Beer waste could be used for bone treatment

Treated beer waste can be turned into an alternative material for skin grafts, and as a scaffold to assist with bone regeneration.

Bone and joint replacements are currently manufactured out of processed sheep bone or synthetics, but researchers from Spain, Belgium and the UK used beer waste instead, which contains phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and silica (the main chemical components found in bones).

The treated beer waste is flexible, and dissolves once bone grows back. The researchers hope that this new method of treating the waste will help eliminate the need for non-degradable materials.