Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University developed an injectable microgel intended to reduce bleeding in infants during surgery. In animal-model tests, hemostatic B-knob-triggered microgels (BK-TriGs) reduced bleeding by at least 50%, according to the report. The team, led by Ashley Brown, PhD, co-corresponding author of a Science Advances paper titled “Hemostatic B-knob-triggered microgels (BK-TriGs) to address bleeding in neonates,” highlighted that neonatal clotting mechanisms differ from adults. The approach targets a clinical pain point where transfusion of adult blood products can introduce complications, aiming to improve hemostasis in a population described as having heightened postoperative mortality risks.