Empa investigates micro blood clots from stroke patients

(CONNECT) Researchers at the Transport at Nanoscale Interfaces Laboratory of the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) in Dübendorf are investigating micrometer-sized blood clots. Peter Nirmalraj and his team hope to draw conclusions about the risks of strokes, post-Covid diseases and rare forms of dementia by studying the smallest coagula, according to a press release.

Empa researchers are using imaging and various measurement methods to examine the shape, size and composition of blood clots from stroke patients. These investigations are being carried out jointly with Susanne Wegener's group at the University of Zurich (UZH). In addition to analyzing the samples, the effects of various medications on the blood clots are also investigated. The collected data is stored on an open source platform to enable other scientists to access the research results.

The current project is supported by the Peter Bockhoff Foundation, the Theodor Naegeli Foundation, the Immanuel and Ilse Straub Foundation and two other foundations, according to the press release. ce/ww