A clinical study of artificial red blood cells that can be stored for transfusions in times of emergency will begin in Japan by next March, according to Nara Medical University.

The university aims to put the artificial cells into practical use by around 2030, it said in early July, in what would likely be a world first.

The development of the blood cells, designed for use in remote areas and disasters, comes as a blood shortage is expected at medical facilities due to a declining number of donors amid the country’s shrinking population.