Tag: materials science
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Silk, Cellulose Provide Useful Scaffold to Repair Cartilage
Researchers at the universities of Bristol and Cambridge in the U.K. found natural silk and cellulose fibers effective as scaffolding to rebuild damaged cartilage with stem cells. The team led by Wa’el Kafienah in Bristol’s School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine published its findings in a recent issue of the journal Biomacromolecules (paid subscription required).…
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Tiny, Winged Manueverable Robotic Insects Created, Tested
Engineers at Harvard University in Massachusetts developed robotic insects with flapping wings, using a microfabrication process that makes it possible to produce these devices in large numbers. The team from Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, led by engineering professor Robert Wood, published its findings in this…
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Insect Eyes Inspire Multiple Digital Camera Lens Design
Engineers at University of Illinois in Urbana designed a new type of digital camera lens based on the multiple-lens design found in the eyes of bees and dragonflies. The team led by Illinois engineering professor John Rogers, with colleagues from the U.S., Korea, Singapore, and China published their findings in this week’s issue of the…
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Synthetic Biology Census Shows Company Growth, Consolidation
A census of organizations, agencies, and companies involved in synthetic biology shows rapid growth of the field in the past four years, but also some retrenchment, particularly in the private sector. The study was conducted by the Synthetic Biology Project, an initiative of Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. The Wilson Center…
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Shape-Changing Capability Developed for Mobile Devices
Computer scientists at University of Bristol in the U.K. developed the ability for mobile devices made with flexible materials to change their shape to better fit their uses at the moment. The team from Bristol’s Interaction and Graphics lab is scheduled today to present a paper on what they call Morphees at the ACM SIGCHI…
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UConn, Pratt & Whitney Open Additive Manufacturing Lab
Aircraft engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney and University of Connecticut are collaborating on a laboratory to research 3-D printing as a manufacturing technique at the university’s Storrs campus. The company, a division of United Technologies, is expected to spend $8 million over the next five years on the university’s Pratt & Whitney Additive Manufacturing Center.…
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Gallium Arsenide Nanowires Boost Solar Cell Efficiency
University and industrial researchers in Switzerland and Denmark developed a new type of solar cell that in lab tests captures more light and generates more power than traditional silicon cells. The team from Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Lausanne, Switzerland, Neils Bohr Institute at University of Copenhagen, and the Danish spin-off company SunFlake A/S…
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Synthetic Tissue Created with Water, Lipids, 3-D Printing
Biochemical researchers at University of Oxford in the U.K. developed materials from networks of water droplets inside lipid films to perform functions similar to human tissue. The team led by Oxford chemistry professor Hagan Bayley published its findings as the cover story in this week’s issue of the journal Science (paid subscription required). The researchers…
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Material Developed to Reflect Sun’s Heat, Cool Buildings
Engineers at Stanford University in California developed a new type of cooling material based on nanotechnology that radiates sunlight back into space. The team led by Stanford engineering professor Shanhui Fan published its findings earlier this month in the journal Nano Letters (paid subscription required). Fan, with doctoral candidates Eden Rephaeli and Aaswath Raman, engineered…
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Graphene/Vanadium Oxide Ribbons Boost Battery Storage
Ultra-thin ribbons made of vanadium oxide coated with graphene can provide a superior material for lithium-ion battery cathodes, according to new research at Rice University in Houston. The team led by Rice materials scientist P. M. Ajayan published its findings online in a recent issue of the journal Nano Letters (paid subscription required). Graphene is…