Nature may have created weird bloods like blue or colorless ones, but this is really odd: a team at Sheffield University has created artificial blood made of plastic.

The synthetic plastic blood is not a long-term substitute for the real stuff but a substitute in emergencies like injured soldiers and crash victims, keeping them alive until a transfusion with biological blood can be carried out

This could be a huge advantage in war zones.

The artificial blood - having the composition of runny honey - is easy to carry, does not require refrigeration and can be kept for longer periods of time (even months) at room temperature.

Moreover, it is sterile and can be administered to any patient, regardless of his/her blood type.

The new blood, still not tested on humans, is made up of millions of plastic molecules that have an iron atom at their core, like hemoglobin, that can carry oxygen through the body, picking it up from the lungs and releasing it at cell level.

Biological blood must be refrigerated and can be stored for just a little over a month. Moreover, care has to be taken to ensure that the transfusion matches the patient's blood group and that it's free of germs.

The research team appreciates that the plastic blood would result cheap to produce and they are searching for a final prototype fitted for biological testing. "We are very excited about the potential for this product and about the fact that this could save lives. Many people die from superficial wounds when they are trapped in an accident or are injured on the battlefield and can't get blood before they get to hospital", said Dr Lance Twyman, of the university's Department of Chemistry. "This product can be stored a lot more easily than blood, meaning large quantities could be carried easily by ambulances and the armed forces."

A Newcastle University team is currently performing experiments to develop substitute blood, starting from the clear blood encountered in lugworms and which would be 40 times more effective in carrying oxygen than normal blood is.