Whether you’re a home gardener or an industrial farmer, you might be familiar with mulching films — plastic sheets laid over the soil to protect seedlings and promote crop growth. But like many other plastic materials, these films can release damaging microplastics and don’t have any insect-repelling power. So, a team reporting in ACS Agricultural Science & Technology has developed an alternative biodegradable mulching film that also naturally repels pests using citronella oil.

Move over, colonoscopies — researchers report in ACS Sensors that they’ve developed a sensor made of tiny microspheres packed with blood-sensing bacteria that detect markers of gastrointestinal disease. Taken orally, the miniature “pills” also contain magnetic particles that make them easy to collect from stool. Once excreted from mouse models with colitis, the bacterial sensor detected gastrointestinal bleeding within minutes. The researchers say the bacteria in the sensor could be adapted to detect other gut diseases.

Electronic signs are all around us, giving directions or advertising the latest gadget. In ACS Energy Letters, researchers report that they’ve developed a dynamic display technology that dissipates heat instead of generating it when the color changes, cooling the surface underneath. They also showed the display could be attached to flexible backings and wrapped over skin. The passive cooling mechanism could usher in the next generation of sustainable, flexible outdoor signs and smart devices. 

Reusable menstrual cups reduce waste and are more cost-effective than single-use pads and tampons. But some people avoid the cups because they require thorough cleaning and are sometimes messy to empty. To solve these problems, researchers coated a commercially available silicone cup in silicone oil and created a plant-based, absorbent tablet. These design adjustments could make menstrual cups safer and easier to use, according to a study published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.