biomaterials

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the University of Tennessee (UT),

Imagine you are trapped under rubble after an earthquake and you see an electronics-covered cockroach with a spring-loaded needle on its back scuttling toward you. Although the sight might be unnerving, to say the least, this prototype paramedic cyborg, or “Paraborg,” might one day help deliver lifesaving aid to disaster victims who might be otherwise impossible to reach. The Hardest Problems in …

Scientific Reports, Published online: 05 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41598-026-66956-6 Mechanical, durability, and microstructural performance of biochar-modified concrete using faecal sludge–derived biochar

Harvard researchers have transformed ordinary knitting into a platform for creating fabrics that can snap between different shapes and perform useful functions. Using elastic yarns and industrial knitting techniques, the team engineered thick textiles that naturally curve and lock into multiple stable configurations, much like a light switch flipping between on and off. By adding conductive yarn,…

A new paper-based design tool creates self-folding wearable sensors that conform to body shapes, offering a simple route towards flexible biosignal monitoring for personalised sensing. Researchers at Shibaura Institute of Technology in Japan have developed a parametric design tool that transforms flat sheets of paper into self-folding helical wearable sensors. The approach integrates copper tape …

Researchers developed modular organ-targeting metal-phenolic network coatings that altered where diverse nanoparticles accumulated after intravenous administration in mice. By tuning metal ions, phenolic ligands, and PEG molecular weight, the researchers redirected nanoparticles toward the lungs, kidneys, heart, and brain while preserving functional mRNA delivery in coated lipid nanoparticles.

Scientific Reports, Published online: 04 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41598-026-70253-7 Six-order amplification of third-order optical susceptibility (χ(3)) and bandgap engineering in ion-doped chitosan biopolymers

Researchers engineered a living Citrobacter sp. MICI21 biofilm on copper that outcompeted the corrosive sulfate-reducing bacterium Oleidesulfovibrio alaskensis G20 and formed a dense, mechanically cohesive barrier. The MICI21-dominated biofilm limited sulfide ingress and pitting and produced substantially greater corrosion resistance, supporting microbiome engineering as a potential strategy for …

For children born with cleft lip and palate, repairing gaps in the jawbone often means waiting until they are 10 to 12 years old before undergoing invasive bone graft surgery.

Plastic-free, ethical leather alternatives that perform like the real thing are hard to make. Researchers may have cracked the code to produce such materials on large scale.

Targeting the spleen with engineered mycobacterial nanocomplexes turns tumor-supporting cells into active cancer fighters through trained immunity.

Australian engineers have created a strong and lightweight titanium material that floats in water, even after severe damage, revealing a promising new material for marine infrastructure.

Microbiologically induced calcite precipitation (MICP) is widely investigated for soil improvement, surface consolidation, and self-healing concrete, yet concrete crack sealing often fails not because calcium carbonate cannot form, but because precipitates are produced at poorly connected locations. In ureolytic systems, Sporosarcina pasteurii and related bacteria raise pH and carbonate alkalinit…

Fast fashion drastically changed the world by making clothes cheaper and more affordable than ever, but it came with a huge environmental cost. This has pushed scientists to look for new, more sustainable materials that could replace conventional synthetic fabrics. Continue Reading Category: Materials , Engineering Tags: Fungus , Textile , Biodegradable

Image Courtesy: Shutterstock Researchers have developed a smart nanoparticle system designed to help surgeons spot tiny clusters of glioblastoma durin

The adult human brain has limited capacity to repair or regenerate neurons lost to Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia. Existing treatments can slow disease progression but do not reverse cognitive decline. In a study publishing in the Cell Press journal Cell Biomaterials on August 26, researchers show that engineered nanoparticles can not […]

University of Illinois Urbana Champaign researchers have developed a fast and simple way to turn lignin, a plentiful plant-based byproduct of the paper making industry, into potentially more valuable renewable chemicals.