Turning bacteria into bioplastic factories

Biologists find new ways to encourage the plastic-producing power of purple microbes

28-Aug-2024 - In a world overrun by petroleum-based plastics, scientists are searching for alternatives that are more sustainable, more biodegradable and far less toxic to the environment. Two new studies by biologists at Washington University in St. Louis highlight one potential source of game-changing ...

Medical "microrobots" could one day treat bladder disease, other human illnesses

“Imagine if microrobots could perform certain tasks in the body, such as non-invasive surgeries”

30-May-2023 - A team of engineers at the University of Colorado Boulder has designed a new class of tiny, self-propelled robots that can zip through liquid at incredible speeds—and may one day even deliver prescription drugs to hard-to-reach places inside the human body. “Imagine if microrobots could perform ...

Invention: "Nanocage" tool untangles (molecular) spaghetti

“Nanocage” - a tool that can catch and straighten out molecule-sized tangles of polymers

14-Jul-2020 - A team of scientists at the University of Vermont have invented a new tool--they call it a "nanocage"--that can catch and straighten out molecule-sized tangles of polymers. Once a knotty polymer strand--whether made of protein or plastic--is pulled open "then we can activate just the polymers we ...

New flexible, transparent, wearable biopatch, improves cellular observation, drug delivery

Minimally invasive patch delivers exact doses directly into cells, lessens pain, toxicity

12-Nov-2018 - Purdue University researchers have developed a new flexible and translucent base for silicon nanoneedle patches to deliver exact doses of biomolecules directly into cells and expand observational opportunities."This means that eight or nine silicon nanoneedles can be injected into a single cell ...

Novel quantum dots enhance cell imaging

31-Oct-2018 - A team of researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Mayo Clinic have engineered a new type of molecular probe that can measure and count RNA in cells and tissue without organic dyes. The probe is based on the conventional fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) ...

Testing the first biodegradable straws

23-Aug-2018 - A research team that includes partners from the University of Georgia New Materials Institute and the RWDC Environmental Stewardship Foundation will develop a fully biodegradable plastic straw thanks to an award from Singapore's Temasek Foundation Ecosperity. The $719,000 award represents the top ...

Biodegradable, paper-based biobatteries

Easy to produce, low-cost, flexible and more efficient

10-Aug-2018 - The batteries of the future may be made out of paper. Researchers at Binghamton University, State University at New York have created a biodegradable, paper-based battery that is more efficient than previously possible. For years, there has been excitement in the scientific community about the ...

A path to sustainable and biodegradable polyesters

04-Jun-2018 - There's a good chance you've touched something made out of the polyolefin polymer today. It's often used in polyethylene products like plastic bags or polypropylene products like diapers. As useful as polyolefins are in society, they continue to multiply as trash in the environment. Scientists ...

Restoring tissue with inspiration from plants and animals

20-Mar-2018 - Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering have developed new wound dressings that dramatically accelerate healing and improve tissue regeneration. The two different types of nanofiber ...

Bio-renewable process could help 'green' plastic

23-Jan-2018 - When John Wesley Hyatt patented the first industrial plastic in 1869, his intention was to create an alternative to the elephant tusk ivory used to make piano keys. But this early plastic also sparked a revolution in the way people thought about manufacturing: What if we weren't limited to the ...