Tag: Research

Self-dissolving medical aids can heal external wounds or restore defective heart valves. Now, using the body’s natural mechanisms, a Canadian-based research team has developed a similar concept to treat corneal abrasions. A certain amount of the enzyme MMP-9 is found naturally in the eye. Released in quantities that are proportional to the wound’s size, it helps the cornea to...

Modern tests for mosquito sprays use an artificial hydrogel skin. The effectiveness of new medication, meanwhile, can be analysed without harming animals. But animal testing hasn’t gone away. Enter a US-based Non-Profit-Organisation which has acquired an entire testing facility in Oklahoma, sparing 200 cats and dogs from further experimentation. The labs on the 120,000 square metre property were formerly...

Outgrown sustainable children’s shoes dissolve when cooked. A short hairstyle can be transformed with environmentally-friendly extensions. But making bespoke clothing more sustainable presents a challenge. Enter an interdisciplinary US-based research team and its revolutionary new knit-dress. A three-dimensional template is created using high-tech yarns and computerised knitting. Next, a programmable robotic arm with a hairdryer-like extension shapes the dress...

Future high-efficiency computer chips could be made using honey; while supercapacitors could lower CO2 levels. To reduce electronic waste, an Austrian science team has researched materials for printed circuit boards and found… mushrooms. The dried skin of ganoderma fungus, for example, is not only thin and flexible but also acts as a good insulator and can withstand temperatures of...

Lifting heavy items can be made easier. Now, an Italian lab team has developed a battery-operated aid for those whose legs cannot support their bodies. The team’s exoskeleton comprises two robot frames with motorised joints at hip and knee level. The structure can be telescopically adjusted to fit different body sizes. It’s attached on the outer side of the...

Fish remains are a good source of bioplastics. Jellyfish, meanwhile, could soon be an unlikely ally for police officers up and down the country. All thanks to Chinese-British researchers who have discovered that a fluorescent protein contained in the slimy sea-dwellers could be a big help at crime scenes. The protein binds with negatively-charged molecules in the grease and...

Pullovers from oyster shells are no sailor’s yarn. Mussels can also be a useful medical aid as a South Korean research team has proved with its biodegradable adhesive patch. To make it, they combined sticky proteins from the shellfish with two polymers: polyacryl and sodium salt. When dry, the patch is not adhesive. Instead, its adhesive effect comes into...

Some fish perceive their surroundings in the dark. Now, a Chinese-South Korean research team has developed a sensor that can recognise nearby objects without touching them. Key to the enterprise is a composite film made from two highly conductive materials. A polymer based on silicon (polydimethylsiloxane) and a few organic macromolecules (graphitic carbon nitride), which are mixed and then...