Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have built the currently  most complex biochemical circuit created from scratch, made with DNA-based devices in a test tube. Engineering these circuits allows researchers to explore the principles of information processing in biological systems, and to design biochemical pathways with decision-making capabilities. “We’re trying to borrow the… »

Birds routinely land on small surfaces, using wing morphing and flapping techniques. The UC San Diego engineers, led by mechanical and aerospace engineering professor Tom Bewley and graduate student Kim Wright, analyzed slow motion videos of birds landing to generate a working hypotheses for how biomimicry of wing morphing and flapping can be used for… »

Many kinds of algae and cyanobacteria are capable to use the energy from sunlight in order to produce compounds needed for their own survival, and during that process they split water molecules and release hydrogen, which holds promise as a clean and carbon-free fuel for the future. A group of researchers found a way to… »

The Program of Excellence in Natural Rubber Alternatives (PENRA) was created to focus on research and commercialization of a viable natural rubber alternative, in order to counter the natural rubber supply shortage. Continuing the research, scientists at Ford and the Ohio State University see a species of dandelion as a new sustainable resource for rubber…. »

Despite their extreme flexibility and adaptability, current soft-bodied robots are often limited by their slow speed. Inspired by the ability of some caterpillars to rapidly curl themselves into a wheel and propel themselves away from predators, a team of researchers from the Tufts University, Massachusetts, have developed GoQBot – a soft-bodied robot with a similar… »

A team of biologists and engineers at the Bielefeld University Center of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology (CITEC) are developing the Hexapod Cognitive Autonomously Operating Robot (HECTOR) – a walking robot inspired by six-legged insects. Technologically, HECTOR implements the properties of its biological models better than ever before. When completed, HECTOR will be used as a… »

Researchers from IBM and the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology have discovered that new types of polymers are able to physically detect and destroy antibiotic-resistant bacteria and infectious diseases. These agents also prevent the bacteria from developing drug resistance by actually breaking through the bacterial cell wall and membrane, a fundamentally different mode of attack… »

Two Ryerson University undergraduate biomedical engineering students are developing a prosthetic arm that is controlled by brain signals. The Artificial Muscle-Operated (AMO) Arm is controlled by the user’s brain signals and is powered by ‘artificial muscles’ ( simple pneumatic pumps and valves) to create movements, unlike traditional prosthetic limbs which  rely on complex and expensive… »