Every traveler knows that meal-planning is an important part of any long trip. As NASA gears up to send astronauts to Mars within the next two decades, nutrition is one part of the challenge. The team will need enough calories to survive the three-year mission. By one estimate, this would mean about 10,000 kilograms of …
Could the Next Blockbuster Drug be Designed by Artificial Intelligence?
Developing a new drug is a lengthy, difficult, and inefficient process. It is characterized by high costs and a substantial failure rate. Only one out of 10 drug candidates make it through clinical trials and are approved for use. To improve these odds, pharmaceutical companies are beginning to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to design and …
Investigating the Impact of Artificial Light on Arctic Marine Life in Winter
For marine scientists who can tolerate long periods of darkness and cold temperatures, the winter in the Arctic provides an intriguing laboratory. Until recently, scientists believed that the marine ecosystem in the Arctic shut down for the winter months due to the absence of sunlight and food. However, research has in fact shown that some …
Affordable Portable MRI Machines: Bringing Medical Imaging to Developing Countries
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a valuable medical imaging technique, yet it is often inaccessible in developing countries due to the high cost of the technology. To make this tool more widely available, researchers have been working to develop a smaller, portable alternative. One such machine is the Swoop®, a portable scanner that is much …
Pigs Could Solve the Organ Transplant Crisis
Infographics 2022 held a number of significant breakthroughs in researchers’ ongoing efforts to solve the organ transplant crisis. Many of those breakthroughs were in xenotransplantation, or the use of animal organs in humans, and most of that research has looked specifically at using genetically modified pig organs in humans. As research continues and scientists’ understanding …
A Breakthrough in Converting Brain Waves to Speech
A new pilot study conducted by Chang Lab at UC San Francisco has demonstrated the ability to use new neurotechnology to enable paralyzed individuals to speak whole words using only their thoughts. This groundbreaking study marks the first time that a person with severe speech impairments has been able to use an implant to translate …
Can Nasal Vaccines Confer Sterilizing Immunity?
A COVID-19 vaccine that provides sterilizing immunity may be in our future – and with it, a potential light at the end of the coronavirus tunnel. At least, that’s what the dozens of research groups currently working on new vaccination delivery methods – such as nasal sprays or drops – are working towards. And while …
Robotic Jumper Scales Tall Buildings in a Single Bound
Not unlike a superhero leaping into the air to protect humanity, a new jumping robot can reach a height of 30 meters (100 feet), the highest achieved by any known natural or engineered jumper. The robot, designed by researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, uses a mechanical advantage over known biological systems. Although …
Study Finds Norovirus Could Spread Through Saliva
Norovirus is the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis, causing an estimated 685 million cases each year. The virus can lead to severe illness and contributes to an estimated 50,000 child deaths on an annual basis, mostly in developing countries. Until now, medical researchers assumed that norovirus was only spread via the fecal-oral route – …
Freeze-Dried Mouse Sperm: A Revolution for In Vitro Fertilization?
Infographics When you think of a scientific laboratory, you might picture high-tech equipment, high-powered centrifuges, and bubbling vats of mysterious chemicals. However, the inner workings of the scientific community are often a bit more mundane. Take, for example, a group of researchers in Japan who were at their wits’ end as they tried to transport …
