A new kind of genome analysis has been developed that combines a large volume of different genetic variants into a single polygenic risk score that can determine how likely a person is to develop a number of common diseases, including coronary artery disease and inflammatory bowel disease.
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If robots are ever going to work alongside humans in the real world, they're going to need a softer touch. Harvard researchers have developed a new method for producing small-scale squishy robots, and demonstrated it by creating a flexible robotic peacock spider, driven by a microfluidics system.
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If you're trying to catch delicate creatures such as sea slugs via remote control, you're certainly not going to use steel pincers designed for use in the oil and mining industries. It was with this in mind that a Harvard team recently developed an underwater robotic gripper that has a soft touch.
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We may be a step closer to new treatments for cystic fibrosis, as two research teams are now reporting the discovery of a new type of cell in the airways. These rare cells seem to be where most activity of a certain gene is located, mutations of which are known to cause cystic fibrosis.
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To improve our understanding and find new potential ways to treat Alzheimer's disease, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have produced one of the most detailed models of “Alzheimer’s-in-a-dish,” using cultures of human neural cells that display neuroinflammation.
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A team of Harvard engineers has been making strides over the past few years with organic flow batteries, and has now tested a new molecule that makes for the longest-lasting, high-performance organic flow battery so far.
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It's difficult to study how the heart reacts to diseases and medications. Researchers at Harvard have now grown a model of a human left ventricle that spontaneously beats, marking a substantial step towards engineering entire hearts for more accurate testing of new treatments.
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When scientists are using submersibles to study deep-sea organisms, it's understandable that they'd want to harmlessly capture fragile-bodied animals in order to get a closer look at them. Well, Harvard University's Rotary Actuated Dodecahedron (RAD) sampler is designed for just such a purpose.
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To investigate how gut bacteria can affect overall health, researchers at Harvard Medical School have deleted a single gene from one gut bacteria species and found that it alters the metabolism of the host, reducing their weight gain.
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If you're a fan of insect-inspired robots, then you probably like creations such as RoboBee, VelociRoACH, and Harvard University's HAMR. Should the latter's scurrying around not be enough for you, though, it can now move across the water, sinking itself and walking beneath the surface on command.
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