USB flash drives are already common accessories in offices and college campuses. But thanks to the rise in printable electronics, digital storage devices like these may soon be everywhere — including on our groceries, pill bottles and even clothing. Duke University researchers have brought us closer to a future of low-cost, flexible electronics by creating…
‘Jumping Genes’ May Set the Stage for Brain Cell Death in Alzheimer’s, Other Diseases
The latest round of failed drug trials for Alzheimer’s has researchers questioning the reigning approach to battling the disease, which focuses on preventing a sticky protein called amyloid from building up in the brain. Duke University scientists have identified a mechanism in the molecular machinery of the cell that could help explain how neurons begin…
Laser Technique Measures the Stiffness of Cancer Cells
Sound Waves Create Whirlpools to Round Up Tiny Signs of Disease
Mechanical engineers at Duke University have demonstrated a tiny whirlpool that can concentrate nanoparticles using nothing but sound. The innovation could gather proteins and other biological structures from blood, urine or saliva samples for future diagnostic devices. Early diagnosis is key to successfully treating many diseases, but spotting early indicators of a problem is often…
Turning Your Living Room Into a Wireless Charging Station
The flat-screen TV on your living room wall could soon be remotely charging any device within its line of sight. Well, not your actual TV, but a device that is similar in size and shape. In a paper posted October 23, 2016 on the arXiv pre-print repository, engineers at Duke University, the University of Washington…
Nanowire ‘Inks’ Enable Paper-Based Printable Electronics
By suspending tiny metal nanoparticles in liquids, Duke University scientists are brewing up conductive ink-jet printer “inks” to print inexpensive, customizable circuit patterns on just about any surface. Printed electronics, which are already being used on a wide scale in devices such as the anti-theft radio frequency identification (RFID) tags you might find on the…
Rising CO2 Threatens Coral, People Who Use Reefs
As atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels rise, very few coral reef ecosystems will be spared the impacts of ocean acidification or sea surface temperature rise, according to a new analysis. The damage will cause the most immediate and serious threats where human dependence on reefs is highest. A new analysis in the journal Plos One,…
Holographic Imaging & Deep Learning Diagnose Malaria
MRI Scanner Sees Emotions Flickering Across an Idle Mind
As you relax and let your mind drift aimlessly, you might remember a pleasant vacation, an angry confrontation in traffic or maybe the loss of a loved one. And now a team of researchers at Duke University say they can see those various emotional states flickering across the human brain. “It’s getting to be a…
Directly Reprogramming a Cell’s Identity with Gene Editing
Many More Species at Risk from Southeast Asia Tree Plantations
As more of Southeast Asia’s natural forests are cleared and converted into plantations for growing oil palm, rubber and other tree crops, a Duke University-led study finds that 42 percent of species endemic to the region’s forests face a much higher risk of extinction from habitat loss than previously thought. More than 200 of the…
DNA’s Life in the Fast Lane
DNA molecules don’t just code our genetic instructions. They can also conduct electricity and self-assemble into well-defined shapes, making them potential candidates for building low-cost nanoelectronic devices. A team of researchers from Duke University and Arizona State University has shown how specific DNA sequences can turn these spiral-shaped molecules into electron “highways,” allowing electricity to…