Tag: Research

Birds use the earth’s magnetic field as their compass. But how do animals perceive their surroundings in general? Tortoises and insects such as bees can differentiate between red, blue and green and see ultraviolet light. Snakes can recognise infrared light. With dogs and cats, meanwhile, it’s only shades of blue and green. Animals also experience different intensities and gradations...

Dusting solar modules can be a magical move. Now, a Turkish-based research team is experimenting with a more efficient way of turning sunlight into electricity. Using computer simulation, the team divided a solar cell into multiple small units. Then they assembled them into a hemispherical, rather than flat, form. This allows for more light to be captured at different...

The right scaffold can improve deteriorating eyesight. If a heart valve stops working, it’s usually replaced. One made from animal tissue might only last a decade. Metal varieties require patients to take medication all their lives. But, according to an English research team, there is another way. Banking on the body’s powers of regeneration, the team has developed a...

Thanks to 3D-printed alternatives, things are getting better for living test objects. Animals, too, could soon be spared chemical testing thanks to the work of an Edinburgh-based research team. Using a 3D printer, the team created a model comprising five interconnected compartments and filled each of those with human cells from the brain, heart, lungs, liver and kidney respectively....

Third degree burns can be treated with lasers. Now a Texas-based research team has discovered that near-infrared light has an important role to play in the fight against cancer. In conjunction with synthetic and biocompatible dyes. The dye molecules attach themselves to cancer cells, and influenced by the light, their atoms start to vibrate with such force that the tumour...

Banana paper can protect potato seeds from pathogens. But soil bacteria provide vital nutrients for plants’ healthy growth. Making them a good replacement for chemical fertilisers. If only they were less sensitive to heat, humidity and freeze-drying... Now, thanks to a US-based research team, the bacteria can be given a protective coating. It’s made by mixing metal ions -...

Bears can teach us about blood sugar levels. If our blood sugar - or blood pressure - is too high, it can lead to chronic kidney disease. Early detection is rare, however, since the disease can be symptomless at the start. Enter an Edinburgh-based research team and its high-resolution 3D eye scans. By laser scanning retinal tissue - aka...

Recycling rare earths, which are vital for electronic components, is critical. Carbon dioxide is reusable, too, and can generate sustainable electricity - just like in hydroelectric plants. In their test facility, a research team in Texas exchanged water for supercritical CO2. Above a temperature of 31℃ and pressure of 74 bar, sCO2 resembles a gas, but acts more like...