18 January 202312 January 2023Cheap, sustainable hydrogen through solar powerWithstanding high temperatures and the light of 160 suns, a new catalyst is 10 times more efficient than previous sun-powered water-splitting devices of its kind
21 May 202116 June 2021New process makes ‘biodegradable’ plastics truly compostableNew discovery of University of California research found unlocked enzymes to destroy the structure
23 March 20219 September 2021Could we recycle plastic bags into fabrics of the future?Engineers have developed self-cooling fabrics from polyethylene, a material commonly used in plastic bags
4 December 201929 November 2019Army project may lead to new class of high-performance materialsResearchers from three universities to reengineer ribosome as a biological catalyst to make novel chemical polymers
18 April 201915 April 2019Creating sustainable bioplastics from electricity-eating microbesMicrobially derived bioplastics could play a role in space, where astronauts could use 3-D printer technology to manufacture their own tools
16 June 201713 June 2017Fungal Enzymes Team Up to More Efficiently Break Down CelluloseCollaborative science initiative enables resolution of fungal protein complexes
30 March 201724 March 2017Silk Sensor Could Speed Development of New Infrastructure, Aerospace and Consumer MaterialsResearchers have developed a way to embed a nanoscale damage-sensing probe into a lightweight composite made of epoxy and silk
5 February 20164 February 20164D-printed structure changes shape when placed in waterWyss, SEAS researchers create shape-shifting architectures that mimic plant movements
26 March 201425 March 2014MIT engineers design ‘living materials’Hybrid materials combine bacterial cells with nonliving elements that can conduct electricity or emit light
7 April 2010New analysis of the structure of silks explains paradox of super-strengthCould lead to even stronger synthetic materials