The Worm Podcast22 Okt 2025

EPISODE 32: Colour Code – Smart Polymers That Glow, Track, and Heal

How do you make a nanoparticle that tells you where it is and helps at the same time?

In this episode, we dive into the chemistry behind polydiacetylene (PDA)—a polymer that changes colour when it senses temperature, pH, or stress.

Researchers combined PDA with biodegradable poly(glycerol adipate) to create self-reporting nanoparticles that:

Change colour from blue to red under stress or heat
Track cells and nematodes without any added fluorescent dyes
Degrade naturally via enzymatic action
Carry drugs like usnic acid for therapeutic delivery

It’s a step toward theranostic polymers—materials that diagnose and treat simultaneously, glowing as they go. Even C. elegans joined the test, confirming safe uptake and real-time visibility.

📖 Based on the research article:

“Tailoring the Properties of Polydiacetylene Nanosystems for Enhanced Cell Tracking Through Poly(glycerol Adipate) Blending: an In Vitro and In Vivo Investigation”

Benedetta Brugnoli, Eleni Axioti, Philippa L. Jacob, Nana A. Berfi, Lei Lei, Benoit Couturaud, Veeren M. Chauhan, Robert J. Cavanagh, Luciano Galantini, Iolanda Francolini & Vincenzo Taresco

Published in Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics (2025)

🔗 https://doi.org/10.1002/macp.202500259

🎧 Subscribe to the WOrM Podcast for more bright ideas in molecular sensing, smart polymers, and organism-level science.

This podcast is generated with artificial intelligence and curated by Veeren. If you’d like your publication featured on the show, please get in touch.

📩 More info:

🔗 ⁠⁠www.veerenchauhan.com⁠⁠

📧 veeren.chauhan@nottingham.ac.uk

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