University of Illinois

In a quest for safer lithium-ion batteries, a team of engineers at the University of Illinois have come up with a solid polymer-based electrolyte that can not only heal itself but is recyclable without the need for high temperatures or strong acids.

Caffeine has long been considered an effective appetite-suppressant, and it's been shown to effectively speed up the body’s fat metabolism processes. Now, research has homed in on another mechanism that may explain caffeine’s anti-obesity properties.

Robots today can do backflips like a parkour artist, but in some situations their balance is still terrible. The HERMES robot aims to challenge that with the aid of a special teleoperated control vest that gives it human-like balance and reflexes.

An innovative new battery design makes use of an element we’re producing too much of in carbon dioxide, and boasts an unprecedented ability to recharge 500 times.

Scientists at the University of Illinois have come up with a biohybrid robot that can be propelled by a mix of motor neurons, muscular tissue and light.

Researchers are studying how to use salt-based propellants that can be used to power dual-mode rockets that work as both combustion and ion engines.

​Acyclovir is one of the most commonly-used herpes-treatment drugs. It can also damage the kidneys, however, so the less of it that's used, the better. According to a new study, combining the drug with activated carbon helps make it more effective, so a smaller amount of it is required.

Livestock like sheep and cows are responsible for huge amounts of methane emissions. Now, an international team of researchers has analyzed the gut microbes of different sheep and found clues that may help us curb the problem.

Although it may be hard to believe that there is already an "established" method of doing something such as 3D-printing biological tissue, there does indeed seem to be one. It utilizes microscale scaffolds – which a newly-developed technique does away with the need for.

Alien life is almost certainly out there somewhere, but because it’s most likely microscopic, it won’t be easy to spot. Now, researchers at the University of Illinois have come up with a new and fairly obvious sign of life: pasta-shaped rocks.

Mole-rats are pretty amazing animals, with a remarkable resistance to pain. A new study has uncovered the molecular reasons for the pain insensitivity, which could eventually lead to new pain relief techniques for human use.

NASA is funding a project to develop an aircraft that runs on a cryogenic hydrogen fuel cell system. Under a US$6 million contract, the CHEETA program will investigate the technology needed to produce a practical all-electric design to replace conventional fossil fuel propulsion systems.