Whether artificial hands with an especially gentle touch or an endoscope that crawls through the intestines like a worm, robots made of soft materials could soon carry out tasks that are difficult for metal-based systems. Dr. Philipp Rothemund, assistant professor at the University of Stuttgart, seeks to simplify how soft robots are controlled. The European Research Council (ERC) is funding the project with one of its prestigious Consolidator Grants worth up to €2 million.

SAN ANTONIO — December 9, 2025 — Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and Trinity University are developing an intranasal (IN) drug-device combination to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Researchers will screen formulations and evaluate delivery methods for oxytocin, a hormone that plays a critical role in human bonding and stress mitigation.

Every year, millions of newborns — especially those born premature, underweight or sick — are at risk of neonatal hypoglycemia, a dangerous drop in blood sugar that can lead to seizures, brain injury and lifelong developmental challenges if not detected quickly. Early testing and treatment are essential, but many hospitals around the world lack access to reliable devices designed specifically for newborns. A new study led by researchers at Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies, in collaboration with global clinical partners, offers a promising path forward. Published in BMC Pediatrics, the research systematically evaluated the accuracy and reliability of 11 commonly available point-of-care glucometers — small handheld devices widely used at home to monitor diabetes in adults — to determine which could safely be adapted for neonatal care in resource-constrained settings.

Researchers at the University of Washington have developed AI-powered headphones that automatically isolate conversation partners in a noisy soundscape. The system employs AI models that listen for the back-and-forth pattern of conversation and mute voices that aren’t following the established rhythm.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Spacecraft Engineering Department recently developed the Transmit/Receive Enterprise (TREx) service with sponsorship from the Space Development Agency, Space Rapid Capabilities Office, and Space Systems Command to provide software development and mission operations for sponsoring organizations across the space community.

With natural disasters striking communities across the U.S. at an accelerating pace, the question of how to build homes that can endure them has never been more critical. New research spanning political science and civil engineering shows that the answer could lie at the intersection of smarter regulatory systems and stronger structures. University of Notre Dame political scientist Susan Ostermann and her team have identified the building code features that have the biggest impact on hazard resilience and translated those features into tangible, practical building solutions.