Natural ecosystems made up of plants, animals and microorganisms face constant challenges from natural hazards, like extreme weather or invasive species. Despite these challenges, ecosystems have thrived for millions of years, showcasing high levels of resilience against hazards and disturbances. What if the mechanisms and patterns responsible for this prosperous resilience could be applied to the power grid? With funding support from Sandia National Laboratories, Texas A&M University researchers have tested bio-inspired cyber-physical systems to strengthen the power grid to mitigate different types of cyber-attacks and understand their impacts. 

For decades, he has been regarded as one of the most important public intellectuals, if not the most important: Jürgen Habermas, who taught for many years as a professor at Goethe University Frankfurt, has decisively shaped the discourse on democracy, society, and media in Germany. Now, he has entrusted his alma mater with the second part of his preliminary legacy, which includes writings and correspondence from the period after 1994.   

Vincent van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci and Pablo Picasso created some of the most recognizable works of art in history. Their masterpieces have been displayed around the world, admired by millions and inspired generations of artists.

But if artificial intelligence generated an image mimicking their distinct styles and techniques, would their original work still stand apart? And if AI draws on their creations to produce something new, should those artists receive credit for the inspiration their work provides?  

Human health is influenced by many factors: diet, exercise, family history, and — believe it or not — gravity. The Earth’s gravitational pull, or its absence, affects the movement of fluid throughout the body, impacting blood flow. As space travel becomes more common, it’s crucial to understand the body’s reaction to changes in gravity and its effects on astronauts’ health. Using tilt tables, researchers from the Bioastronautics and Human Performance (BHP) Laboratory at Texas A&M University are investigating the effects of different gravity levels on the body, all without leaving campus.

A new inhalable nanomedicine developed at the Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform (WADDP) could help outwit one of humanity’s oldest diseases—tuberculosis (TB).

Dr Lindokuhle Ngema, a postdoctoral researcher at WADDP, has engineered a nanosystem capable of delivering all four standard TB drugs directly into the lungs, where the bacteria that cause the disease—Mycobacterium tuberculosis—hide and persist. The formulation aims to bypass the liver and bloodstream, reduce drug loss, and concentrate medication precisely at the site of infection.

“TB is clever—it hides in lung pockets where oral drugs can’t reach. Our system is designed to be smarter and to go exactly where it’s needed,” says Ngema.

TB remains a leading cause of death worldwide, claiming more than 56,000 lives in South Africa alone in 2023. Current treatments require months of daily pills and can cause severe side effects, fuelling poor adherence and the emergence of drug-resistant TB.

By transforming TB therapy into an inhalable treatment, WADDP researchers hope to improve patient adherence, shorten treatment duration, and reduce resistance. The nanosystem’s movement through the lungs will be tracked in collaboration with the Nuclear Medicine Research Institute (NuMeRI), using nuclear imaging to confirm delivery to “hidden” infection sites.