By now, it is likely that you’ve seen how devastating earthquakes can be. Thoughtfully planed construction and investment into better material and increased safety pay off for the damage and threatened lives. A group of researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany, have developed a reinforcing fabric that could be used to fasten… »

While some of us can be considered lucky since we don’t have sensitive teeth, about 3 out of every 4 people have teeth with a form of sensitivity to hot, cold, sweet or sour foods and drinks. Inspired by the adhesive that mussels use to attach to rocks and other surfaces in water, a group… »

Up until recent years, blood tests have been performed on large, complex, and expensive equipment such as mass spectrometers, or require fluoroscopy analysis which must be done in a lab, but various groups of researchers are developing low-cost and portable solutions. Researchers at The Methodist Hospital Research Institute and MD Anderson Cancer Center developed V-chip… »

Seeing viruses in action in their natural environment is invaluable, and researchers at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute have devised a way to directly image biological structures at their most fundamental level and in their natural habitats. The technique is a major advancement toward the ultimate goal to image nanoscale dynamic systems in structural… »

A group of researchers from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya and BarcelonaTech (UPC), Spain, have developed a type of biological concrete that supports the natural, accelerated growth of pigmented organisms. The material has been designed for Mediterranean climates, and it is adapted to offer environmental, thermal and aesthetic advantages over other similar construction solutions. Unified… »

Inspired by structures found in the nature’s own fuel cells and solar cells (mitochondria and chloroplasts), researchers at the University of Reading have patented a new method to create electrode coatings with a thousand-fold increase in surface area compared to a flat electrode. The increased contact surface could lead to more efficient and greener vehicles,… »

According to the ancient Chinese myth, in year 2853 before the common era, the legendary Emperor Shennong of China proclaimed that soybeans are one out of five sacred plants, and it is estimated that soybeans were a crucial crop in eastern Asia even before the written records. Aside its growing worldwide utilization in food industry,… »

In our previous articles, we often mentioned air quality since it affects our health and quality of life. Despite the fact you might pay attention to the materials, finishes and proper ventilation inside your home, people living in urban areas still suffer from high levels of pollution from automotive traffic. Fraunhofer Institute researchers plan to… »