Following similar developments in England and France, a team of scientists at The University of Texas at Austin created an enzyme variant that breaks down plastic with the potential to eliminate billions of tons of landfill. The enzyme—dubbed FAST-PETase—targets polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a polymer found in consumer packaging that makes up 12% of global waste. Researchers used a machine learning model to generate mutations of a …
Scientists at Manus Neurodynamica, an Edinburgh-based medical technology company, developed a pen that provides an early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. As the current method to test for Alzheimer’s is long, expensive and requires brain imaging, radio tracers and cognitive assessments, this new technology will make screenings more accessible, helping doctors diagnose patients earlier on. The Neuromotor Pen works by measuring limb and hand motion while …
Using high-frequency sound waves, scientists at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia have managed to grow new bones out of stem cells. Having spent over a decade investigating how sound interacts with different materials, researchers developed a sound wave-generating device that can manipulate cells and fluids. “We can use the sound waves to apply just the right amount of pressure in the right …
