University of Pittsburgh

Manganese may finally solve hydrogen fuel cells' catalyst problem

Manganese is known for making stainless steel and aluminum soda cans. Now, researchers say the metal could advance one of the most promising sources of renewable energy: hydrogen fuel cells.

Improving additive manufacturing for space missions

Additive manufacturing presents a game-changing opportunity for the space industry to produce complex components with greater efficiency at a lower cost. However, the trial-and-error method currently used to create such parts with limited materials is not suited for components that would need to survive the harsh environment of space.

Making a transparent flexible material of silk and nanotubes

The silk fibers produced by Bombyx mori, the domestic silkworm, has been prized for millennia as a strong yet lightweight and luxurious material. Although synthetic polymers like nylon and polyester are less costly, they do not compare to silk's natural qualities and mechanical properties. And according to research, silk combined with carbon nanotubes may lead to a new generation of biomedical devices and so-called transient, biodegradable electronics.

Bioelectronic device to treat rheumatoid arthritis

SetPoint Medical, a clinical-stage bioelectronic medicine company developing therapy for chronic autoimmune diseases, has announced the completion of enrollment in the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pilot Investigational Device Exemption study evaluating its proprietary bioelectronic device to treat patients with drug refractory rheumatoid arthritis.

Deep learning distinguishes recalled-benign mammograms

An artificial intelligence approach based on deep learning convolutional neural network could identify nuanced mammographic imaging features specific for recalled but benign (false-positive) mammograms and distinguish such mammograms from those identified as malignant or negative.

If only AI had a brain

Digital computation has rendered nearly all forms of analog computation obsolete since as far back as the 1950s. However, there is one major exception that rivals the computational power of the most advanced digital devices: the human brain.

Why a trucking company built its own grid

At the Pitt Ohio trucking facility in Harmar, Pennsylvania, tractor trailers roll up to a depot where lights, computers, and electric forklifts are all powered by clean energy produced on-site.

Getting to the heart of carbon nanotube clusters

Integrating nanoscale fibers such as carbon nanotubes into commercial applications, from coatings for aircraft wings to heat sinks for mobile computing, requires them to be produced in large scale and at low cost.

Glass with switchable opacity could improve solar cells and LEDs

Nanoscale 'grass' structures also enable smart glass that switches from hazy to clear in presence of water.

Super strong stretchy silver

Try bending your iPhone in half. Or roll up your tablet like a scroll. Or wrap a touchscreen TV around a pole. Didn't work out so well, did it? That's because the ceramic material used to make many of today's touchscreens has only two of three needed qualities: it's conductive, it's transparent—but it's not flexible.

Novel gene editing approach to cancer shows promise

A novel gene therapy using CRISPR genome editing technology effectively targets cancer-causing "fusion genes" and improves survival in mouse models of aggressive liver and prostate cancers.

New depths in neuroscience: advances may help meld man with machine

Neural probes have long been a staple of neuroscience research, but in 1978 Dr. William Dobelle demonstrated they could do much more.

Self-powered mobile polymers

One of the impediments to developing miniaturized, "squishy" robots is the need for an internal power source that overcomes the power-to-weight ratio for efficient movement.

Driverless-vehicle options now include scooters

Using the same control algorithms for all types of vehicles — scooters, golf carts, and city cars — has several advantages. One is that it becomes much more practical to perform reliable analyses of the system's overall performance.

A mind-controlled robotic arm

Researchers have demonstrated for the first time ever in humans a technology that allows a quadriplegic to experience the sensation of touch through a robotic arm that he controls with his brain.

Wireless, wearable toxic-gas detector

Researchers have developed low-cost chemical sensors, made from chemically altered carbon nanotubes, that enable smartphones or other wireless devices to detect trace amounts of toxic gases.