When a damaged blood vessel has to be replaced, it’s important that the replacement be well-tolerated by the body. And while bioprinted blood vessels are one possibility, French scientists are now working on weaving the things out of collagen yarn. Led by researcher Nicolas L’Heureux, a team at the Inserm institute – aka the French National Institute of Health and […]

Bacteria are fast evolving resistance to antibiotics, and it takes time to figure out if a particular infection is drug-resistant or not. Now, researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a smart bandage that changes color to signal the presence of either drug-resistant or drug-sensitive bacteria. It can then be triggered to release antibiotics or other chemicals to […]

It makes a certain amount of sense to think that a harsh, jarring alarm tone would be most effective at thoroughly waking a person up. According to a new study, though, a melodic tone may work best for minimizing morning grogginess. The phenomenon of still feeling sleepy after getting up is known as sleep inertia (SI). It can last for […]

If bacterially-tainted food is present in a store or kitchen, then the sooner that authorities know, the better. That’s why scientists have created a device that detects harmful bacteria on the spot, instead of in the lab. The portable 3D-printed tool is being developed by a team led by Dr. Euiwon Bae and Prof. Bruce Applegate, at Indiana’s Purdue University. […]

For people living with conditions such as hypertension, knowing their blood pressure at all times certainly would be helpful. That’s where a non-invasive new wearable system is designed to come in. Currently, the standard method of measuring blood pressure involves utilizing an inflatable arm cuff – the device is officially known as a cuffed sphygmomanometer. While highly accurate, it certainly […]

Back in 2015, we heard about a skin patch that had been used to treat diabetes in mice. It’s now come a step closer to use on humans, as it’s been successfully trialed on diabetic pigs. The device is being developed via a collaboration between scientists at UCLA, MIT and the University of North Carolina (UNC). It’s intended to be […]

In search of new ways to treat severe burns that don’t involve skin grafts, scientists at the University of Toronto have spent more than a decade developing a portable device that can print out large sheets of “bio ink” to boost the healing process. The team has put its latest model through trials, where it proved capable of accelerating the […]

Scientists in Australia are reporting an exciting breakthrough in the realm of pain-relief, demonstrating the viability of a new type of pain-blocking neuron derived from human stem cells for the first time. If the findings can be translated from mice to humans, the hope is this new therapy could come to offer a safer, less addictive alternative to opioid-based pain […]

We’ve recently heard about a number of experimental antibacterial food-wrap films, that could replace conventional polyethylene. The latter does have some desirable qualities, though, so scientists have now developed a composite made from it. Among other things, the polyethylene film that we’re used to is strong, transparent, gas-permeable and water-resistant. It doesn’t kill bacteria, though, which is where the new […]

Phase 2 human trial results have been published demonstrating the impressive efficacy of an oral form of the influenza vaccine. The trial compared the pill to the most commonly used injectable flu vaccine and found it as safe and effective as its counterpart. Herd immunity is vital in slowing the spread of infectious diseases through a community. The more people […]