A safer way to deploy bacteria as environmental sensors
Encapsulating modified bacteria in tough hydrogel spheres prevents them from spreading genes to other microbes.
Study reveals uncertainty in how much carbon the ocean absorbs over time
Climate projections could be off by five years, researchers find.
A streamlined approach to determining thermal properties of crystalline solids and alloys
MIT research team finds machine learning techniques offer big advantages over standard experimental and theoretical approaches.
A robot that senses hidden objects
System uses penetrative radio frequency to pinpoint items, even when they’re hidden from view.
Synthetic mucus can mimic the real thing
An MIT team has created polymers that replicate the structure of mucins, the molecules that give mucus its unique antimicrobial properties.
Homing in on longer-lasting perovskite solar cells
A new approach to identifying useful formulations could help solve the degradation issue for these promising new lightweight photovoltaics.
Method offers inexpensive imaging at the scale of virus particles
Using an ordinary light microscope, researchers can now obtain images with unprecedented accuracy.
Design could enable longer lasting, more powerful lithium batteries
Use of a novel electrolyte could allow advanced metal electrodes and higher voltages, boosting capacity and cycle life.
Researchers’ algorithm designs soft robots that sense
Deep-learning technique optimizes the arrangement of sensors on a robot’s body to ensure efficient operation.
How to prevent short-circuiting in next-gen lithium batteries
New findings may help unleash the potential of high-powered, solid-electrolyte lithium batteries.
Study predicts the oceans will start emitting ozone-depleting CFCs
As atmospheric concentrations of CFC-11 drop, the global ocean should become a source of the chemical by the middle of next century.
When more Covid-19 data doesn’t equal more understanding
Social media users share charts and graphs — often with the same underlying data — to advocate opposing approaches to the pandemic.
Chemists boost boron’s utility
A strategy for preventing boron-containing compounds from breaking down could help medicinal chemists design new drugs.
Researchers develop speedier network analysis for a range of computer hardware
The advance could boost recommendation algorithms and internet search.
Metabolic mutations help bacteria resist drug treatment
Study suggests forcing bacteria to burn more energy could make them more susceptible to antibiotics.