Don’t eat this “cotton candy.” Labs at Vanderbilt University and Harvard University, working with the National Science Foundation, are spinning cotton candy-like fibers for doctors and the military. Instead of sugar, researchers pour polymers into a cotton candy machine to make a heap of wispy strands. One research team is experimenting with combining the polymer fibers with hydrogel, which is a substance placed on wounds to keep them moist and help them heal. When the fibers dissolve into the hydrogel, they leave behind a tiny network of channels that resemble human capillaries. When this hydrogel is put on a wound, blood and nutrients can flow through the channels, making it easier for the tissue to heal. Additionally, scientists are looking into weaving the fibers into lighter bulletproof vests for soldiers.