Biology

Sticky solutions: Octopus-inspired suction patches revolutionize drug delivery

Biology, Environment, Health / /

The traditional approach of administering certain medications through direct injection can be particularly effective for drug delivery, but may be uncomfortable for children and those with needle phobias. While oral medications are available for some drugs, large-molecule drugs that treat chronic diseases such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, or cancer can only be administered through an […]

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Not so forever chemicals: A new treatment for PFAS removal

Biology, Chemistry, Environment / /

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, have persisted in the environment for decades, earning the name “forever chemicals.” These man-made chemicals, found in nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing, and grease-resistant packaging, have been manufactured since the 1940s, and have since impaired waters globally. PFAS contain carbon and fluorine bonds, one of the strongest bonds in

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Dead yet conscious: Some CPR survivors recall events during heart failure

Biology, Health / /

How long can the brain function without oxygen from the heart? For a long time, scientists thought that the answer was about 6–10 minutes before the brain undergoes permanent damage. However, recent research reveals that 1 in 5 people who undergo cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and survive can remember events from when they were “dead.”  When

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Defeating paralysis: revolutionary brain implant allows woman to speak after 18 years 

Biology, Health, Technology / /

In 2004, a sudden brainstem stroke left the then 30-year-old Ann Johnson completely paralyzed. It took years of physical therapy for her to regain enough muscle control to express emotion on her face and breathe independently, but the muscles controlling her speech remained stagnant. Her daughter, 13 months old at the time of the stroke,

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Does this moss have it covered? Champion evolver may not have what it takes to survive climate change

Biology, Environment / /

On the harsh, icy cliffs of the Tibetan Plateau, an ancient moss carpets the ground. Covered by snow for eight months of the year, Takakia is a highly specialized moss and one of the fastest-evolving plants ever documented. Surviving four mass extinctions, this 390-million-year-old moss species saw the rise and fall of dinosaurs and the

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