University of Texas at Austin researchers have developed a gel that can smuggle insulin past the stomach and slowly release the drug into the blood, doing away with diabetics’ daily injections.

The team created a new water-based gel using nanoparticles of two polymers. When formed into particles around 100 nanometers across and combined with water, the polymers form a flexible hydrogel that can soak up insulin.

When put into less acidic conditions, like those found in the intestines, the polymer chains changed shape to make the hydrogel swell and release its payload.