Heriot-Watt University

“Hopefully we can reverse the continuing trend of honey bee loss.” Two widely used neonicotinoids—a class of insecticide—appear to significantly harm honey bee colonies over the winter, particularly during colder winters, according to a new study from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH). The study replicated a 2012 finding from the same research group that

Using 3-D printing and novel semiconductors, researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have created a power inverter that could make electric vehicles lighter, more powerful and more efficient. At the core of this development is wide bandgap material made of silicon carbide with qualities superior to standard semiconductor materials. Power inverters

Flexible plastics that turn mechanical vibrations into electrical energy could spur the development of self-powered sensors and devices The shrinking dimensions and decreased power consumption of modern electronic gadgets have created opportunities for energy harvesting processes that tap into free, green energy from the environment. Vibration harvesters, for example, produce small amounts of electricity from everyday mechanical

Carnegie Mellon and Yale Study in Mice Shows Promise for Treating Genetic Conditions During Early Stages of Development Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and Yale University have for the first time used a gene editing technique to successfully cure a genetic condition in utero in a mouse model. Their findings, published in Nature Communications, present a

Instead of being constrained by only being able to study sick patients, this platform projects virtual illnesses onto healthy subjects. The Hannover Medical School has developed an augmented reality simulation app called mARble that enables med students to get as much hands-on experience as they’d like. Instead of being constrained by only being able to study sick patients,

GreenVolts says that their power plants achieve improved system performance   Most photovoltaic (PV) systems consist of modules, inverters, racking, wiring and other components – all sourced from different vendors. Even with the best design and engineering, this process is inherently inefficient. But Fremont, Calif.-based GreenVolts has broken ranks. The company has announced that it is offering the

If widely adopted, the energy savings would be like taking 700,000 cars off the road every year New super-efficient rooftop units that heat and cool commercial buildings offer significant energy and dollar savings, say scientists at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. They found that the devices reduce energy costs an average of about

Computer scientists from Saarbrücken have developed a technique that could enable virtually anyone to print out customized displays of their own in future – in all shapes and sizes and onto various materials. A regular home printer could be used to print wafer-thin displays onto paper, so these printed displays might present custom-designed icons or