KTH Royal Institute of Technology

A new way of bending X-rays raises the prospect of smaller, more powerful X-ray space telescopes. Based on technology originally developed for medical imaging machines, the new design replaces conventional mirrors with a network of micro-engineered plastic prisms.

Wearable health-monitors are everywhere, from Fitbits for the health conscious to continuous glucose monitors for diabetics, but most are limited in what they can tell us, and there are issues around accuracy, calibration and reliability. Researchers in Sweden are working to change that.

Three years ago, we heard how scientists from Sweden's KTH Royal Institute of Technology had created transparent wood – it could serve as a cheaper alternative to the silica-based glass used in windows and solar cells. Now, the material is additionally able to store heat and later release it.

​Given that they're applied to items such as furniture and home insulation, it would really be best if flame-retardant coatings didn't emit toxic fumes. That's why scientists from Texas A and M University have developed a non-toxic alternative, made from natural renewable materials.

​In an effort to spare diabetics the pain of performing daily finger-prick blood glucose tests, various groups have developed continuous blood-sugar monitoring systems. Swedish scientists now believe that they may have improved on such technology, utilizing a skin patch that sports a tiny needle.

Spider silk has long held the title of strongest natural biomaterial. Now, researchers at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology have developed a new biomaterial out of wood nanofibers that steals the strength record.

​Dental resin composites may be used to fill cavities in teeth, but when it comes to surgically fixing broken bones, metal plates and screws are still standard. That may not be the case for much longer, though, if a new dental-inspired adhesive bone patch enters use.

Plastic’s resilience makes it great for product packaging, but not so great when it ends up in the ocean. Scientists in Sweden are testing a new filter system to catch tiny bits of plastic before they enter natural waterways, and quickly break them down using visible light from the Sun.

Researchers in Sweden are developing a device that increases the fuel efficiency of trucks by cloaking them in electric wind. Using plasma actuators to charge the air, the new technology controls the flow of wind around the truck to reduce drag and could improve fuel consumption by five percent.

​​Oftentimes, the places that require water purification the most – such as developing nations or disaster sites – have the least in the way of infrastructure. Help could be on the way, however, in the form of water filters made from wood.​

Geologists estimate that the Earth’s core is a sweltering 5,700 K – and yet the inner core is a solid ball of iron. Why it doesn’t liquify is a bit of a mystery, but now a study puts forward a new theory, simulating how solid iron can remain atomically stable under such extreme conditions.

​Silk may be strong, elastic and biodegradable, but unfortunately it's also expensive. With that in mind, scientists recently set out to produce lower-cost artificial silk. They've already succeeded in producing small quantities, using whey protein.