A fascinating new study from researchers in Japan indicates a person’s metabolism of dietary proteins is influenced by when they consume their meals. The study found protein consumed early in the day promotes better skeletal muscle health and growth. Chrono-nutrition is a relatively new area of nutrition science exploring the ways our circadian clock influences our metabolic functions. To put […]

Anyone who drinks coffee can appreciate the undeniable convenience of coffee pods, most commonly associated with Keurig machines. But environmentally, these plastic pods are mounting up to an estimated 40 billion pieces of waste in the landfills every year. Enter a chemist, a material-development company and a focus on superfoods for some interesting coffee options with the added benefit of […]

It goes without saying that the earlier someone can be warned of an impending heart attack or stroke, the better. A new skin patch could provide such warnings, by sending ultrasound pulses into the wearer’s body. Building upon a previously developed device, the patch was created at the University of California-San Diego by a team led by Prof. Sheng Xu. […]

Last year DeepMind put forward a compelling a solution to a 50-year-old science problem, demonstrating how its AlphaFold AI could predict the 3D structures of unique proteins, laying the groundwork for a new era of biological discovery. The company has continued building out these foundations by now sharing the predicted structures for nearly every protein in the human body, which […]

A new study in the journal Science Advances presents the latest research demonstrating the potential effectiveness of an inhalable COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine is one of several in development designed to be administered through a nasal spray. “The currently available vaccines against COVID-19 are very successful, but the majority of the world’s population is still unvaccinated and there is a […]

Among other things, brain implants are capable of stimulating specific neurons, and of delivering medication to specific regions. An experimental new implant could overcome a common limitation of others, by transforming from rigid to soft states. Existing implants incorporate devices such as electrodes, which are typically fairly stiff. The brain tissue that those electrodes are inserted into, on the other […]

In most hearing aids, sounds emitted by a tiny speaker are directed down the ear canal. The “alpha” hearing aid is different, however – and reportedly better – in that its speaker actually sits directly against the wearer’s eardrum. Described as a “hearing contact lens,” the device is being manufactured by German startup Vibrosonic. It incorporates technology developed by researchers […]

Presently, orthopedic surgeons use screwed-in metal plates to hold unstable broken bones together. There may soon be a less problematic, more customizable alternative, though, which incorporates a light-cured composite material. While traditional metal plates are effective at stabilizing broken bones, they do have at least two drawbacks. For one thing, it’s difficult to form them into the exact shape needed […]

In a breakthrough that could greatly ease the burden for patients recovering from cardiac surgery, scientists have developed a new type of temporary pacemaker that never needs to be removed. The world-first device does away with lead and batteries in favor of fully biocompatible materials, and is therefore able to harmlessly dissolve in the body once its served its purpose. […]

By targeting the same mechanisms through which epidural anesthesia controls pain during child birth, engineers at the University of Cambridge have demonstrated a new medical implant that could offer relief from other types of severe pain. Administered with a needle and inflated like a tiny air mattress once in position, the device works by subjecting the spinal cord to mild […]