University of California

Researchers have found a way to make AI-generated voices, such as digital personal assistants, more expressive, with a minimum amount of training. The method, which translates text to speech, can also be applied to voices that were never part of the system's training set.

A floating, robotic film could be trained to hoover oil spills at sea or remove contaminants from drinking water. Powered by light and fueled by water, the film could be deployed indefinitely to clean remote areas where recharging by other means would prove difficult.

In a first, researchers have successfully used the DNA-editing system, CRISPR to alter the genomes of bacteria living in the guts of mammals, a development which stands to advance our understanding of the microbiome and could eventually pave the way for treating gut-related disease.

Imagine your car starting the moment you get in because it recognizes the jacket you're wearing. Consider the value of a hospital gown that continuously measures and transmits a patient's vital signs. These are just two applications made possible by a new "body area network"-enabling fabric invented by engineers.

Blending experts from molecular genetics, chemistry and health sciences, researchers have created a rapid diagnostic technology that detects SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The new SENSR (sensitive enzymatic nucleic acid sequence reporter) is based on CRISPR gene-editing technology that allows speedy detection of pathogens by identifying genetic sequences in their DNA or RNA.

In a weightless, microgravity environment like space, what do ability and disability look like? How can someone with partial sight or impaired mobility navigate in a confined space like the space station? As scientists and innovators continue to push the boundaries of spaceflight and the possibility of human life on other planets, how can we build space infrastructure that is inclusive of all humans?

A team of materials scientists and chemists has determined the proper stack pressure that lithium metal batteries need to be subjected to during battery operation in order to produce optimal performance.

A team of bioengineers has invented a novel soft and flexible self-powered bioelectronic device. The technology converts human body motions — from bending an elbow to subtle movements such as a pulse on one's wrist — into electricity that could be used to power wearable and implantable diagnostic sensors.

Engineers created a new type of battery that weaves two promising battery sub-fields into a single battery. The battery uses both a solid state electrolyte and an all-silicon anode, making it a silicon all-solid-state battery. The initial rounds of tests show that the new battery is safe, long lasting, and energy dense. It holds promise for a wide range of applications from grid storage to electric vehicles.

Research has taken a major step forward in the development of microbial fuel cells — a technology that utilizes natural bacteria to extract electrons from organic matter in wastewater to generate electrical currents.

Astronomers can't touch the stars they study, but astrophysicists are using 3-dimensional models that fit in the palm of the hand to unravel the structural complexities of stellar nurseries, the vast clouds of gas and dust where star formation occurs.