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Researchers create "plastic blood," immediately prank roommates

Researchers at Sheffield University have developed what they're calling "plastic blood" -- a synthetic blood substitute with the consistency of runny honey they say might be used on battlefields and in disaster areas within the next decade. The polymer blood mimics the structure of hemoglobin, the compound in real blood that transports oxygen around the body, but is only intended for short-term use until a real transfusion can be performed. That's still a huge improvement over carrying around real blood, especially since the plastic stuff can be handled and stored at room temperature and is completely sterile. The fake blood hasn't been tested on humans yet, and won't be until additional funding is secured to further refine the formula, but the potential impact of the idea is enormous -- our homemade zombie flicks are about to get way better.

[Via BBC]