When the malaria-causing Plasmodium parasite first slips into the human bloodstream, injected by the bite of an infected mosquito, it does not immediately target red blood cells. Instead, it seeks refuge inside the liver and rapidly reproduces, copying itself as many as 30,000 times in the span of 48 hours. After building strength in numbers,…
Stretchable Wires Make Wearable Electronics More Comfortable
The exercise-tracking power of a Fitbit may soon jump from your wrist and into your clothing. Researchers are seeking to embed electronics such as fitness trackers and health monitors into our shirts, hats, and shoes. But no one wants stiff copper wires or silicon transistors deforming their clothing or poking into their skin. Scientists in…
Future Electronics May Depend on Unique Three-in-One Particle
“Trion” may sound like the name of one of the theoretical particles blamed for mucking up operations aboard the Starship Enterprise. But believe it or not, trions are real — and they may soon play a key role in electronic devices. Duke researchers have for the first time pinned down some of the behaviors of…