UC San Diego

For some common medical conditions, timing is everything when it comes to taking medications. Now, a customizable capsule engineered at UC San Diego could simplify complicated dosing schedules thanks to a unique staged release system.

Measuring tape is a neat material, in that it's rigid enough to hold its shape when extended, but flexible enough to give way under pressure. Scientists have taken advantage of that dual nature in a robo-gripper designed for handling fragile items.

Most people likely think of robots as complex electronic devices, made up of many parts that have to be assembled in factories. An experimental new non-electronic bot, however, can be 3D-printed all in one piece, and it's powered by nothing but air.

A new study is presenting a radical new theory of aging, suggesting two competing theories are actually intertwined. And even more controversially, the billions of dollars being invested in anti-aging treatments may be targeting the wrong mechanism.

In a move akin to puncturing an egg yolk without breaking the shell or egg white, researchers have figured out how to pierce the nucleus of a cell without hurting the rest of the structure. The breakthrough could be big news for medical treatments.

Scientists have discovered the largest known protein in biology. Given the fun name of PKZILLA-1, the protein was found in algae cells and helps them make toxins that are responsible for mass killings of fish.

The 3D printing of certain items could soon get a lot faster, simpler and more eco-friendly. That's because scientists have developed a new 3D printing ink which is easily extruded as a liquid, then solidifies on contact with a saltwater solution.

There could soon be a non-toxic, longer-lasting and less-smelly alternative to DEET for repelling mosquitos. Scientists have created genetically engineered human skin bacteria that are unappealing to the irritating and disease-spreading insects.

A wearable ultrasound patch could soon be saving lives, by monitoring the blood flow in hospital patients' brains. The device is only about the size of a postage stamp plus it works continuously, unlike traditional methods.

A new biodegradable plastic embedded with spores of plastic-eating bacteria manages to break down 90% of the material after five months in landfill. Weirdly, this actually made the plastic tougher and stronger during use.

Even when it’s ground into microparticles, 97% of an algae-based plastic biodegrades in compost and water in under seven months, a new study has reported. The researchers hope their plastic will eventually replace existing petroleum-based ones.

A new technique, which involves melting bacterial DNA found in blood samples, could deliver diagnoses of potentially fatal infections faster than ever before. Results may be obtained in a few hours, instead of days.