Collaborate Disseminate
Scientists in Japan have developed an intriguing new glue that can basically be switched on and off on demand. The adhesive sticks together when hit with one wavelength of light, and breaks apart with another, allowing it to be removed and reused easil… Continue reading New adhesive can be switched on and off on demand, even underwater
We’re locked in an arms race with bacteria – and worryingly, it looks like we’re losing, as they increasingly develop resistance to our best drugs. Now, scientists at the University of Oklahoma have identified a new class of molecules that disable a ma… Continue reading “Molecular wedge” renders superbugs vulnerable to antibiotics again
RNA therapies are emerging as a promising treatment for cancer, but some types of the disease don’t respond well to it. Now, scientists at Tel Aviv University have demonstrated a way to use RNA drugs to treat multiple myeloma, a hard-to-reach cancer th… Continue reading RNA therapy targets hard-to-reach bone marrow cancer cells
Pills and tablets are usually shaped like circles and ovals, which makes them easier to swallow, but that doesn’t offer much control in how they release their drug payload. Max Planck scientists have now developed a model for designing complex 3D-print… Continue reading Jagged little pills: Bizarre shapes allow better drug release control
Plastic is one of the most useful materials in our modern world, but unfortunately it’s also one of the worst in a sustainability sense. Now, scientists at Berkeley Lab have developed a way to engineer bacteria to produce raw materials that can be made… Continue reading Bacteria recruited to build endlessly recyclable plastic
Anthropologists have pieced together the most complete Stone Age family tree so far, spanning seven generations of relatives. Genetic studies of the remains of dozens of people in one burial site in France reveal some surprising insights into the famil… Continue reading 7-generation Stone Age family tree suggests complex social structure
In what sounds like the opening scenes of a disaster movie, scientists recently revived worms frozen in the permafrost since the Ice Age. Now, these worms have been attributed to a new species, and seem to have passed down their incredible hibernation … Continue reading 46,000-year-old worms revived from permafrost belong to new species
Caltech scientists have developed a new type of vaccine that works like a hybrid of mRNA and protein nanoparticles. In tests in mice, the prototype produced five times more antibodies than existing COVID-19 vaccines, and could be put to work against a … Continue reading Hybrid mRNA and protein vaccine induce 5x more antibodies in mice
It may not be as catchy a name as Iron Man, but in a fight you might be better off betting on Glass DNA Nanolattice Man instead. Engineers at the University of Connecticut have developed a very strong and lightweight new material out of DNA that self-a… Continue reading Glass-coated DNA material boasts 4x strength of steel
Astronomers have discovered the cosmic equivalent of an overbearing parent dropping by uninvited to a teenagers’ party to make sure they all have enough water. An aging star has been detected for the first time passing through a young star-forming regi… Continue reading Ancient interloper star may have helped kickstart life on Earth