News by Subject Technology & Engineering

Scientists from Duke University have developed a model that can predict the amount of mercury being released into a local ecosystem from deforestation. The research could point toward ways to mitigate the worst effects of mercury poisoning in regions already experiencing elevated mercury levels caused by small-scale gold mining practices, such as those in the Peruvian Amazon.

Someday, doctors would like to grow limbs and other body tissue for soldiers who have lost arms in battle, children who need a new heart or liver, and many other people with critical needs. Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are supporting this field of research by developing a promising new kind of light-based sensor to study tissue growth in the lab.

Researchers from Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have developed an antimicrobial polymer that can kill bacteria resistant to commonly used antibiotics - a discovery that can pave the way for developing antibiotics to which bacteria are significantly less resistant. The new beta-peptide polymer can combat superbugs like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and it also works against biofilm and persistent bacteria for which current antibiotics have proved ineffective.

This week in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, researchers report that they have engineered an improved colored fabric for the insecticide-treated targets used to control tsetse, based on an understanding of how flies see color.

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys have shown that worms live longer lives if they produce excess levels of a protein, p62, which recognizes toxic cell proteins that are tagged for destruction. The discovery, published in Nature Communications, could help uncover treatments for age-related conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, which are often caused by accumulation of misfolded proteins.

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have developed a system for real-time observations at the cellular level in the colon of a living mouse. It employs a magnetic system to stabilize the colon during imaging while otherwise allowing the gut to move and function normally. Researchers expect the procedure to allow new investigations into the digestive system's microbiome as well as the causes of diseases and their treatments.

SUTD leads in-depth review on the impending reality of 3D printed organs and analyses recent accomplishments, limitations and opportunities for future research.