Empa

Open wounds are something of a paradox – they need to be checked regularly, yet taking the dressing off too often just increases the risk of infection. That's why researchers have developed a new bandage that lets caregivers monitor the healing progress of wounds, from the outside.

​Scientists at Empa are developing a gelatine-based model that simulates the characteristics of human skin by mimicking the way it absorbs water. This could provide an alternative to human clinical trials for testing how skin interacts with textiles, like surgical dressings.

​When fruit is being transported from the field to the supermarket, it's vitally important that it remain refrigerated. With that in mind, scientists have developed temperature sensors that could ride along with fruit shipments, replicating the fruit's size, shape and structure.

Swiss researchers have created a system that stores heat captured during summer for use in winter, with the added benefit that the captured energy can be physically transported anywhere it may be needed.

Doctors start administering antibiotics as soon as they suspect that harmful bacteria are in the bloodstream. Using these too often, however, can lead to antibiotic resistance. That's why scientists are developing a method of blood purification that involves drawing the bacteria out with magnets.​

Scientists have now found a way to improve the fire-resistance of self-compacting concrete by doping it with a special polymer that they say better equips it to withstand high temperatures and in turn, maintain the integrity of a structure. ​​

Using "fools gold" nanocrystals to form part of a larger sodium-magnesium battery, scientists have created a storage cell that not only uses cheap and abundant materials but has the potential to be scaled up to store many terawatt-hours of energy.

A Swiss joint venture has created a road sweeper with a hybrid-electric powertrain that not only saves fuel but is more environmentally-friendly. The system can also be adapted to cleaner fuel types such as hydrogen.

Scientists from Switzerland's Empa research institute are developing a self-moistening heart rate-monitoring chest strap. It could be used in situations where electrocardiograms need to be recorded over a period of several days.

If you’re going out for pizza in Budapest, which would you choose to get you there; a smartphone with GPS or a drop of gel on a little maze? According to Empa, the gel might be your better bet because it's a chemical computer capable of navigating a maze faster than a satnav.

The cast iron brake rotors currently used in most vehicles are quite heavy. Lighter ceramic rotors certainly do exist, although they're pricey. Soon, however, ceramic-coated aluminum rotors may be a cost-effective lightweight alternative for economy cars.

Researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) have developed a way to simulate photosynthesis using relatively low cost materials and a design based on the eye of a moth.