Tag: bioengineering
-
Moss Survives Space Station Exterior: New Findings
Hardy moss proves it can endure the vacuum of space Scientists are unveiling surprising resilience in one of Earth’s humblest organisms: moss. In a controlled experiment, researchers placed clumps of common moss on the exterior of a space station to test how it would weather the harsh conditions of low Earth orbit. The results, revealed…
-
Space-Resilience: Moss Survives 9 Months Outside the ISS, Defying Harsh Space
Space Moss Defies the Odds In a striking display of resilience, a certain type of moss managed to endure a 9-month sojourn outside the International Space Station (ISS). The achievement, reported by Japanese researchers, offers fresh insight into how simple life forms cope with the vacuum, freezing temperatures, intense ultraviolet radiation, and near-zero oxygen found…
-
Poplar Trees Engineered to Produce Industrial Chemical
Scientists Turn to Trees for Sustainable Chemistry In a landmark study, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory demonstrated that poplar trees can be genetically engineered to synthesize a pivotal industrial chemical. The achievement adds a new dimension to sustainable materials research, showing how long-lived plants might serve as living factories for…
-
Researchers Turn Poplar Trees into Mini Factories for Biodegradable Plastics
Scientists Equip Trees to Build Tomorrow’s Plastics Researchers from Brookhaven National Laboratory, under the U.S. Department of Energy, have taken a bold step toward sustainable manufacturing by engineering poplar trees to produce key chemicals used to make biodegradable plastics. The work, conducted in controlled environments and field trials, aims to convert long cycles of conventional…
-
Space Life Science in Focus: NASA-Funded Research Shaping Health in Microgravity and Beyond
Overview: NASA-Funded Breakthroughs in Space Life Science The NASA Human Research Program continues to fuel a growing body of space life science that informs not only astronaut health on long missions but also advances terrestrial medicine. The latest current awareness list highlights studies ranging from short-duration spaceflight effects on task execution to revolutionary tissue research…
-
MIT Engineers Solve Sticky-Cell Problem in Bioreactors
Overview: Tackling a universal bottleneck in cell-based production Bioreactors are central to modern manufacturing, from growing algae that aggressively absorb CO2 to producing biologic drugs and cell therapies. But a stubborn challenge—cells sticking to surfaces—limits performance across industries. This adhesion reduces light exposure in photobioreactors, disrupts harvesting, and triggers costly downtime for cleaning. A new…
-
From ‘superhumans’ to sequencing: How the next 50 years of science could shape our world
Imagining the next half-century of science The last 50 years have reshaped our world with breakthroughs once thought impossible—from the birth of the internet to decoding the human genome and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence. As CBC Radio’s science program Quirks & Quarks marks its 50th anniversary, a panel of Canada’s leading researchers gathered…
-
From Superhumans to Sequencing: The Next 50 Years of Science
The Next 50 Years in Science: A Roadmap Shaped by Collaboration As we mark a half-century of rapid scientific progress, researchers from across disciplines are envisioning what comes next. The discussion at the Perimeter Institute in Waterloo, alongside CBC’s Quirks & Quarks, brought together six Canadian scientists who chart future frontiers. Their shared takeaway: the…
-
Vocal Cord Hydrogel Breakthrough at McGill – Longer-Lasting Voice
McGill unveils a promising hydrogel for vocal cord healing A team of researchers at McGill University has developed a hydrogel that could significantly improve treatment for vocal cord injuries. The hydrogel is designed to repair damaged tissue in the vocal cords, offering potential relief for people who suffer from voice loss or chronic vocal damage.…
-
AVATAR: NASA’s Organ-on-a-Chip for Space Health Futures
NASA’s Bold Step: Putting Astronaut Tissue on Chip As NASA prepares for the Artemis II mission, the agency is not only planning to circle the Moon but also to push the boundaries of space biology. A centerpiece of this effort is the AVATAR project—an acronym for A Virtual Astronaut Tissue Analog Response. The experiment takes…