Pennsylvania State University

Aqua Metals

Aqua Metals is a Li-ion battery and metal recycler based in the US.

Unique Ferroelectric Microstructure Revealed for The First Time

A team of researchers have observed and reported for the first time the unique microstructure of a novel ferroelectric material, enabling the development of lead-free piezoelectric materials for electronics, sensors, and energy storage that are safer for human use.

Granular Hydrogel Bioink for Tissue Bioprinting

Every day in the United States, 17 people die waiting for an organ transplant, and every nine minutes, another person is added to the transplant waiting list, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration. One potential solution to alleviate the shortage is to develop biomaterials that can be three-dimensionally printed as complex organ shapes, capable of hosting cells and forming tissues.

Rubber Camouflage Skin Exhibits Smart and Stretchy Behaviours

The skin of cephalopods, such as octopuses, squids and cuttlefish, is stretchy and smart, contributing to these creatures' ability to sense and respond to their surroundings. A Penn State-led collaboration has harnessed these properties to create an artificial skin that mimics both the elasticity and the neurologic functions of cephalopod skin, with potential applications for neurorobotics, skin prosthetics, artificial organs and more.  

Waterproof Sensors Improve Temperature and Motion Sensitivity

Wearable sensors — an important tool for health monitoring and for training artificial intelligence — can be waterproof or can measure more than one stimuli, but combining these factors while maintaining a high level of precision in the measurements is difficult.

Bioprinting for Bone Repair Improved with Genes

Given enough time and energy, the body will heal, but when doctors or engineers intervene, the processes do not always proceed as planned because chemicals that control and facilitate the healing process are missing. Now, an international team of engineers is bioprinting bone along with two growth factor encoding genes that help incorporate the cells and heal defects in the skulls of rats.

SPEE3D

Australian start up SPEE3D have developed technology for 3D printing metals called 'Supersonic 3D Deposition', otherwise known as cold spray.

Gene Editing Breakthrough in Ticks to Help Combat Lyme Disease

Reducing tick-borne diseases, such as Lyme disease, may now be possible thanks to two new gene editing methods. The methods could allow scientists to alter parts of the tick genome that are involved in harboring and transmitting pathogens.

Device Wraps Around Hot Surfaces, Turns Wasted Heat to Electricity

The energy systems that power our lives also produce wasted heat — like heat that radiates off hot water pipes in buildings and exhaust pipes on vehicles. A new flexible thermoelectric generator can wrap around pipes and other hot surfaces and convert wasted heat into electricity more efficiently than previously possible.

Salvaging Rare Earth Elements from Electronic Waste

Manufacturers rely on rare earth elements, like neodymium, to create strong magnets used in motors for electronics including hybrid cars, aircraft generators, loudspeakers, hard drives and in-ear headphones. But mineral deposits containing neodymium are hard to reach and are found in just a few places on Earth.

Monitoring Glucose Levels, No Needles Required

Noninvasive glucose monitoring devices are not currently commercially available in the United States, so people with diabetes must collect blood samples or use sensors embedded under the skin to measure their blood sugar levels. Now, with a new wearable device, less intrusive glucose monitoring could become the norm.

Wearable Head Scanner for Comfort, Mobility During Brain Scans

To collect accurate images of a patient's brain, the patient must be still and confined in a tube-like MRI scanner for a long period of time. To better assess their brain function and behavioral health, however, they should move naturally and freely during a scan. Researchers have proposed a solution to both clearly visualize and accurately assess the brain via photoacoustic imaging with a stretchable, flexible material.

Fusing Expert Knowledge and Deep Learning to Detect Sleep Apnea

Individuals who suspect they have sleep apnea — and the doctors who diagnose them — could soon have more effective way to automatically detect the condition at home, thanks to a new method.