University of Maryland

​Don't be surprised if in a few years television commercials for skin cream start touting that they are "now formulated with methylene blue." That's because research out of the University of Maryland (UMD) has shown that the common antioxidant can reverse the effects of aging on our skin.

What if, like computers, the immune system could be reprogrammed to restore the body’s functions? Scientists at the University of Maryland have done just that with paralyzed mice, using an experimental treatment that might one day reverse the effects of autoimmune diseases in humans.​​

Researchers from the University of Maryland have created an electrogenetic “switching” system in bacterial cells that influences the way the single-celled organisms behave, linking organic and electronic systems together.

Several years ago, students from the University of Maryland achieved the world's longest human-powered helicopter flight. In 2014, a new team took over and began converting the aircraft to solar-electric power. It made its first purely sun-powered flight late last month.​

​​While there are already ways of controlling bleeding from external wounds, surgery is typically the only option when it comes to stopping internal bleeding. That could be about to change, however, thanks to injectable nanoparticles that speed the clotting of blood.​

Using their recently developed transparent wood as a window for a model home, scientists have found that not only does it let in a similar amount of light to glass, but it is much better at keeping the interior cool.

A team at the University of Maryland has discovered “blue whirls”, a type of fire tornado which could be harnessed as a clean energy source and even for cleaning up oil spills on the surface of water, by burning it away with reduced airborne emissions.

Single-molecule imaging has revealed that synapses – the tiny junctions that allow neurons to communicate with each other – transmit information across precisely-aligned nanocolumns. The discovery could unlock new secrets to how our brains work and it may improve our understanding of brain diseases.

A new device that eliminates the need for open-heart surgery for those suffering degenerative mitral regurgitation (MR). Not only does the device reduce time spent on the operating table, but it could eventually see patients heading home from hospital the day after a heart operation.

Wood already has plenty to offer conventional construction methods, but it may soon have a new trick up its sleeve. Scientists have come up with a way to turn a block of linden wood transparent, winding up with a material that could find use in everything from cars to advanced electronics systems.

Scientists have identified a compound that can reverse symptoms of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. The method hasn't been tested on human patients just yet, but it's been found to be effective in genetically modified fruit flies.

​The quest for a way to create a rechargeable battery from sodium rather than lithium took a somewhat unexpected turn last month when scientists from the US and Beijing discovered that a baked oak leaf pumped full of sodium made a successful negative terminal for a proof-of-concept battery.