Viruses are so varied and evolve so quickly that creating effective treatments against them becomes a daunting task. Image credit: Christina Victoria Craft on Unsplash The COVID-19 pandemic has raged for over…
Author: Carolyn Gramling
A powerful underwater glue inspired by barnacles and mussels
Using silk proteins, researchers create crosslinking fibers that contain iron complexes similar to those used by sticky underwater sea creatures. Image credit: Andreas Haslinger Unsplash It comes as no surprise, but we…
“Artificial sun” breaks a new fusion record
New milestone in fusion energy made with China’s HL-2M Tokamak reactor. Fusion reactor Tokamak. Shutterstock China’s Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) set a new world record last week when its “artificial sun”…
How can we leverage heritage in a changing global climate?
A resident walks the streets of Fez, Morocco, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Image credit: Chrissie Giannakoudi Unsplash Tucked away in a remote Indonesian cave lies a key component in the evolution of…
A robot that smiles back
Eva mimics human facial expressions in real-time from a living stream camera. Creative Machines Lab Nonverbal communication is a significant part of our ability to communicate with one another, often carrying greater…
Diagnosing malaria in the field with accurate and portable rapid tests
If you’ve been hearing more and more about “lab-on-a-chip” technology recently, it’s for good reason. These devices can be used to mimic organs, perhaps replace animal models in biomedical research, but ultimately,…
A “self-stirring” pill enhances drug bioavailability
Self-propelling microparticles enhance the dissolution of drugs in the stomach, achieving better bioavailability without the side effects of high dosing. The majority of drugs we take are administered orally, and while this…
Mixing COVID-19 vaccines might boost immunity
Emerging data from trials exploring mixing different types of vaccines demonstrate the practice is safe and could boost immunity. Image credit: Mat Napo on Unsplash Since the first COVID-19 vaccines became available…
3D printing lays the foundation for a new range of diagnostic tests
A new 3D-printing technique makes rapid self-tests based on lateral flow technology less expensive and easier to scale. Image credit: Ameloot Group The current COVID-19 pandemic has made the need for rapid…
3D-bioprinted breast cancer to understand tumor growth and spread
A prototype platform allows researchers to culture and study tumor growth in new detail. 3D bioprinted breast cancer tumors (green) and supportive microenvironments (purple) to better understand how they interact with one…