Tag: Research

Laser light can soothe burned skin. Wounds need to be closed as quickly as possible to avoid becoming infected, a particular challenge for diabetes patients. Damaged nerves often prevent the timely detection of wounds and slower blood circulation negatively impacts the speed at which they heal. Now, to accelerate the process, a US research team has developed an electronic,...

Sporting activities reduce cancer cells in our bodies and power our fitness trackers. Purifying wastewater, however, requires a lot of energy - or does it? Not according to a South Korean research team. Their multi-layered, printable membrane, which is not subject to size restrictions, could be used to generate electricity during the treatment process. Because the top polymer layer...

Salvia can speak volumes on oral cancer. Brain tumours, however, are harder to spot, and are usually only discovered at an advanced stage, when patients’ speech or movement becomes affected. Enter a research team from Japan and their non-invasive test to detect brain tumours through our urine. The team discovered particles with special characteristics. The so-called extracellular vesicles are...

A smartphone can help detect the Zika virus. But research into how mosquitoes spread diseases is disagreeable for living test objects and both expensive and time-consuming. Cue a research team from Rice University, which has developed a cost-effective method using a synthetic, 3D-printed hydrogel skin. The gel is placed in a closed chamber with mosquitoes, and its tiny passageways...

Human urine could help build astronauts’ sleeping quarters on the moon, or supply fertiliser for farming. Cattle, however, are a major contributor to greenhouse gases by passing methane front and back. According to a study by a Washington State University research team, help might come from an unlikely source: the faeces of baby kangaroos. For, in contrast to their...

A natural alternative to single-use plastic was inspired by spiders. Now, an international research team from India and the US has turned its attentions to the animal kingdom to generate sustainable electricity for domestic use. The team struck lucky while experimenting with silkworm cocoons. When dry, the protein membrane is insulating. But with the help of water vapour it...

Pineapple peel is good for fish health, while domestic food waste can be made into chicken feed. Now, a food science research team from Cornell has discovered that an apple a day not only keeps doctors away from humans, but also benefits chickens. Their focus is on pomace, the fibrous waste produced when apples are pressed. It contains enough...

Steel can be replaced by bamboo and tiles made with bacteria. Now, a Japanese research team is converting food waste into biodegradable construction material, using discarded items from supermarkets such as vegetables, tea leaves and coffee grounds. Following their patent-pending process, the food waste is dried, pulverised and then heat-pressed into a mould and . Depending on its contents,...