During his freshman year at Missouri University of Science and Technology, Steve Jung took a class in ceramics engineering with Dr. Delbert Day that would dictate the next ten years of his life. Dr. Day, a well-known glass engineer at Missouri S&T, became Jung’s mentor through bachelor’s and master’s degrees in ceramics engineering and a doctoral degree in materials science and engineering. Jung secured 15 U.S. and foreign patents before receiving his doctorate and landed a prestigious job as chief technology officer at Mo-Sci Corp., a world leader in glass technology.

In those first ten years, Dr. Jung accumulated a long list of accomplishments, but his latest has incredible potential for the healthcare industry. A new medical product for wound care has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and Jung’s doctoral research led to its invention. The Mirragen Advanced Wound Matrix, made of microscopic glass fibers the body can absorb, is a flexible, moldable, and customizable bandage. Clinical trials conducted at Phelps County Regional Medical Center demonstrated its potential to speed up healing time and improve overall wound care. “People who were looking at having amputations didn’t have to lose their limbs. Wounds that wouldn’t heal or would otherwise take months to heal were doing so in relatively short periods of time,” says Jung.

Jung’s research has also contributed to the invention of another product, Rediheal, that has been used by veterinarians over the last three years to help heal wounds in animals. To learn more about Steve’s work, visit the Missouri S&T website.

**Photo Credit: Sam O’Keefe/Missouri S&T