A new Harvard study describes a way to process natural rubber that preserves its long molecular chains while mixing in strength-endowing particles.

Researchers from Lund University in Sweden collected wild flatworms from Malmö’s largest park, Pildammsparken. These creatures are masters at regenerating after injury. Now, for the first time, the worms’ unique ability to regenerate has been harnessed to help accelerate wound healing in human skin models.

A Harvard team built a chip-scale lithium niobate UV light source that generates 120 times more power than previous approaches, paving the way for practical uses.

Harvard researchers built a swarm of simple ant-like robots (RAnts) that can collectively excavate and construct structures without central control. Their experiments show that adaptive group behavior can emerge from the interaction between many simple agents and their environment, with potential applications in many fields. 

A stick-on gel for plants could offer a simple, safe and targeted way to treat diseases and pests. It can be loaded with substances, such as medicines, and applied directly onto a plant to deliver those materials into its tissues. In tests, the gel was used to clear a plant's bacterial infection.

Eggs and poultry provide important sources of protein globally, driving a major industry with large economic impacts. Challenges to hatchery operations include embryo mortality, fertility, sex determination, and eggshell characteristics. These features have a substantial impact on production, but they are difficult and time-consuming to estimate. A University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign research team has conducted multiple studies using near infrared (NIR) and hyperspectral imagery (HSI) to evaluate chicken eggs, potentially leading to more efficient, safe, and humane production methods. They discuss their findings in a series of publications.

As global plastic production continues to rise, replacing fossil-based plastics with renewable and biodegradable alternatives has become increasingly urgent. Researchers have now evaluated hemp hurd-based biocomposite films as sustainable substitutes for conventional packaging and mulch films using a full cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment. Published in Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, the study demonstrates that these biocomposites maintain mechanical performance comparable to conventional plastics while offering clear environmental advantages. Among the disposal options studied, anaerobic digestion showed the lowest global warming potential due to electricity generation from biogas and the reuse of digestate as a soil conditioner. The results provide practical guidance for integrating agricultural residues into circular bioplastic systems and improving waste management strategies for emerging bio-based materials.