Tag: bacteria

Water fleas help curb the spread of algae. But fleas have also inspired an Australian research team hoping to guard implants against bacterial settlement. Fleas owe their jumping ability to resilin, an elastic protein that is highly resistant, non-toxic and biocompatible. Adapted as nano droplets with a large surface area and acting as a coating, the protein was 100% effective...

Laser light can cool down high performance processors. It can also make things hot for viruses and bacteria… A US startup’s new photonic chip, measuring the size of a 1 cent coin, can render pathogens inactive with the help of far-UVC light. By using the so-called ‘Second Harmonics’ effect. When blue laser light with a 445 nm wavelength is...

An agency represents people whose looks don’t conform. Including those with vitiligo, an auto-immune disease which causes skin discolouration. In its search for a cure, an American university team hit upon a carbohydrate compound. It was isolated from a gut-friendly bacteria called Bacillus subtilis. During an 18-week study, vitiligo-prone mice were given weekly injections of these exopolysaccharides (EPS). The...

Algae and robots can combine to reduce CO2 in our oceans. A New York-based research team is deploying algae-like bacteria’s photosynthesis capabilities to lower carbon dioxide levels indoors. A cyanobacteria-infused anode is embedded in a bio-based solar cell. Five of these solar cells are attached as leaves to an artificial plant structure which is placed in a pot. Capillary...

Naturally-occurring colour pigments in purple maize have anti-inflammatory properties. Clothes, meanwhile, are rarely manufactured using natural colours. But all that could be about to change thanks to the work of two textile engineers and their New York-based startup. The team is using biotechnology to create colourful yarn without using dye. First, in a fermentation process, special bacteria produce natural...

Internal wounds could be closed by a robot with an integrated 3D-printer. Sometimes, however, a blood transfusion is required. Here, blood type and Rh factor must be identical for donor and patient, although type 0 can generally be used for types A, B and AB. Need is unpredictable, and donated blood can only be stored for 42 days. Now,...

Vaccination patches could be printed locally. Now, a long-term study is offering hope to those who suffer from bacterial urinary infections. Over a 9-year period, a British medical team observed the effects of a spray (containing different types of bacteria) administered under the tongue to 72 women and 17 men. All had suffered previously from UTIs  and took a...

Flexible building design is good for the environment. Traditional cement production is not as it's responsible for 8% of global CO2 emissions. A statistic that an American startup is striving to change. Inspired by marine ecosystems, the female founder experimented with bacteria that produce calcium carbonate. One of the company’s first products are stone tiles, manufactured in a patented process...