
New Technique Uses Power Anomalies to ID Malware in Embedded Systems
Fish-Inspired Material Changes Color Using Nanocolumns
Inspired by the flashing colors of the neon tetra fish, researchers have developed a technique for changing the color of a material by manipulating the orientation of nanostructured columns in the material. “Neon tetras can control their brightly colored stripes by changing the angle of tiny platelets in their skin,” says Chih-Hao Chang, an associate…
New Species of Tiny Tyrannosaur Foreshadows Rise of T. Rex
A newly discovered, diminutive—by T. rex standards—relative of the tyrant king of dinosaurs reveals crucial new information about when and how T. rex came to rule the North American roost. Meet Moros intrepidus, a small tyrannosaur who lived about 96 million years ago in the lush, deltaic environment of what is now Utah during the…
Artificial Intelligence can Identify Microscopic Marine Organisms
Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) program that can automatically provide species-level identification of microscopic marine organisms. The next step is to incorporate the AI into a robotic system that will help advance our understanding of the world’s oceans, both now and in our prehistoric past. Specifically, the AI program has proven capable of…
Ancient Carpet Shark Discovered With ‘Spaceship-Shaped’ Teeth
The world of the dinosaurs just got a bit more bizarre with a newly discovered species of freshwater shark whose tiny teeth resemble the alien ships from the popular 1980s video game Galaga. Unlike its gargantuan cousin the megalodon, Galagadon nordquistae was a small shark (approximately 12 to 18 inches long), related to modern-day carpet…
Computer Model Reveals Effect of Increased Cholesterol on Specific Ion Channel in Heart
Biosensor Allows Real-Time Oxygen Monitoring for ‘Organs-On-A-Chip’
A new biosensor allows researchers to track oxygen levels in real time in “organ-on-a-chip” systems, making it possible to ensure that such systems more closely mimic the function of real organs. This is essential if organs-on-a-chip hope to achieve their potential in applications such as drug and toxicity testing. The organ-on-a-chip concept has garnered significant…
New Technique Uses Templates to Guide Self-Folding 3D Structures
Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new technique to control self-folding three-dimensional (3-D) structures. Specifically, the researchers use templates to constrain deformation in certain selected areas on a two-dimensional structure, which in turn dictates the resulting 3-D structure of the material. The new technique does not rely on cutting or printing on…
New Technique Offers Faster, Safer Way to Optimize Industrial Chemical Reactions
Researchers have developed a flow-based high-throughput screening technology that offers a faster, safer and less expensive means of identifying optimum conditions for performing high-pressure/high-temperature catalytic chemical reactions. The technique focuses on hydroformylation reactions, which are used to create a variety of commercial products. “Hydroformylation reactions are industrial processes that are used to make everything from…
Using Gold Nanoparticles to Trigger Sequential Unfolding of 3D Structures
Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new technique that takes advantage of gold nanoparticles to trigger the sequential unfolding of three-dimensional structures using different wavelengths of light. Specifically, the technique makes use of the fact that different shapes of gold nanoparticles convert different wavelengths of light into heat. In this instance, researchers…
ChemMaps Lets Researchers Navigate the Chemical Universe
Researchers from North Carolina State University have created a new online service – ChemMaps – that allows users to interactively navigate the chemical space of over 8,000 drugs and 47,000 environmental compounds in 3D and real time. ChemMaps is designed to be a central resource for students and researchers who want to easily visualize and…
Microscopy Advance Reveals Unexpected Role for Water in Energy Storage Material
A material with atomically thin layers of water holds promise for energy storage technologies, and researchers have now discovered that the water is performing a different role than anyone anticipated. The finding was possible due to a new atomic force microscopy (AFM) method that measures the sub-nanoscale deformation rate in the material in response to…
New Tech may Make Prosthetic Hands Easier for Patients to Use
Researchers have developed new technology for decoding neuromuscular signals to control powered, prosthetic wrists and hands. The work relies on computer models that closely mimic the behavior of the natural structures in the forearm, wrist and hand. The technology could also be used to develop new computer interface devices for applications such as gaming and…
Tech Bends Light More Efficiently, Offers Wider Angles for Light Input
Engineering and physics researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new technology for steering light that allows for more light input and greater efficiency – a development that holds promise for creating more immersive augmented-reality display systems. At issue are diffraction gratings, which are used to manipulate light in everything from electronic displays…
Common Bricks Can be Used to Detect Past Presence of Uranium, Plutonium
Atomic Structure of Ultrasound Material Not What Anyone Expected
Lead magnesium niobate (PMN) is a prototypical “relaxor” material, used in a wide variety of applications, from ultrasound to sonar. Researchers have now used state-of-the-art microscopy techniques to see exactly how atoms are arranged in PMN – and it’s not what anyone expected. “This work gives us information we can use to better understand how…
‘Decorated’ Stem Cells Could Offer Targeted Heart Repair
Although cardiac stem cell therapy is a promising treatment for heart attack patients, directing the cells to the site of an injury – and getting them to stay there – remains challenging. In a new pilot study using an animal model, North Carolina State University researcher Ke Cheng and his team show that “decorating” cardiac…
Researchers Inadvertently Boost Surface Area of Nickel Nanoparticles for Catalysis
Technique Offers Advance in Testing Micro-Scale Compressive Strength of Cement
Researchers from North Carolina State University have, for the first time, used a “micropillar compression” technique to characterize the micro-scale strength of cement, allowing for the development of cement with desirable strength properties for civil engineering applications. “The information collected using this technique can be used to better understand the behavior of concrete when it…
Technique Speeds Chemical Screening to Prioritize Toxicity Testing
Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a high-throughput technique that can determine if a chemical has the potential to activate key genes in seconds rather than the typical 24 hours or more. The technique can be used to prioritize chemicals for in-depth testing to determine their toxicity. There is a large backlog of…
Technique Expedites Chemical Screening to Prioritize Toxicity Testing
Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a high-throughput technique that can determine if a chemical has the potential to activate key genes in seconds rather than the typical 24 hours or more. The technique can be used to prioritize chemicals for in-depth testing to determine their toxicity. “There is a large backlog of…
New Design Improves Performance of Flexible Wearable Electronics
In a proof-of-concept study, North Carolina State University engineers have designed a flexible thermoelectric energy harvester that has the potential to rival the effectiveness of existing power wearable electronic devices using body heat as the only source of energy. Wearable devices used to monitor a variety of health and environmental measures are becoming increasingly popular.…
New Ultrasound ‘Drill’ Targets Deep Vein Blood Clots
New Technique Enables 3D Printing with Paste of Silicone Particles in Water
Using the principles behind the formation of sandcastles from wet sand, North Carolina State University researchers have achieved 3-D printing of flexible and porous silicone rubber structures through a new technique that combines water with solid and liquid forms of silicone into a pasty ink that can be fed through a 3-D printer. The finding…