Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new approach for manipulating the behavior of cells on semiconductor materials, using light to alter the conductivity of the material itself. “There’s a great deal of interest in being able to control cell behavior in relation to semiconductors – that’s the underlying idea behind bioelectronics,” says…
‘Persistent Photoconductivity’ Offers New Tool for Bioelectronics
Beyond Graphene: Advances Make Reduced Graphene Oxide Electronics Feasible
Using Light to Remotely Control Curvature of Plastics
Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a technique that uses light to get two-dimensional (2-D) plastic sheets to curve into three-dimensional (3-D) structures, such as spheres, tubes or bowls. The advance builds on earlier work by the same research team, which focused on self-folding 3-D structures. The key advance here is that rather…
New Approach Uses Ultrasound to Measure Fluid in the Lungs
Tracking The Movement of Cyborg Cockroaches
New research from North Carolina State University offers insights into how far and how fast cyborg cockroaches – or biobots – move when exploring new spaces. The work moves researchers closer to their goal of using biobots to explore collapsed buildings and other spaces in order to identify survivors. NC State researchers have developed cockroach…
80-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Collagen Confirmed
Utilizing the most rigorous testing methods to date, researchers from North Carolina State University have isolated additional collagen peptides from an 80-million-year-old Brachylophosaurus. The work lends further support to the idea that organic molecules can persist in specimens tens of millions of years longer than originally believed and has implications for our ability to study the…
Researchers Tweak Enzyme ‘Assembly Line’ to Improve Antibiotics
Researchers from North Carolina State University have discovered a way to make pinpoint changes to an enzyme-driven “assembly line” that will enable scientists to improve or change the properties of existing antibiotics as well as create designer compounds. The work is the first to efficiently manipulate which building blocks the enzyme selects in the act…
New Technique for Creating NV-Doped Nanodiamonds May Boost Quantum Computing
Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new technique for creating NV-doped single-crystal nanodiamonds, only four to eight nanometers wide, which could serve as components in room-temperature quantum computing technologies. These doped nanodiamonds also hold promise for use in single-photon sensors and nontoxic, fluorescent biomarkers. Currently, computers use binary logic, in which each…
New Cost-Effective Silicon Carbide High Voltage Switch Created
Researchers at North Carolina State University have created a high voltage and high frequency silicon carbide (SiC) power switch that could cost much less than similarly rated SiC power switches. The findings could lead to early applications in the power industry, especially in power converters like medium voltage drives, solid state transformers and high voltage…
Food Additive Key to Environmentally-Friendly, Efficient, Plastic Solar Cells
Researchers from North Carolina State University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have created an efficient, semi-printed plastic solar cell without the use of environmentally hazardous halogen solvents. These solar cells can be manufactured at room temperature, which has implications for large-scale commercial production. Plastic solar cells, or organic photovoltaics, are popular because they are…
New Tech Promises to Boost Electric Vehicle Efficiency & Range
Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new type of inverter device with greater efficiency in a smaller, lighter package – which should improve the fuel-efficiency and range of hybrid and electric vehicles. Electric and hybrid vehicles rely on inverters to ensure that enough electricity is conveyed from the battery to the motor…
Researchers Unearth Ancient Mythological Statues in Jordan
A team of North Carolina-based researchers helped unearth more clues this summer about the ancient Nabatean city of Petra in Jordan. As part of a larger excavation at the site, the group of North Carolina State University and East Carolina University faculty and students discovered two marble statues of the mythological goddess Aphrodite — artifacts…
Researchers Use Hardware to Accelerate Core-to-Core On-Chip Communication
Controlling Pest Populations with Modified Males
Populations of New World screwworm flies – devastating parasitic livestock pests in Western Hemisphere tropical regions – could be greatly suppressed with the introduction of male flies that produce only males when they mate, according to new research from North Carolina State University, the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, the Panama-United States Commission for the Eradication…
Most Volcanic Activity on Mercury Stopped About 3.5B Years Ago
New research from North Carolina State University finds that major volcanic activity on the planet Mercury most likely ended about 3.5 billion years ago. These findings add insight into the geological evolution of Mercury in particular, and what happens when rocky planets cool and contract in general. There are two types of volcanic activity: effusive…