Collaborate Disseminate
A team of scientists at North Carolina State University have developed a technique that could allow bricks and other common building materials to act as “cameras” that can reveal the location and distribution of radioactive materials that were once in … Continue reading Scientists turn bricks into gamma-ray cameras
Palaeontologists have announced the discovery of organic material in 75-million year old dinosaur fossils. The team claims to have found evidence of cartilage cells, proteins, chromosomes and even DNA preserved inside the fossils, suggesting these can … Continue reading Dinosaur DNA and proteins found in fossils, paleontologists claim
Rust may be generally unwelcome, but scientists at North Carolina State University are using it to develop a new radiation shielding that is lighter and cheaper than conventional materials. Aimed at protecting delicate electronics in space and other ho… Continue reading Rusty radiation shielding provides lighter and less bulky protection
Greenhouses and solar panels both need to be placed in areas with a lot of sunlight – so why not combine the two? Semi-transparent solar cells could potentially be built into the glass roof panels of greenhouses, capturing light at wavelengths that pla… Continue reading Semi-transparent solar cells could make greenhouses self-sufficient
As crop plants “breathe” through the pores in their leaves, they release an assortment of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. A new smartphone-connected device analyzes those chemicals within a matter of minutes, detecting and ide… Continue reading Smartphone device identifies plant diseases on the spot
Potentially fatal to both animals and humans, blue-green algae blooms occur when overly-abundant cyanobacteria in the water produce harmful substances known as cyanotoxins. The sooner those toxins are detected, the better – which is where a n… Continue reading Phone-connected device detects bacterial toxins in water
Antibiotics were one of the most important scientific developments of the 20th century, helping to easily control bacterial infections and make previously life-threatening procedures and illnesses safe. But inversely, they might also be one o… Continue reading Superbug gene that resists "last resort" antibiotics detected in US for the first time
When farmers find sickly plants in their crops, it’s important that they find out which malady is responsible, as quickly as possible. New microneedle technology could help, paving the way for a handheld device that would provide the answer w… Continue reading Microneedle patch makes for speedy identification of plant diseases
How do you stop bullets using the lightest material possible? This question has inspired a string of fascinating breakthroughs from material scientists in pursuit of advanced lightweight armor that keeps foot soldiers agile and vehicles light… Continue reading Bulletproof metal foam could make military vehicles lighter and more efficient
Design flaws in smart home Internet of Things (IoT) devices that allow third parties to prevent devices from sharing information have been identified by researchers at North Carolina State University. On storage constrained IoT devices, the lack of buf… Continue reading Flaws in the design of IoT devices prevent them from notifying homeowners about problems