That release could occur through use of specially treated bandages, or drug reservoirs within the body.
Prof Moratti, of the chemistry department, was ''very pleased'' to gain the funding, to develop smart, mechanically sensitive soft materials.
His grant was one of 10, totalling $826,000, provided throughout the country as part of the Science for Technological Innovation National Science Challenge, and announced last week by Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce.
The aim was for these novel materials to contain ''nanoscale drug reservoirs that can be triggered to release their contents through stretching, compression or ultrasound irradiation'', Prof Moratti said.
He has been working closely with a colleague, Otago chemistry lecturer Eng Tan, who is making the drug capsules.
One key idea was that drug release could be triggered when needed, including by external ultrasound stimulus, and could be repeated many times, including to ''help the healing''.
''It's one of the smart materials that we're able to put together.''
If long-term repeated release could be achieved, this could be used widely in many clinical situations where pulsed delivery is desirable including in epilepsy, cancer, pain relief and heart arrhythmias, he said.
The biological gel protected surfaces from infection and could also protect against adhesions, a potentially harmful form of scar tissue, developing after surgery.
By using ultrasound, drug release from internal depots could be activated non-invasively, potentially over many weeks, and through regularly applied doses.
Although pressure-sensitive plastics and rubbers have previously been developed, this project will be the first time the method has been applied to soft gels.
Prof Moratti said a key requirement was to produce gels with the required mechanical strength.
The researchers have found generic ways of toughening gels and want to develop microscopic drug capsules that can be broken open inside the gel.
