Although termites represent one of the peskiest household pests, they could prove to be beneficial for biofuel production. Enzymes in termite guts are instrumental in the insect’s ability to break down the wood they eat, and a group of researchers from Purdue University have applied their knowledge of termites to develop a cocktail of enzymes ... »

Stanford researchers have developed a highly sensitive underwater microphone which is modeled after the extraordinarily acute hearing of orcas. The microphone can capture a wide range of ocean sounds in a range of approximately 160 decibels, significantly more than existing underwater microphones (hydrophones) which have limited ranges of sensitivity and do not perform well at ... »

Researchers at Delft University of Technology and the University of Basel have created a biomimetic nanopore that provides a unique test and measurement platform for the way that proteins move into a cell’s nucleus. The biomimetic pore is fully functional and able to act selective, thus it can be used as a testing platform for ... »

Two researchers at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital have developed a living laser, in which a single cell genetically engineered to express green fluorescent protein (GFP). Before you start thinking about sharks with lasers or other science fiction creatures, this technology is used to amplify photons into nanosecond-long pulses of laser ... »

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have built the currently  most complex biochemical circuit created from scratch, made with DNA-based devices in a test tube. Engineering these circuits allows researchers to explore the principles of information processing in biological systems, and to design biochemical pathways with decision-making capabilities. “We’re trying to borrow the ... »

Birds routinely land on small surfaces, using wing morphing and flapping techniques. The UC San Diego engineers, led by mechanical and aerospace engineering professor Tom Bewley and graduate student Kim Wright, analyzed slow motion videos of birds landing to generate a working hypotheses for how biomimicry of wing morphing and flapping can be used for ... »

Many kinds of algae and cyanobacteria are capable to use the energy from sunlight in order to produce compounds needed for their own survival, and during that process they split water molecules and release hydrogen, which holds promise as a clean and carbon-free fuel for the future. A group of researchers found a way to ... »