/ en-us Â鶹ÒùÔº internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Â鶹ÒùÔºics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Hydrogels are a permeable soft material consisting of polymer networks and water with applications ranging from biomedical engineering to contact lenses. Intrinsic to hydrogels is the ability to endow diverse characteristics by modifying their polymer networks. /news/2025-08-immovable-rubber-ducks-highest-underwater.html Polymers Materials Science Wed, 06 Aug 2025 11:00:09 EDT news673602721 Caltech scientists have developed a method to create metallic objects of a precisely specified shape and composition, giving them unprecedented control of the metallic mixtures, or alloys, they create and the enhanced properties those creations will display. Want a stent that is biocompatible and mechanically robust? How about strong but lightweight satellite components that can operate in space for decades? /news/2025-08-metallurgy-21st-century-precisely-metal.html Nanomaterials Fri, 01 Aug 2025 11:39:04 EDT news673267142 A new collection of chemically diverse dome-celled ultralight aerogels with high porosity and very low density feature elasticity and mechanical properties that remain intact even under extreme temperatures from 4.2 kelvin (K) to 2273 K. /news/2025-07-dome-aerogel-architecture-superior-toughness.html Nanomaterials Thu, 31 Jul 2025 09:44:02 EDT news673173837 Researchers have solved a mystery that has confounded scientists for 80 years: the crystal structure of the tetra-n-butylammonium bromide (TBAB) hydrate TBAB·26H2O. This substance belongs to a class of crystalline materials called semiclathrate hydrates, which form from the combination of ions and water. /news/2025-07-year-mystery-crystal-bromide-hydrate.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 18 Jul 2025 10:10:07 EDT news672051198 A team of researchers at Rowan University has developed an injectable biomaterial that could significantly improve recovery outcomes following spinal cord injuries. The study, recently published in the journal Biomaterials, introduces a multifunctional hydrogel system designed to address the complex biological environment that hinders regeneration in the central nervous system. /news/2025-06-biomaterial-dual-therapies-nerve-spinal.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 30 Jun 2025 12:19:04 EDT news670504741 A new study is shedding light on why solar radiation is more effective than other forms of energy at causing water to evaporate. The key factor turns out to be the oscillating electric field inherent to sunlight itself. /news/2025-06-oscillating-electric-field-sun-good.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Tue, 24 Jun 2025 12:41:03 EDT news669987662 Excessive nutrients in wastewater can lead to detrimental discharges into natural water bodies, prompting harmful algal blooms with severe environmental and economic repercussions. To address this pressing issue, a team of engineers in the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis has developed an innovative solution. Their novel composite nanotechnology removes and recovers nutrients from wastewater, subsequently upcycling them as agricultural fertilizers or as biorefinery feedstocks while simultaneously mitigating the occurrence of harmful algal blooms. /news/2025-06-nanotechnology-fertilizer.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Wed, 11 Jun 2025 14:34:43 EDT news668871279 Researchers have created an inexpensive hydrogel that can filter phosphorus from contaminated surface waters, drinking water supplies or wastewater streams to reduce phosphorus pollution and reuse the phosphorus for agricultural and industrial applications. In addition to efficiently capturing and releasing phosphorus, the hydrogels can be reused multiple times—making them cost-effective. /news/2025-06-inexpensive-hydrogel-contaminated-source-reusable.html Polymers Materials Science Wed, 11 Jun 2025 12:46:59 EDT news668864815 A research team at the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a novel degradable silicone-hydrogel coating, delivering impressive synergistic anti-biofouling performance for marine applications. The study was published in Small. /news/2025-05-degradable-silicone-hydrogel-coating-efficient.html Polymers Materials Science Thu, 29 May 2025 10:10:03 EDT news667731934 Researchers at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI) have developed a technique that could help advance treatments in tissue engineering. The study, published in the journal Small, introduces a technique for producing tissues with precise cellular organization designed to mimic the natural structure of human tissue. /news/2025-05-3d-hydrogels-cell-growth-functional.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Tue, 13 May 2025 12:27:02 EDT news666358021 Researchers at McGill University, in collaboration with Polytechnique Montréal, pioneered a new way to create hydrogels using ultrasound, eliminating the need for toxic chemical initiators. This breakthrough offers a faster, cleaner and more sustainable approach to hydrogel fabrication, and produces hydrogels that are stronger, more flexible and highly resistant to freezing and dehydration. /news/2025-05-ultrasound-safer-greener-hydrogels.html Polymers Materials Science Thu, 08 May 2025 13:20:07 EDT news665928650 Our brain is a complex organ. Billions of nerve cells are wired in an intricate network, constantly processing signals, enabling us to recall memories or to move our bodies. /news/2025-05-microscopy-method-reconstruct-mammalian-brain.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Wed, 07 May 2025 11:38:29 EDT news665836703 Bio-batteries constructed by electroactive microorganisms have unique advantages in physiological monitoring, tissue integration, and powering implantable devices due to their superior adaptability and biocompatibility. However, the development of miniaturized and portable bio-batteries that are plug and play and compatible with existing devices remains a challenge. /news/2025-04-portable-bio-battery-hydrogels-nerve.html Biotechnology Wed, 30 Apr 2025 17:18:03 EDT news665252282 Directive 2010/63/EU laid down restrictions on animal testing for the testing of cosmetics and their ingredients throughout the EU. Therefore, there is an intense search for alternatives to test the absorption and toxicity of nanoparticles from cosmetics such as sun creams. /news/2025-04-3d-skin-imitation-equipped-cells.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Thu, 03 Apr 2025 09:20:03 EDT news662890801 Researchers from the Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, have developed a smart gel that responds to multiple stimuli for precise drug release. /news/2025-03-nanocomposite-hydrogel-multiple-stimuli-drug.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 27 Mar 2025 10:55:19 EDT news662291716 We all encounter gels in daily life—from the soft, sticky substances you put in your hair to the jelly-like components in various foodstuffs. While human skin shares gel-like characteristics, it has unique qualities that are very hard to replicate. It combines high stiffness with flexibility, and it has remarkable self-healing capabilities, often healing completely within 24 hours of an injury. /news/2025-03-entangled-polymers-nanosheets-skin-hydrogel.html Polymers Materials Science Fri, 07 Mar 2025 05:00:01 EST news660495721 A Chinese research team has developed a single-step femtosecond laser 4D printing technology that enables rapid and precise micro-scale deformation of smart hydrogels. This innovation, inspired by the hierarchical structure of butterfly wings, holds significant promise for applications in flexible electronics and minimally invasive medicine. /news/2025-03-butterfly-4d-smart-hydrogels-enables.html Polymers Materials Science Wed, 05 Mar 2025 08:28:02 EST news660385681 In biology, seeing can lead to understanding, and researchers in Professor Edward Boyden's lab at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research are committed to bringing life into sharper focus. With a pair of new methods, they are expanding the capabilities of expansion microscopy—a high-resolution imaging technique the group introduced in 2015—so researchers everywhere can see more when they look at cells and tissues under a light microscope. /news/2025-03-expansion-microscopy-methods-lipid-membranes.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 03 Mar 2025 17:20:05 EST news660244801 Xolography is a novel light printing technique that has been explored for dental products and in-space manufacturing. At Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), this technique has now been adapted to 3D print living cells. This research can pave the way for 3D-printed kidneys and muscle tissue. The team pioneered the Xolography-based method to produce tiny structures with features as small as 20 µm—approximately the size of a human cell. /news/2025-02-xolography-based-method-enables-3d.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Thu, 27 Feb 2025 15:55:28 EST news659894124 Researchers at Hokkaido University and Duke University have developed a hydrogel that heals and strengthens itself as it is overloaded and damaged. The proof-of-concept demonstration could lead to improved performance for situations where soft but durable materials are required, such as load-bearing connections and joints within machines, robots and even people. /news/2025-02-network-hydrogel-polymers-feature-rapid.html Polymers Materials Science Wed, 26 Feb 2025 12:51:49 EST news659796697 Discarded food scraps, stray branches, seashells and many other natural materials are key ingredients in a new system that can pull drinkable water out of thin air developed by researchers from The University of Texas at Austin. /news/2025-02-scraps-biomass-based-hydrogel-thin.html Polymers Materials Science Tue, 25 Feb 2025 15:43:04 EST news659720582 Within the animal kingdom, mussels are masters of underwater adhesion. The marine mollusks cluster atop rocks and along the bottoms of ships, and hold fast against the ocean's waves thanks to a gluey plaque they secrete through their foot. These tenacious adhesive structures have prompted scientists in recent years to design similar bioinspired, waterproof adhesives. /news/2025-02-mimics-mussels-mucus-bacterial-buildup.html Biochemistry Materials Science Mon, 17 Feb 2025 15:47:58 EST news659029672 A nut used in herbal tea has become a hydrogel perfect for a variety of biomedical uses in new research from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Engineering (UChicago PME) and UChicago Chemistry Department. /news/2025-02-material-tree-nuts-broad-medical.html Biochemistry Materials Science Mon, 17 Feb 2025 11:00:07 EST news659003222 A biomaterial that can mimic certain behaviors within biological tissues could advance regenerative medicine, disease modeling, soft robotics and more, according to researchers at Penn State. /news/2025-02-biomaterial-regenerative-medicine-scientists-acellular.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 03 Feb 2025 11:35:03 EST news657804901 A research team led by Professor Jiang Changlong from Hefei Institutes of Â鶹ÒùÔºical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has developed an innovative real-time multi-scenario fluorescence detection technology for monitoring methylglyoxal. /news/2025-01-real-fluorescent-sensor-precise-wine.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 14 Jan 2025 12:35:55 EST news656080543 From the RMS Titanic to the SS Endurance, shipwrecks offer valuable—yet swiftly deteriorating—windows into the past. Conservators slowly dry marine wooden artifacts to preserve them, but doing so can inflict damage. To better care for delicate marine artifacts, researchers in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering developed a new hydrogel that quickly neutralizes harmful acids and stabilizes waterlogged wood from an 800-year-old shipwreck. /news/2024-12-hydrogel-waterlogged-wood-shipwrecks.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Tue, 03 Dec 2024 11:48:02 EST news652448881 A novel new test for bacteria in fluids makes it as easy as observing a color change to confirm the presence of disease-causing pathogens, promising much easier diagnostic tests and greater food safety. /news/2024-11-rapid-free-bacteria-liquids.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Tue, 26 Nov 2024 12:53:14 EST news651847989 Hydrogels, which are soft materials made of water-filled, crosslinked polymer networks, have a wide range of uses, from wound dressings to enhancing soil moisture for plant growth. They are formed through a process called gelation, where polymers in a solution are linked together to form a gel. /news/2024-11-marine-carbonated-hydrogels-behavior.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Mon, 18 Nov 2024 12:46:13 EST news651156368 A simple biomaterial-based strategy that can influence the behavior of cells could pave the way for more effective medical treatments such as wound healing, cancer therapy and even organ regeneration, according to a research team at Penn State. /news/2024-11-squishy-microgels-granular-biomaterials-confine.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Wed, 13 Nov 2024 13:20:09 EST news650726401 Mimicking how plants convert sunlight into energy has long been a dream for scientists aiming to create renewable energy solutions. Artificial photosynthesis is a process that seeks to replicate nature's method, using sunlight to drive chemical reactions that generate clean energy. However, creating synthetic systems that work as organically as natural photosynthesis has been a significant challenge until now. /news/2024-11-bioinspired-hydrogels-harness-sunlight-closer.html Polymers Materials Science Wed, 06 Nov 2024 11:21:03 EST news650114461