What if plastic could detect light or clean wastewater?
Engineered living materials are composed of both synthetic materials and living cells. They are made in a lab to do things, like respond to…
Category: Big Questions
Bone marrow stem cell therapy for ALS
ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that progresses fast. The symptoms include loss of motor skills,…
New rice growing method is environmentally friendly and more effective
Growing rice using an alternating wet and dry method can boost plant health and the amount of nutrients it carries thanks to…
One step closer to wearable electronics
Scientists have found the addition of conductive nanomaterials like copper and ceramics in a piezoelectric polymer material greatly…
Future telescopes could search for alien farms
Simulations suggest that the light observed from a distant planet around another star might be able to show evidence of ammonia and nitrous…
How much do our genes affect our friendships?
Why do we choose the friends that we do? In humans, making friends would seem to be a process that is most influenced by geographical…
Fish behavior is affected by microplastics in water
Microplastics and nanoplastics affect gut bacteria and neurotransmitter levels in discus fish, potentially explaining changes in fish…
Using nanoparticles to treat osteoporosis
The cells in our bones play a crucial role in maintaining our bone health. Diseases such as osteoporosis can damage the health of our bones.…
Simulating cancer patients’ organs in the lab to test treatments
Scientists were able to combine the patient's cancer cells and immune cells in a culture "Petri dish" to simulate the patients’ bodies,…
A novel way to detect mutated DNA in blood of cancer patients
Scientists test a new way to "type" cancers using a blood test, by irradiating the tumor to make the tumor DNA more detectable in the blood.