Molecular design strategy reveals near infrared-absorbing hydrocarbon
The lessons learned from a near infrared absorbing, bowl-shaped molecule made only from hydrogen and carbon atoms offers insights for future organic conductors. …read more
Category: Science
‘Classified knots’: Researchers create optical framed knots to encode information
Researchers have been able to create optical framed knots in the laboratory that could potentially be applied in modern technologies. Their work opens the door to new methods of distributing secret cryptographic keys – used to encrypt and decrypt data, ensure secure communication and protect private information. …read more
Those funky cheese smells allow microbes to ‘talk’ to and feed each other
Researchers found that bacteria essential to ripening cheese can sense and respond to compounds produced by fungi in the rind and released into the air, enhancing the growth of some species of bacteria over others. The make-up of the cheese microbiome is critical to flavor and quality of the cheese. …read more
Octopus-inspired sucker transfers thin, delicate tissue grafts and biosensors
Thin tissue grafts and flexible electronics have a host of applications for wound healing, regenerative medicine and biosensing. A new device inspired by an octopus’s sucker rapidly transfers delicate tissue or electronic sheets to the patient, overcoming a key barrier to clinical application. …read more
Viral ‘molecular scissor’ is next COVID-19 drug target
Inhibiting the SARS-CoV-2-PLpro enzyme is a novel avenue to explore in rational design of COVID-19 drugs, according to new research. …read more
New research comparing HIV medications set to change international recommendations
A new study is set to change international treatment recommendations for people who are newly diagnosed with HIV — an update that could affect nearly two million people per year worldwide. …read more
Internet connectivity is oxygen for research and development work
Fast and reliable internet access is fundamental for research and development activity around the world. Seamless connectivity is a privilege we often take for granted. But in developing nations, technological limitations can become stumbling blocks to efficient communication and cause significant disadvantages. …read more
All-terrain microrobot flips through a live colon
A rectangular robot as tiny as a few human hairs can travel throughout a colon by doing back flips, engineers have demonstrated in live animal models. …read more
Most effective drugs for common type of neuropathic pain
More than 20 million people in the U.S. suffer neuropathic pain. At least 25% of those cases are classified as unexplained and considered cryptogenic sensory polyneuropathy (CSPN). There is no information to guide a physician’s drug choices to treat CSPN, but a researcher recently led a first-of-its-kind prospective comparative effectiveness study. …read more
Ingestible capsule that could help demystify the gut-brain axis
A team of experts from engineering, neuroscience, applied microbiology, and physics has been making headway on building a platform that can monitor and model the real-time processing of gut microbiome serotonin activity. …read more
