A new study led by FAMU-FSU College of Engineering researchers investigating precision polymer blends revealed critical insights that could accelerate the development of advanced materials for batteries, membranes and energy storage systems.

The research, which focused on blends of a polymer called polyethylene oxide (PEO) and a charged polymer known as p5, found that even small amounts of charge can dramatically alter how these materials mix. This behavior aligns with previously developed theoretical models, offering a new framework for anticipating when polymer blends will remain uniform or separate into distinct phases.

A new microchip invented by Scripps Research scientists can reveal how a person’s antibodies interact with viruses—using just a drop of blood. The technology offers researchers faster, clearer insights that could help accelerate vaccine development and antibody discovery.

Key proteins in the ankles are similar to those used by salamanders to regenerate severed limbs and might hold the key to a new therapeutic approach for joint disease.

In joint research with the University of Tokyo (UTokyo), the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tohoku University, and Kyoto Institute of Technology, the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) developed and published "elemental reactivity maps" for discovering new phases. The research team proposed maps that use machine learning to identify over 3,000 element combinations that could potentially form new phases from among a total of 85,320 combinations of up to three elements selected from the 80 elements easily handled in the laboratory. This research result was published in Chemistry of Materials on February 21, 2025.