Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), UC Irvine and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) have used microbes to turn human urine into hydroxyapatite. The team published their work in Nature Communications. The scientists genetically modified yeast to take the phosphorus and calcium from urine and create hydroxyapatite, a mineral naturally produced…
Robot administers record-length life-saving surgery
A surgical robot at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School helped urologists complete “one of the longest single-port, retroperitoneal, buccal graft ureteroplasties on record,” said Evan Kovac, director of urologic oncology and robotic surgery at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (NJMS) and University Hospital, in a statement. In 2011, the patient was treated for a…
New 10,000 square-foot plasma research center in Princeton, NJ
The NJ HAX Plasma Forge, a new partnership between the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), SOSV venture capital firm and the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), will help launch and grow startups focused on plasma technology. The NJ HAX Plasma Forge will be located near the PPPL in Princeton, NJ and will feature approximately…
OpenAI given $200 million contract with Department of Defense
OpenAI has been awarded a $200 million contract to provide the U.S. government with AI tools and to “develop prototype frontier AI capabilities to address critical national security challenges in both warfighting and enterprise domains,” according to the Department of Defense. The work, to be completed in Washington, DC, is estimated to be finished by…
For the first time, scientists grow beating human-pig hearts for 21 days
Researchers at the Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, are growing hearts containing human cells in pig embryos. The pig embryos survived for 21 days, and the hearts had started beating, the researchers announced at the annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research annual meeting last week. Human…
Carbon capture method traps CO₂ as a solid that can be used to make cement
Researchers at the University of Michigan developed a method to capture carbon dioxide and convert it into metal oxalates, which are used in cement production. They published their findings in Advanced Energy Materials. Methodology: Lead catalyst Previous research has shown that lead can be used as a catalyst to convert carbon dioxide into metal oxalates.…
Marine-biodegradable polymer is as strong as nylon
Researchers in Korea have developed a method to synthesize a polyester and polyamide hybrid polymer with a tensile strength of 109 MPa. The polymer decomposes by 92% in 12 months in marine environments. The research team published their findings in Advanced Materials. A possible substitute for nylon Nylon-based products such as fishing nets degrade exceptionally…
Probiotics power a bioresorbable battery that can run from 4 to 100+ minutes
A research team at Binghamton University, led by Professor Seokheun Choi, has developed a battery that dissolves safely in low pH environments. They published their findings in the journal Small. About the battery The battery is powered by a 15-strain probiotic blend, which is harmless to humans and the environment. It is constructed with biodegradable…