Nanyang Technological University

As compared to traditional agriculture, hydroponic farming uses less space and less water, plus it requires no soil. It still does require a growth medium, though – and scientists have recently created a better such medium, derived from human hair.

As their sense of balance deteriorates, seniors are at an increased risk of potentially debilitating falls. A new wearable assistive robot could help, by detecting and preventing such falls before they actually occur.

Chronic skin ulcers are notoriously slow to heal, but an otherwise-wasted material may soon help change that. Scientists at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University have developed a new regenerative wound dressing, and it's made from frog skin.

In a typical poultry processing facility, much of the waste is simply dumped in a landfill or burned. Two new processes, however, make use of the feathers, blood and bones – plus one of them may ironically reduce the number of chickens slaughtered.

When cooking oil is extracted from peanuts and sunflower seeds, a waste product known as oilseed meal is left behind. New research shows that proteins harvested from that meal can be used to filter heavy metals out of contaminated water.

The production of traditional Portland cement is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, as the ingredients have to be heated to very high temperatures. Such is not the case with a new biocement, however, which also incorporates waste materials.

Concrete is a popular building material, enough so that one of its key ingredients – sand – is in short supply. Scientists are thus now exploring the possibility of replacing that sand with glass waste that would otherwise end up in landfills.

While the recycling of paper is all very well and good, reusing it is even better. A new pollen-based paper was designed with this fact in mind, as text can be printed onto it and then chemically erased multiple times.

While live probiotic bacteria produce many health benefits when ingested, the microbes have to get past your stomach and into your intestinal tract in order to be effective. An experimental new algae-based coating could soon help them do so.

Palm oil is a very widely-used food ingredient, but its production has a huge environmental impact, plus it may not be entirely healthy to consume. A greener, "lower-fat" alternative could be on the way, however, in the form of oil produced by algae.

If you're 3D-printing metal parts for use in aircraft or other critical systems, then those parts had better not be defective. A new system allows such items to be checked for structural flaws, quicker and cheaper than ever before.

Nobody likes fogged-up glasses or goggles, and unfortunately most anti-fog solutions need to be frequently reapplied. A new treatment, however, could make polycarbonate lenses permanently fog-free … and self-cleaning, to boot.