Researchers at Rice University have developed a magnetoelectric material that converts a magnetic field into an electric field. The material can be formulated such that it can be injected into the body, near a neuron, and then an alternating magnetic field can be applied to the area from outside the body. Magnetic fields are very […]
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Tiny Cylinders for Controlled Drug Release
Researchers at Rice University have developed a new type of microparticle for drug delivery, made from a polymer called PLGA that has already been extensively explored as a component in drug delivery systems. However, what makes these new particles different is the method of loading and sealing them, which appears to give them highly tunable [&hell (Read more...)
Self-Assembling Peptides as a Bioink
Researchers at Rice University have developed a bioprinting method that uses self-assembling peptides as a bioink. The technique involves using “multidomain peptides” that are hydrophobic at one end and hydrophilic at the other. When the peptides encounter water, they flip over each other to create hydrophobic sandwich structures that s (Read more...)
Automated Feeding Platform to Study Mosquito Disease Transmission
A team at Rice University has developed an automated feeding platform for mosquitoes that allows researchers to test different types of repellent and investigate mosquito-borne disease transmission. Traditionally, such mosquito research would require human volunteers or animal subjects for the mosquitos to feed on, but this is obviously inconvenien (Read more...)
CRISPR-Cas13 System for Quick and Sensitive SARS-CoV-2 Detection
Scientists at Rice University created a rapid COVID-19 test that is based on the gene editing CRISPR-Cas system. The researchers modified the Cas-13 protein to increase its activity and to light up with fluorescence when it encounters RNA from the virus. The system does not require the expensive lab equipment and technical expertise of PCR, [&helli (Read more...)
Wearable Pneumatic Assistive Tech with Logic Gate Control
Researchers at Rice University have developed a textile control system, free of any electronics, for pneumatic wearable technology that is designed to be helpful for people with limited mobility. Medgadget recently covered the pneumatic ‘gripper’ developed by Rice researchers. Now, they have created a textile control system for such wea (Read more...)
Pneumatic Assistive Device for People with Disabilities
Researchers at Rice University have developed a pneumatic assistive device for people with disabilities. The technology includes an air pump that is mounted in the wearer’s shoe, providing pneumatic power with each step. This power is stored in a wearable belt that includes an “arm” that can reach out and grip items when activated (Read more...)
Magnetic Activation of Specific Brain Circuits
Scientists at Rice University developed a system to wirelessly and rapidly activate specific brain circuits using magnetic fields. The technology has been developed in fruit flies, a common experimental animal, but the researchers hope that it could help in understanding the brain and to develop new treatments for neurological disorders in humans. (Read more...)
Carbon Nanotube Thread Lets Clothes Monitor Health
Researchers at Rice University managed to create flexible carbon nanotube fibers that can be incorporated into clothing to function as wearable health monitors. The new thread is highly conductive, but it is washable and strong, allowing it to function as an unobtrusive component of clothing. So far, the researchers have incorporated the fibers int (Read more...)