New Atlas

Materials Audio available

Mushroom-inspired material gives liquids the slip

Ben Coxworth June 20, 2019

We've already heard about water-repellant materials that copy the structure of the lotus leaf. Now, however, scientists have created a flexible optical plastic that wards off liquids even better, and it was inspired by something else – the humble Enoki mushroom.

A microscope image of the nano-enoki PET

Medical Audio available

DoD awards contracts to create robotic suit that autonomously delivers trauma care

David Szondy May 22, 2019

The US Department of Defense has awarded contracts worth a total of US$7.2 million to develop an autonomous trauma care system called TRACIR that uses robotics, and artificial intelligence to autonomously treat battlefield casualties almost immediately.

Concept sketch of the TRAuma Care In a Rucksack (TRACIR) system

Materials

"Nanograss" glass turns clear or cloudy on command – just add water

Michael Irving December 12, 2017

With blinds in front of our windows, we usually have to choose between light and privacy, but “smart glass" can toggle its opacity as needed. Now a University of Pittsburgh team has developed a new type of glass that can switch between hazy and clear in seconds – just add water.

Thanks to its nanoscale "grassy" structure, a new kind of glass can switch between clear and ...

Medical

Closer to a cure: CRISPR cuts HIV from its cellular hideout

Michael Irving May 3, 2017

Last year, a proof-of-concept study described how the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool could be used to eliminate HIV from infected cells. In a potential step towards a permanent cure, the team has shown that the technique keeps the virus from spreading, and in latent cases, rips it from its hideout.

CRISPR-Cas9 has been used to eliminate HIV from mice, in another step towards a possible permanent ...

Medical

CRISPR gene-editing tool targets cancer's "command center"

Michael Irving May 1, 2017

The CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing system could help fight cancer, and now, researchers have used the tool to target what they call cancer’s command center, in a treatment that’s been shown in mice to shrink aggressive tumors and increase survival rates, without harming healthy cells.

Researchers have used CRISPR-Cas9 to target DNA sequences specific to cancer, shrinking tumors and improving the ...

Good Thinking

Waterproof wheelchair is powered by air

Ben Coxworth April 10, 2017

It's safe to say that generally-speaking, electricity and water don't mix. So, what do you do if you're designing a powered wheelchair for use in a splash park? If you're part of a team at the University of Pittsburgh, you power it using compressed air.

The PneuChair has a range of only about three miles, but takes just 10 minutes to ...

Medical

Gluten intolerance could be caused (and prevented) by a common virus

Michael Irving April 9, 2017

Sufferers of celiac disease have an intolerance to the dietary protein gluten, but what causes the condition isn’t fully understood. Researchers have found that a common virus could set the stage for the disease – and vaccinating against that virus could help prevent it from ever taking hold.

A new study has found that a virus could trigger a gluten intolerance, providing hope for ...

Biology

A fishy solution to restoring the heart’s regenerative abilities

Lisa-Ann Lee November 23, 2016

A novel study has found success in using the extracellular matrices in zebrafish to jumpstart mammalian cardiac tissue regeneration, possibly bringing science closer to fixing a "broken heart."

Our heart loses its ability to regenerate itself once we leave the womb, but can the ...

Robotics

Robotic arm gives quadriplegic man a new sense of touch

Michael Irving October 13, 2016

The same team responsible for a thought-controlled robotic arm demonstrated in 2012 has recreated the physical feeling of touch through a robotic hand, allowing a quadriplegic man to feel "his" fingers and hand for the first time in 10 years.

Nathan Copeland, paralyzed for over 10 years, has been able to experience the sensation of touch ...

Health & Wellbeing

Is social media keeping you awake?

Antonio Pasolini February 2, 2016

New research apparently confirms a phenomenon that many of us may have already suspected: excessive exposure to social media can disrupt sleep patterns.