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A wearable sensor to help ALS patients communicate Published November 13, 2020 at 04:32AM

"Tomato Source" -- The Discovery Files Researchers from Boyce Thompson Institute -- partnered with the European Research Area Network for Coordinating Action in Plant Sciences (ERA-CAPS) Program -- have created a pan-genome that captures all of the genetic information of 725 closely related wild and cultivated tomatoes. This resource of genetic information -- an expansion of the Tomato Reference Genome, which is limited to a specific tomato variety -- promises to help breeders develop more flavorful and sustainable varieties, and perhaps create more disease- and pest-resistant tomatoes. Published May 23, 2019 at 10:30AM

"Routecase" -- The Discovery Files Carnegie Mellon University researchers say a smart suitcase that warns blind users of impending collisions and a wayfinding smartphone app can help people with visual disabilities safely and independently navigate airport terminals. Called BBeep, the suitcase sounds alarms when users are headed for a collision with a pedestrian, and the navigation app, called NavCog, provides turn-by-turn audio instructions to users on how to reach a departure gate -- or a restroom or restaurant. Together, the technologies could reduce the need for airport personnel to serve as guides for the visually impaired. Published May 17, 2019 at 10:30AM

"Plaque Attack" -- The Discovery Files A team of engineers, dentists and biologists has developed a microscopic robotic cleaning crew, which goes by the acronym "CARs," whose catalytic activity could ably destroy biofilms, sticky amalgamations of bacteria enmeshed in a protective scaffolding. The scientists tested the minibots mettle in fighting tooth decay and infection from plaque; however, their biofilm-removal systems also could be valuable in a wide range of potential applications, from keeping water pipes and catheters clean to reducing the risk of implant contamination. Published May 09, 2019 at 10:30AM

"Drawer Bones" -- The Discovery Files Paleontologists at Ohio University have discovered a new species of meat-eating mammal larger than a polar bear, with a skull as large as that of a rhinoceros and enormous, piercing, canine teeth. The 22-million-year-old fossils were unearthed decades ago, then placed in a drawer at the National Museums of Kenya. They remained there without a great deal of attention until National Science Foundation-funded scientists rediscovered them, recognizing their significance. Published May 03, 2019 at 10:30AM

"'Paca Punch" -- The Discovery Files Mini-antibodies found in the blood of camels, alpacas and llamas, shrunk further to create so-called "nanobodies," may help solve a problem in the cancer field: making specific types of T-cell therapies work in solid tumors. Scientists used these nanobodies -- which resemble antibodies in human blood -- to enhance the targeting abilities of the T-cell therapies. In tests with mice, the antibodies helped weaken the blood supply to tumors and targeted tumor-protecting proteins, thereby successfully curbing melanoma and colon cancer. Published April 25, 2019 at 10:30AM

"Model Terrain" -- The Discovery Files A team of geographers has developed a series of models -- using a massive, crowdsourced, fitness-tracking database -- that strongly predict how terrain slope affects human travel rates. The geographers will apply their new models to wildland firefighters: During their spring training in 2019, nearly a dozen fire crews in Utah, Idaho, Colorado and California will use GPS trackers to record their movements and log their travel rates. Published April 12, 2019 at 10:30AM

"Insul-in" -- The Discovery Files An MIT-led research team has developed a drug capsule -- about the size of a blueberry -- that could be used to deliver oral doses of insulin, potentially replacing the injections that people with Type 1 diabetes have to give themselves every day. In tests in animals, the researchers showed that they could deliver enough insulin to lower blood sugar to levels comparable to those produced by injections given through skin. Published February 21, 2019 at 10:30AM

"Gutsy Move" -- The Discovery Files MIT engineers have designed an ingestible, Jell-O-like pill that, upon reaching the stomach, quickly swells to the size of a ping-pong ball. The soft, squishy device -- big enough to stay in the stomach for an extended period of time -- could potentially track ulcers, cancers and other gastrointestinal conditions over the long term. Published February 14, 2019 at 10:30AM

"'Bot Flies" -- The Discovery Files Stanford researchers have modified small flying robots to anchor onto surfaces and pull heavy loads, moving objects 40 times their weight with the help of powerful winches and two previous inventions -- gecko adhesives and microspines. The small size of these machines, called FlyCroTugs, means they can navigate through snug spaces and fairly close to people, making them useful for search and rescue. Published November 09, 2018 at 10:30AM

"Peer Pairing" -- The Discovery Files Researchers have found neural evidence of early learning among infants who were coupled with a peer, as compared to those infants who viewed the instruction alone. Critically, the more often that new, unfamiliar partners were paired with the infants, the better results the babies showed. Published October 25, 2018 at 10:30AM

"Some Nerve" -- The Discovery Files Researchers have developed an implantable, biodegradable device that delivers regular pulses of electricity to damaged peripheral nerves in rats, helping the animals regrow nerves in their legs and recover their nerve function and muscle strength more quickly. The size of a quarter, the device lasts about two weeks before being completely absorbed into the body. Published October 25, 2018 at 10:30AM

"Cool Coat" -- The Discovery Files Columbia engineers have made white paint whiter -- and cooler -- by removing white pigment, and have invented a polymer coating, with nano-to-microscale air voids, that acts as a spontaneous air cooler and can be fabricated, dyed and applied like paint. Research in Arizona showed that the coating reduced air temperatures under the coated surface by 11 degrees, which suggests the coating could help stem energy costs from cooling in a rapidly warming world. Published October 12, 2018 at 10:30AM

"Emotional Mash-Up" -- The Discovery Files Adolescents don't distinguish between negative emotions as clearly as younger children and adults in their twenties, according to new findings. The study sheds light on how experiences of emotion vary at different ages and why adolescence may be a particularly vulnerable period in emotional development. Published September 13, 2018 at 10:30AM

"Math Path" -- The Discovery Files A new study is the first of its kind to show the impact of an online course in changing students' mindsets and beliefs about mathematics and their achievement, with the potential for more widespread dissemination. This free "massive, open, online course" (MOOC) designed to change students' attitudes towards mathematics makes them more engaged in class -- leading to less math anxiety and significantly higher test scores. Published August 31, 2018 at 10:30AM

"Wi-Fi Spy" -- The Discovery Files Ordinary Wi-Fi could easily detect weapons, bombs and explosive chemicals in bags at museums, stadiums, theme parks, schools and other public venues, according to a new study. The study's research team employed a suspicious object detection system, which is easy to set up, reduces security screening costs and avoids invading privacy, such as when screeners open and inspect bags, backpacks and luggage. Published August 23, 2018 at 10:30AM

"Eel Threat" -- The Discovery Files Researchers from Michigan State University, the University of Minnesota and Western Michigan University have homed in on a fatty molecule that directs the destructive migration of sea lampreys -- a type of eel -- and the results of their study could lead to better ways to control them. One sea lamprey can kill more than 40 pounds of fish, and the U.S. and Canadian governments spend approximately $20 million annually to control them in the Great Lakes. Published August 16, 2018 at 10:30AM

Bac Jac -- The Discovery Files A multi-university study reveals that E. coli has managed to keep a big secret about its defenses, the astonishing physical strength of the thin outer membrane that clings to E. coli's stout cell wall. The new study shows that the thin outer membrane physically protects the cell and could be a good target for a new class of antibacterial drugs. Published August 10, 2018 at 10:30AM

"Protective Seal" -- The Discovery Files Scientists have discovered that seal blood has the ability to minimize the effects of an inflammatory response during dangerous deep-sea dives. The inflammatory effects of a bacterial toxin -- lipopolysaccharide -- are 50 to 500 times greater in humans than seals, and tests on mice immune cells suggest that the special properties of seal blood could protect the lungs of human deep divers. Published July 26, 2018 at 10:30AM

"Elec-trick" -- The Discovery Files Fish known as "baby whales" possess a protein that enables them to communicate using electrical signals, and thus avoid predators. Turns out, this same protein exists in the hearts and muscles of humans, and a better understanding of its function could lead to improved treatments for heart conditions and diseases such as epilepsy. Published July 09, 2018 at 10:30AM