Researchers in China and Germany have engineered a leaf-inspired smart bandage that integrates blueberry-derived anthocyanins as a pH-sensitive dye and neomycin-grafted cellulose as a non-leaching antibacterial scaffold. The dual-network aerogel rapidly converts to a hydrogel upon absorbing wound exudate, generating gentle negative pressure that continuously cleans the wound and prevents reinfection. In infected mouse models, the dressing achieved 88% wound closure in seven days, outperforming a leading commercial product, while its color shift from pink to brown instantly alerts clinicians to rising pH and potential infection.

Indigenous agroforests (food-producing agroecosystems where trees and crops grow together in forest-like environments) may offer valuable insights for addressing two of the world’s biggest challenges: declining biodiversity and rising non-communicable disease, according to research led by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers. Published in July 2025 in Global Food Security, the study found that agroforests with greater ecological diversity also offer a more nutritionally diverse food supply. 

Most people envision vibration on a large scale, like the buzz of a cell phone notification or the oscillation of an electric toothbrush. But scientists think about vibration on a smaller scale—atomic, even.

A new material developed by researchers from University of Toronto Engineering could offer a safer alternative to the non-stick chemicals commonly used in cookware and other applications. 

The new substance repels both water and grease about as well as standard non-stick coatings — but it contains much lower amounts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a family of chemicals that have raised environmental and health concerns. 

Using computer simulations, University of Wisconsin–Madison mechanical engineers have uncovered a flaw in how rovers are tested on Earth. That error leads to overly optimistic conclusions about how rovers will behave once they're deployed on extraterrestrial missions.

Researchers at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) have created the world’s simplest artificial cell capable of chemical navigation, migrating toward specific substances like living cells do.

This breakthrough, published in Science Advances, demonstrates how microscopic bubbles, called vesicles, can be programmed to follow chemical trails. This breakthrough reveals the bare essentials needed to make synthetic life move with purpose.

Decoding how vesicles navigate reveals how cells communicate and transport cargo, and provides a blueprint for engineering targeted drug delivery systems

Scientists at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST; Saudi Arabia) have uncovered a critical molecular cause keeping aqueous rechargeable batteries from becoming a safer, economical option for sustainable energy storage. Their findings reveal how water compromises battery life and performance and how the addition of affordable salts – such as zinc sulfate – mitigates this issue, even increasing the battery lifespan by more than ten times.