Healing severe wounds requires strong, safe, and effective dressings to prevent infections. Researchers at the University of Lincoln and Shibaura Institute of Technology have developed a new type of wound patch by adding magnesium chloride to polyurethane nanofibers. These enhanced patches are stronger, more blood-compatible, and exhibit superior antibacterial properties than conventional ones, making them a game-changer for wound care. This innovative approach could improve healing outcomes and care for patients with serious injuries.

Using genes borrowed from bacteria, researchers led by Macquarie University have demonstrated fish and flies can be engineered to break down methylmercury and remove it from their bodies as a less harmful gas, offering new ways to tackle one of the world's most dangerous pollutants.

For the first time, scientists have demonstrated that negative refraction can be achieved using atomic arrays - without the need for artificially manufactured metamaterials.

Scientists have long sought to control light in ways that appear to defy the laws of Nature.

Negative refraction - a phenomenon where light bends in the opposite direction to its usual behaviour - has captivated researchers for its potential to revolutionise optics, enabling transformative technologies such as superlenses and cloaking devices.

Now, carefully arranged arrays of atoms have brought these possibilities a step closer, achieving negative refraction without the need for artificially manufactured metamaterials.        

Researchers at Ehime University successfully assessed the risk of DDTs on endocrine disruption in killer whales using New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) that avoid animal testing. By in vitro experiments and computer analysis, they found that DDTs activate killer whale estrogen receptor α, potentially disrupting hormone balance. This is concerning because DDTs levels in killer whales are high enough to cause harm. This study highlights the potential of NAMs for assessing chemical risks in wild species.