Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are now the power of choice for a variety of portable consumer electronics. A group of researchers from the University of Leeds has invented a new type of polymer gel that could replace the liquid electrolytes currently used in rechargeable lithium cells. It would also enable production of cheaper lithium batteries without… »

Researchers from the University of Leeds have discovered a new way to treat the first signs of tooth decay. They developed a peptide-based fluid that is literally painted onto the tooth’s surface in order to reverse the damage of acid attack and re-builds teeth as new. The peptide technology is based on knowledge of how… »

A researcher from the University of Leeds has drawn inspiration from nature to build a robotic worm that can wiggle its way around obstacles. Dubbed worm-bot, the robot is modeled after the Caenorhabditis elegans nematode – a minuscule  free-living worm that uses a very simple nervous system of just over 300 neurons to control the… »

A team of materials scientists and chemists from The University of Manchester and The University of Leeds have taken inspiration from sea shells found on the beach to create a composite material from dissimilar ‘ingredients’. They have successfully reinforced calcium carbonate, or chalk, with polystyrene particles that are used to make drinks cups. They report… »