US Army to develop artificial human skin and powdered blood
Blood has to be stored carefully, and skin is in short supply but new developments would mean they're available anywhere, anytime
Key takeaways
- Jeffrey Johnson, commanding general of Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, which sits adjacent to the research facility.
- The new breakthroughs, when they appear, could also help determine how doctors operate or respond to trauma without the tools provided in an operating room.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2017) 'US Army to develop artificial human skin and powdered blood', 311 Institute, 3 March. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/us-army-to-develop-artificial-human-skin-and-powdered-blood/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Researchers, doctors and bio-technicians at the US Army Institute of Surgical Research are working on new, more efficient ways to administer blood to troops who are injured in combat, and one day we could see it, and other advances used along technologies such as the US Army's "Digital Twin" program.
One possibility? Powdered blood.
“How do we replicate the red blood cell?” said Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Johnson, commanding general of Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, which sits adjacent to the research facility.
During Defense Secretary Ash Carter’s recent tour of the hospital, Johnson spoke with about the latest medical technologies the institute is cultivating “because on the battlefield, that’s a big issue for us.”
”It’s complicated to keep blood, at the right temperature, in the right volume, make sure it can still store oxygen when you put it into somebody,” said Johnson said, and as a result, the researchers are now trying to develop not just any old artificial blood product, such as the one that’s being developed by the UK’s National Health Service, they want to develop powered artificial blood.
“We’re looking at powder products that get reconstituted as liquid,” he said, “it would save the exhaustive measures required to keep whole blood viable while in remote areas or on the battlefield.”
Johnson also said the institute is also looking at ways to “patch up” burn victims on site.
“They’re developing artificial skin, or skin that comes from just a very small piece of a person’s skin, and then can be made into a large amount, and then be put into a spray bottle,” he said, “the flesh mist would regenerate and grow as it is applied to the surface of the body.”
However, in this respect it looks like they may already be behind the curve after BioDan this week announced that they’d managed to 3D print artificial skin on demand, and after RenovaCare announced the launch of their SkinGun, a stem cell based gun that sprays “new” skin onto burns.
The new breakthroughs, when they appear, could also help determine how doctors operate or respond to trauma without the tools provided in an operating room. Brooke Army Medical Center wants its doctors and technicians to be able to “make critical decisions in that austere environment,” Johnson said.
What this means for your organisation
The cold chain is the constraint.
Whole blood needs careful storage, temperature control and volume management. A powder that is mixed on site removes much of that burden. That matters for remote clinics and disaster zones as well as battlefields.
Skin can be grown from a little skin.
Turning a small sample into a large amount of spray-on skin could transform burns care. Several firms are already working in this space. Hospitals should follow trial results closely.
Care moves to austere settings.
Doctors want to make critical decisions without a full operating room. Synthetic blood and artificial skin support that shift. Emergency services should plan kit and training for it.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- How would blood without a cold chain change our emergency care?
- Which burns treatments should we trial as they emerge?
- Are our field teams trained for care outside hospitals?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Blood has to be stored carefully, and skin is in short supply but new developments would mean they're available anywhere, anytime
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
What future do you need to see?
Choose one to get started on biotech and enhanced humans and the future of your organisation.
Sources and further reading
- US Army Institute of Surgical Research usaisr.amedd.army.mil
- Brooke Army Medical Center bamc.amedd.army.mil
- to keep blood usaisr.amedd.army.mil
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 3 March 2017. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2017). US Army to develop artificial human skin and powdered blood. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/us-army-to-develop-artificial-human-skin-and-powdered-blood/
You are welcome to quote this article with credit and a link to the original.