factors or a combination of both.

Hydrogels for these purposes are usually made from organic or inorganic polymers (molecules that form long chains), such as alginate from seaweed. Some have been made from proteins but none entirely from ordinary DNA. So far, all these processes have used organic solvents or acids or involve high temperatures, making conditions too harsh for a drug or living cells, so the materials to be encapsulated must be loaded in afterward. "