A team of researchers has developed a stable, long-lasting superhydrophobic surface with a plastron that can last for months underwater. The surface repels blood and prevents the adhesion of marine organisms, making it valuable for biomedical applications such as reducing infection after surgery.
A team of researchers from Harvard and Hong Kong Baptist University identified patterns to predict extreme heat and ozone days in China. The model correlated sea surface temperature anomalies with increases in heat waves and ozone about 80% of the time, providing a forecast for the government to prepare resources.
Researchers at Harvard developed a fiber-infused ink that allows 3D-printed heart muscle cells to align and contract like human heart cells, enabling the creation of functional heart ventricles. The innovation can be used to build life-like heart tissues with thicker muscle walls, paving the way for regenerative therapeutics.
Researchers have developed an easy-to-manufacture e-nose that can rapidly and accurately 'sniff-out' volatile compounds, including those used in hazardous waste and disease diagnosis. The sensor uses machine learning to identify specific VOCs and determine their concentration.
A team of researchers at Harvard University has developed a compact, soft pump that can power soft robots in various applications. The pump uses dielectric elastomer actuators and can control pressure, flow rate, and flow direction, making it suitable for biomedical settings.
Researchers found that controlled burns in key areas of northern California, western Oregon, and eastern Washington could drastically reduce wildfire smoke exposure throughout the entire western U.S. This is due to prevailing winds carrying smoke across the continent and abundant dense vegetation fueling smokey fires.
A new study models optimal investment in China's grid-connected offshore wind, suggesting at least 1000 GW of capacity could be deployed at a lower cost than nuclear units. The research aims to improve provincial deployment plans and boost national renewable penetration from 31.5% to 40%.
A new study from Harvard University reveals that despite the national reduction of mercury emissions by 90% since the implementation of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards in 2011, two regions - Texas and North Dakota - continue to be major sources of toxic air pollution. The research highlights significant sociodemographic disparitie...
A new ankle exosuit designed for community use could help stroke survivors improve their walking propulsion, boost confidence, and ability, according to a proof-of-concept study. The device simplifies mechanical components and allows wearers to control it easily, with sensors tracking progress over time.
A Harvard study reveals unmonitored PFAS build-up and last for centuries at military sites, contaminating groundwater supplies. The lack of regulation on precursor compounds poses significant risks to human health, emphasizing the need for effective remediation technologies.
Scientists have developed a new technique using tissue-embedded nanoelectronic devices to study the functional maturation of stem-cell derived heart tissues. The research found that co-culturing stem-cell-derived cardiomyocytes with endothelial cells enables faster and more efficient maturation, with significant implications for engine...
A team of researchers from Harvard and MGH developed a soft robotic wearable capable of significantly assisting upper arm and shoulder movement in people with ALS. The device improved range of motion, reduced muscle fatigue, and increased performance of tasks like holding or reaching for objects.
The new optical resonator developed by Capasso's team provides precise control over the mode of light and enables multi-mode coupled light to exist within the resonator. This breakthrough could influence how resonators are understood and open doors for new capabilities, including fundamental physics experiments and manipulation of mate...
A team of simple robots, nicknamed RAnts, use photormones to escape a corral and perform complex tasks. The research reveals how collective cooperation can arise from simple rules, applicable to solving problems like construction, search and rescue, and defense.
A government policy that pushed back the sowing of rice in northwest India led to a delay in harvests and agricultural burning, exacerbating air pollution. Without this delay, cities like New Delhi would have seen an average of 11-21% less smoke-related air pollution between 2008 and 2019.
Researchers developed a new method to target diseased neurons using light, changing their long-term behavior. The approach uses light-sensitive enzymes to create insulating or conductive coatings on cell membranes, tuning excitability in neurons.
Researchers at Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have developed an integrated electro-optic modulator that can efficiently change the frequency and bandwidth of single photons on a chip. This device could be used for more advanced quantum computing and quantum networks.
A neural network trained using a diverse dataset outperforms conventionally trained algorithms by reducing bias in artificial intelligence. The use of images from low-resource populations boosts the object recognition performance of machine learning systems.
Harvard scientists create a high-performance on-chip femtosecond pulse source using a time lens, enabling broadband, high-intensity pulse sources. The device is highly tunable, integrated onto a small chip and requires reduced power compared to traditional table-top systems.
Researchers developed a fast and cost-effective method to detect amphiphiles, a ubiquitous family of chemical compounds used in disease diagnosis and toxin detection. The new test uses rolling droplets on microstructured surfaces to detect levels of pathogenic endotoxins in water at ultralow concentrations.
Scientists from Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have created a machine that uses surface tension of water to grab and manipulate microscopic objects, enabling nanoscopic manufacturing. The device can braid micrometer-scale fibers of synthetic material Kevlar, opening doors for high-frequency conductors.
Researchers designed a soft, jellyfish-like gripper that uses entangled tentacles to grasp and hold heavy, oddly shaped objects. The gripper's strength comes from its ability to entangle itself with the object, increasing the hold with each contact.
A team of researchers at Harvard University has developed an ionic circuit that performs analog matrix multiplication, a key operation in neural networks, using ions in liquid. The breakthrough uses a pH-gated ionic transistor and expands to a 16x16 array for more complex computations.
New research models the value of clean hydrogen in decarbonizing heavy industries and transportation in China. A widespread application of clean hydrogen in HTA sectors can save $1.72 trillion in investment costs and avoid a 0.13% loss in aggregate GDP.
Researchers found that models using soil moisture explain 30-120% more year-to-year variation in yield than those relying on rainfall, revealing a critical link between temperature and water supply for crops. Extreme heat is less damaging to crop yields than previously estimated, while drought and flooding sensitivity increases.
A team from Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences has developed an electro-optic frequency comb that is 100-times more efficient and has more than twice the bandwidth of previous state-of-the-art versions.
Researchers developed a silicon photodiode array for in-sensor processing, allowing for real-time image filtering and extraction of relevant visual information. The technology has potential applications in machine vision, bio-inspired systems, and intelligent imaging devices.
Researchers develop technique to control pH at microsites, enabling high-throughput biomolecular synthesis and enzymatic DNA synthesis. This allows for increased experimental throughput and speeding up processes in DNA synthesis.
As extreme heatwaves ravage the globe, scientists warn that only 8% of the world's poorest people have access to air conditioning. By 2050, 70% of the population may require AC, with 92% needed in India and Indonesia. This demands massive infrastructure upgrades to prevent lives from being lost.
Researchers at Harvard University have developed inflatable actuators that can bend, twist, and move in complex ways using origami-inspired designs. The actuator's bistable origami blocks allow it to perform up to eight different motions with a single pressure source.
Bioengineers from Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences create first biohybrid model of human ventricles with helically aligned beating cardiac cells, increasing blood pumping efficiency by up to 50%. The model was made possible using Focused Rotary Jet Spinning (FRJS), a new method of additive textile manu...
A new biodegradable food packaging system reduces microbial contamination and extends shelf life, reducing waste and foodborne illness. The system uses pullulan-based fibers with natural antimicrobial agents, demonstrating a significant reduction in contamination and an increase in avocado shelf life.
Harvard researchers develop new method to extend the lifetime of organic molecules in organic aqueous flow batteries, improving their commercial viability. The approach works by periodically providing a shock to revive decomposed molecules, resulting in a net lifetime increase of up to 260 times.
Harvard researchers have created a compact and tunable electro-optic modulator for free space applications, capable of modulating light at gigahertz speeds. The modulator uses metasurface resonators with high-performance organic electro-optical materials and high-frequency electronics.
Researchers at Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have developed a single-material diamond mirror that withstood a 10-kilowatt Navy laser without damage. The mirror's unique nanostructure design makes it 98.9% reflective, potentially enabling more robust high-power lasers for various applications.
A new approach using artificial intelligence generates designs automatically, allowing researchers to create complex metasurfaces with billions of nanopillars. This enables the development of larger, more complex metalenses for virtual reality and augmented reality systems.
Researchers from Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have developed a single-material, single-stimuli microstructure that can outmaneuver even living cilia. These programmable structures could be used for soft robotics, biocompatible medical devices, and dynamic information encryption.
Researchers discovered near-zero index materials where light's momentum becomes zero, altering fundamental processes like atomic recoil and Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. These materials could enable perfect cloaking and have potential applications in quantum computing and optics.
The study reveals the sing saw uses a surprising effect to create its distinct tone: when curved into an S-shape, energy vibrates in a confined area producing a clear, long-lasting sound. This principle can be applied to design high-quality resonators for various applications.
A team of researchers, led by L. Mahadevan, developed a mathematical model to understand the mechanics of combing and detangling. They found that using short strokes starting from the free end can effectively remove tangles, with an optimal minimum length for each stroke identified.
Harvard researchers have successfully integrated a high-power laser onto a lithium niobate chip, a major breakthrough in the development of high-performance chip-scale optical systems. The integration enables the creation of fully integrated spectrometers, optical remote sensing, and efficient frequency conversion for quantum networks.
Scientists develop models that complement simulations using reinforcement learning and numerical methods to predict climate change, turbulent flows, and morphogenesis. This approach enables faster and more energy-efficient predictions, solving complex problems in engineering and climate applications.
By slicing a block of elastomer with a periodic array of holes at a 45-degree angle, researchers discovered new properties and opened up new applications for this long-studied group of materials. This change in surface morphology can alter friction between the material and an underlying surface.
Researchers developed a metasurface attachment that can turn any camera into a polarization camera, capturing light's polarization at every pixel. This innovation benefits various fields like face recognition, self-driving cars and remote sensing, revealing hidden details and features.
Scientists have gained a new understanding of the atomic level interactions in complex catalysis, enabling more efficient and sustainable chemical production. Researchers used x-ray spectroscopy, machine learning analysis, and first principles calculations to model reactions and identify active site structures.
Researchers developed a fully autonomous biohybrid fish from human stem-cell derived cardiac muscle cells that recreates the muscle contractions of a pumping heart. The device has two layers of muscle cells that work together to propel the fish for over 100 days.
Researchers at Harvard SEAS developed a new way to simulate tens of thousands of bubbles in foamy flows. This allows for predictive simulations in scales ranging from microfluidics to crashing waves, opening up possibilities for industrial applications such as food production and drug development.
Researchers have developed a compact terahertz laser that operates at room temperature and produces 120 individual frequencies spanning the 0.25 - 1.3 THz range. This breakthrough technology has the potential to bridge the gap for applications in imaging, security, and communications.
Researchers developed a soft, stretchable, self-powered thermometer that can be integrated into stretchable electronics and soft robots, enabling new human-machine interfaces and applications. The sensor has high sensitivity and quick response time, and can measure temperatures up to 200 degrees Celsius or as cold as -100 degrees Celsius.
A new platform uses machine learning to design and build transformable, inflatable systems with potential applications in medicine, architecture, robotics, space travel, and more. The researchers used finite element simulations and neural networks to learn how to control the deformation of membranes when pressurized.