A team of researchers at Harvard University and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) managed to combine inanimate silicon and living cardiac muscle cells into a freely swimming “jellyfish”. Aside proving reverse engineering of variety of muscular organs and simple life forms, it suggests a broader definition of what counts as synthetic life and it… »

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) funded a Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) program which examines birds’ perceptual and maneuvering abilities when flying at high speeds through complex environments, such as forests or urban settings in order to improve performance of small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in those settings. Aside increasing their agility, these small UAVs… »

A team consisting out of researchers from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and University of California, Berkeley, has discovered a method to create artificial materials with desired properties by controlling the assembly of these complex structures. To achieve this effect, the researchers used bacteriophage as the building block which mimicked the ability of natural tissues… »

Inspired by batoid fishes, such as stingrays and manta rays, researchers from University of Virginia (U.Va.) and their colleagues from 3 other universities are developing an autonomous underwater vehicle that emulates the seemingly effortless but powerful swimming motions of rays. The vehicle has potential commercial and military applications, and could be used for undersea exploration… »

Aside their use in sci-fi, nanoparticles have emerged as a viable foundation for new ways to diagnose, monitor and treat disease. Current goal in development of nanoparticles used in medicine is to develop them in a way to selectively target only diseased cells, while leaving healthy cells unharmed. University of Florida (UF) researchers developed such… »

According to a new study by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin, it is theoretically possible to produce about 500 times as much energy from algae fuels as is needed to grow the fuels. However, the researchers conducted a separate investigation where they found that their current algae growing facility is getting out… »

There are various attempts to utilize other sources of natural rubber, and we already reported about Ford performing this research. Increased worldwide demand for natural rubber and latex require usage of different sources aside the rubber trees which grow only in suitable climate. There’s also a fact these trees are threatened with a fungal disease… »

Owners of the Cooper Vineyards in Louisa County believed that there was no better place than a vineyard and winery to design and build a “green building” where the goal of the entire operation is to transform sunlight into wine. Winery’s tasting room that officially opened in 2011 has been awarded with LEED Platinum certification… »