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Damaged coral reefs can recover quickly after restoration work

Four years after being restored with steel frames, coral reefs in Indonesia damaged by blast fishing grow at the same rate as healthy reefs, but they have lower levels of species diversity

08/03/2024

AI designs bespoke 3D-printed prosthetic eyes

Using an artificial intelligence model and 3D printer to create prosthetic eyes reduces the time required to make such implants, which could make them available to more people

27/02/2024

AI discovers new class of antibiotics to kill drug-resistant bacteria

Artificial intelligence helped screen millions of chemical compounds to find a class of antibiotics capable of killing two different types of drug-resistant bacteria

20/12/2023

Ultrasound can push vaccines into the body without needles

Vaccinations could be made less painful by treating skin with a vaccine-laden liquid and using ultrasound to push it into the body

04/12/2023

Peanut toothpaste shows promise at preventing allergic reactions

A toothpaste that contains peanut proteins did not cause any serious side effects in people with an allergy to the food and showed early signs of preventing dangerous reactions

09/11/2023

Silkworms genetically engineered to produce pure spider silk

Spider silk has been seen as a greener alternative to artificial fibres like nylon and Kevlar, but spiders are notoriously hard to farm. Now researchers have used CRISPR to genetically engineer silkworms that produce pure spider silk

20/09/2023

Superglue alternative made from soya is strong but biodegradable

Most adhesives are made from fossil fuels and take thousands of years to biodegrade, but a new alternative derived from soya plants bonds metal, wood and synthetic surfaces just as strongly

13/09/2023

Inhalable mRNAs will boost vaccines and therapies for lung conditions

Delivering mRNAs to the cells lining the nose and lungs will make vaccines more effective and may also lead to better treatments for conditions such as cystic fibrosis

16/08/2023

CRISPR-edited trees reduce the energy and water required to make paper

Genetically editing poplar trees reduces the resources required to harvest their wood's cellulose, which makes up paper

13/07/2023

Mosquitoes made immune to malaria could help stamp out the disease

A gene-editing technique makes mosquitoes produce antibodies against the malaria parasite, which could mean cases in people are also slashed

10/07/2023

People with total colour blindness able to see red after gene therapy

Thanks to gene therapy, people who could previously only detect shades of grey can now distinguish red objects from a darker background

10/07/2023

Insects are thriving in England's rivers after fall in metal pollution

An analysis of 30 years of monitoring data shows an upward trend in the population of insects and other invertebrates in English rivers, which may be linked to lower levels of zinc and copper

19/05/2023