Research News
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Flat brain organoids grown on 3D-printed scaffolds show intrinsic gyrification
Gyrification has been observed for the first time in brain organoids grown in vitro using 3D-printed scaffolds. The research, by an international team from the Autonomous University of Madrid and the Technical University of Denmark, used 3D printing to create scaffolds for engineered flat brain organoids. The scaffolds allowed the brain organoid size to be […]
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Groundwater recharge rates mapped for Africa
Effective governance and investment decisions need to be informed by reliable data, not only about where groundwater exists, but also the rate at which groundwater is replenished. For the first time using ground measurements, a recent study has quantified groundwater recharge rates across the whole of Africa – averaged over a fifty-year period – which […]
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Are two phases of quarantine better than one?
New research into this question shows that the second wave of an epidemic is very different if a population has a homogenous distribution of contacts, compared to the scenario of subpopulations with diverse number of contacts. The research, by American authors from Oakland University, Novi High School, and California Polytechnic State University, used a simulation […]
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Study identifies first step to beating water scarcity
New research has revealed the locations and industries in the USA where efforts to improve water consumption would have the greatest benefit for economic activity and the environment. The study, led by researchers from Virginia Tech, used a spatially detailed database of water productivity to set realistic benchmarks for more than 400 industries and products. […]
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Ocean hitchhiker’s sucker mechanism offers potential for underwater adhesion
A new study has revealed how remora suckerfish detach themselves from the surfaces they’ve clung to – and how the mechanism could provide inspiration for future reversible underwater adhesion devices. The research, by an international, multidisciplinary team working across robotics, comparative biology, and electrical engineering, investigated the detachment mechanism of the remora’s suction disc, and […]
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New microrobot with in situ, in vivo bioprinting offers promise for gastric wound treatment
Researchers in China have taken the first step towards a new way of treating gastric wounds by using a microrobot combined with the new concept of “in situ in vivo bioprinting” to carry out tissue repair inside the body. Their study, published today in the IOP Publishing journal Biofabrication, establishes proof-of-concept for this new method […]
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Lockdown saw modest drop in China air pollution – study
Large improvements of air quality in China during the COVID-19 lockdown have been widely reported, but new research reveals that the two pollutants most harmful to human health, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone, were only slightly reduced. The study, by scientists from the University of Leeds, UK and the Southern University of Science and […]
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Clean energy grids and electric vehicles key to beating climate change and air pollution
Any uptake in electric vehicle use must be mirrored by the development of clean energy grids to mitigate both climate change and air pollution. That is the key finding of a new study by researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, California, and Stanford University, California. Published in the IOP Publishing journal Environmental Research Letters, […]
