University of Akron

Shi-Qing Wang, Ph.D., (center), polymer science Ph.D. students Travis Smith (left) and Masoud Razavi hold samples of the newly developed PLA plastic

Materials

Durable new bioplastic can hold boiling liquids

Making plastic materials out of biomass offers a number of environmental benefits, but these bioplastics tend to underperform in a few key areas. Scientists may have found a solution to one such shortcoming; the inability to contain boiling liquids.

The remora family of fish have a suction cup structure on the back of their head that allows them to latch onto sharks and other animals

Materials

Remora-inspired suction cup outperforms the real thing

Inspired by remora fish, researchers at NJIT have designed a new suction cup that’s far more adhesive than the real thing.

The cobalt blue tarantula, Haplopelma lividum

Materials

Tarantulas show their true-blue colors

Butterfly wings are covered with microscopic structures that reflect visible light in such a way that it appears as vivid colors. Blue tarantulas also possess this quality, although as scientists recently discovered, they've put their own special spin on it.