Collaborate Disseminate
The complex molecular structure of spider silk has been successfully copied as scientists spin silk from an artificial gland that mimics nature’s process of producing one of the world’s toughest fibers. Scientists believe this breakthrough is a huge st… Continue reading Artificial spider gland spins scalable spider silk just like nature
For centuries, shipworms have vexed mariners by boring into – and consuming – the hulls of wooden ships and boats. Soon, though, we may actually be eating those “worms,” as they have successfully been farmed for the first time.Continue ReadingCategory:… Continue reading Wood-eating shipworms may soon be farmed for shipworm-eating humans
Researchers have developed a plant-based hydrogel to create shape-changing, navigable small-scale robots with potential applications in biomedicine, including conducting medical procedures such as biopsies and delivering therapeutic cargo to cells and … Continue reading Plant-based hydrogel used to make navigable, shape-changing tiny robots
For the first time, scientists have successfully produced full-length spider silk fibers using genetically modified silkworms. With high strength and toughness, this silk has the potential to provide a scalable, sustainable and better-quality alternati… Continue reading Bionic silkworms with spider genes spin fibers 6x tougher than Kevlar
Keeping panels clear of dust in large solar farms can be a time-consuming, wasteful and costly business. A Sicilian technology startup called the Reiwa Engine has developed an autonomous robot called SandStorm to reduce maintenance and cleaning costs b… Continue reading Autonomous cleaning robot brushes away solar panel dust as it rolls
Topless drinking is not quite as thrilling as it sounds, but nonetheless it can be a more enjoyable way to rehydrate than simply chugging from a can. A team of creative beer enthusiasts has created an easy, portable and fun way to enhance the can exper… Continue reading Reimagine your beer can for cocktails on the go and kitsch upcycling
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
RMIT engineers say they’ve tripled the energy density of cheap, rechargeable, recyclable proton flow batteries, which can now challenge commercially available lithium-ion batteries for capacity with a specific energy density of 245 Wh/kg.Continue Readi… Continue reading Cheap proton batteries compete with lithium on energy density
Scientists often talk about fungi in ‘iceberg’ terms, in that what you see above the surface is a small fraction of what lies beneath. Dig into the dirt below a mushroom cup and you’re likely to find a vast network of mycelium, the nutrients and commun… Continue reading This clever material made from fungi could save your home in a fire
Paracetamol and ibuprofen are among the world’s most common over-the-counter painkillers, but manufacturing them requires crude oil. Now, researchers at the University of Bath have developed a more sustainable method, creating the drugs out of waste pr… Continue reading Painkiller producers could pivot to paper waste instead of crude oil