Teenagers ‘Chill N Heal’ to innovate wound bandages

TEEN-Turn afterschool participants Paulina Varuyeva and Kinga Tobianska, mentored by their teacher Rachel Dore at Desmond College, Newcastle West, are proving that innovation and determination can lead to impactful advancements in everyday life. These young scientists have turned their focus to revolutionising wound care with their latest endeavour, Chill ‘N’ Heal.

Paulina and Kinga developed their project at Project Squad, Teen-Turn’s afterschool programme which takes place in Desmond College every Thursday afternoon.

Teen-Turn is an Irish non-profit organisation that provides teenage girls the opportunity to gain hands-on STEM experience and the support to acquire qualifications and jobs, with a particular emphasis on underserved communities.

Paulina and Kinga’s project seeks to modernise the traditional bandage by incorporating hydrogels with healing properties. “Bandages have been used for centuries,” the team explained.
“We wanted to evolve them so they not only protect wounds but actively promote healing.” The innovative process began with brainstorming materials that could enhance wound healing. After extensive research, the team developed a formula using glycerol, cornstarch, gelatin, cutaneous powder, and water.

By emulsifying these ingredients through stirring and heating, they created a thick, durable hydrogel. Once cooled and shaped on sterile plates, the hydrogel was ready for testing.

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The team’s rigorous testing revealed promising results. Their hydrogel bandage exhibited high absorption capacity for wound exudate, strong mechanical properties ensuring durability, and anti-microbial properties to reduce infection risk.

These findings confirmed that Chill ‘N’ Heal performs as effectively as traditional bandages while offering enhanced healing benefits. Looking ahead, the team aims to advance their research by testing the hydrogel’s biocompatibility using cell cultures.

Paulina and Kinga credited Teen-Turn’s Project Squad sessions for fostering their confidence and providing the platform to develop their project. “At first, we were a little nervous, but once we started working on our idea, we felt excited and proud to see it come together,” they shared. “The feedback we received inspired us to keep pushing forward.”

The experience was not just an opportunity to build their project but also a chance to explore future opportunities in STEM. “It was a great experience to see the possibilities that lie ahead for us,” they stated. Paulina and Kinga were named as runners up in the Junior Science Category at Scifest@Teen-Turn in Dublin.

With the success of Chill ‘N’ Heal, Paulina and Kinga are motivated to continue their journey in STEM. They plan to expand their research, refine their project, and participate in more Teen-Turn activities that support young women in science. “We hope to inspire others to see the impact they can make through science,” they said.

SciFest is the largest second-level STEM fair programme in Ireland. Hosted locally in schools and regionally in third-level colleges, it's designed to be as inclusive and accessible as possible.