Materials and organisms

• 3D bioprinting
  4 entries · biological
• AAV gene delivery
  4 entries · biological
• Acoustic cell patterning (standing waves)
  1 entries · waves
• Acoustic levitation and acoustic tweezers
  2 entries · waves
• Acoustic metamaterials and phononic crystals
  3 entries · waves
• Aerogels (including cellulose aerogels)
  3 entries · organic
• AI materials discovery and self-driving labs (GNoME, A-Lab, robot chemist)
  3 entries · ai-emerging
• AI protein structure prediction (AlphaFold, RoseTTAFold)
  3 entries · ai-emerging
• AI-discovered antibiotics (halicin, abaucin)
  2 entries · ai-emerging
• Algae
  6 entries · organic
• Alginate (seaweed)
  6 entries · organic
• Ancient bacterial spores (disputed revivals)
  3 entries · experiment
• Animal cloning (Dolly the sheep)
  5 entries · biological
• Animal migration
  3 entries · ecosystems
• Apollo lunar samples
  3 entries · extraterrestrial
• Artificial blood & blood substitutes
  4 entries · biological
• Artificial leaf (artificial photosynthesis)
  4 entries · mineral
• Artificial molecular machines
  2 entries · ai-emerging
• Asteroid Bennu samples
  2 entries · extraterrestrial
• Asteroid Ryugu samples
  2 entries · extraterrestrial
• Axolotl limb regeneration
  2 entries · experiment
• Bacterial cellulose
  9 entries · organic
• Bacterial chemotaxis
  1 entries · experiment
• Bacterial nanowires (Geobacter)
  4 entries · biological
• Bacterial quorum sensing
  1 entries · experiment
• Bacterial self-healing concrete
  1 entries · biomimetic
• Bamboo
  5 entries · organic
• Basalt
  9 entries · mineral
• Base editing and prime editing
  3 entries · ai-emerging
• Beaks, jaws and the fastest strikes
  9 entries · biomimetic
• Bio-inspired grippers
  1 entries · biological
• Biochar
  5 entries · organic
• Biodegradable metals (zinc and iron)
  2 entries · metal
• Biofuels (algae, cellulosic, engineered microbes)
  5 entries · energy
• Bioluminescence (luciferase)
  4 entries · biological
• Bioluminescence in the ocean and on land
  7 entries · bioluminescence
• Biophotovoltaics
  3 entries · energy
• Bioremediation of oil spills
  1 entries · cleanup
• Biosonar-inspired sonar and robots
  2 entries · waves
• Bird magnetic sense (cryptochrome)
  2 entries · experiment
• Bone grafts & bone substitutes
  3 entries · biological
• Bone trabeculae and topology optimization
  3 entries · biomimetic
• Boron nitride nanotubes
  3 entries · mineral
• Brain-computer interfaces
  12 entries · inert
• CarbFix: turning CO2 into stone
  1 entries · cleanup
• Carbon dioxide (capture and supercritical CO2)
  3 entries · gas
• Cartilage repair
  2 entries · biological
• Casein (milk protein)
  5 entries · organic
• Cell membranes and ion channels
  1 entries · cells
• Cellulose nanocrystals
  6 entries · organic
• Cephalopod camouflage & reflectin
  4 entries · biological
• Chameleon feet and ballistic tongue
  3 entries · biological
• Chang'e-5 lunar samples
  5 entries · extraterrestrial
• Chitin & chitosan
  9 entries · organic
• Circadian rhythms and the body clock
  2 entries · earth-cycles
• Classic mathematical models of life (Lotka–Volterra, SIR, Hodgkin–Huxley)
  3 entries · math
• Clay
  9 entries · mineral
• Climate change and the timing of nature
  1 entries · ecosystems
• Clingfish and remora suction discs
  2 entries · biological
• Closed ecosystems and life support (Biosphere 2, MELiSSA)
  2 entries · terraforming
• Coconut coir & shell
  4 entries · organic
• Cold gas plasma (plasma medicine)
  3 entries · gas
• Collagen & gelatin
  6 entries · organic
• Comet Wild 2 dust (Stardust)
  1 entries · extraterrestrial
• Composting and circular economy
  2 entries · cleanup
• Compressed air energy storage
  2 entries · energy
• Copper (antimicrobial surfaces)
  2 entries · metal
• Coral (coralline bone substitutes)
  3 entries · mineral
• Coral reefs and bleaching
  2 entries · ecosystems
• Cork
  4 entries · organic
• CRISPR and gene drives
  5 entries · biological
• CRISPR gene editing in human patients
  7 entries · biological
• Cryptobiosis: animals and plants that revive
  6 entries · experiment
• Cultivated (lab-grown) meat
  3 entries · biological
• De novo designed proteins
  4 entries · biological
• Decellularized organ scaffolds
  4 entries · biological
• Deer antler regeneration
  1 entries · experiment
• Deinococcus radiodurans
  3 entries · experiment
• Diatomite
  4 entries · mineral
• Discovering the electron and the atomic nucleus
  3 entries · particles
• DNA nanorobots and walkers
  2 entries · ai-emerging
• DNA nanotechnology and DNA data storage
  6 entries · biological
• Earth's changing magnetic field and space weather
  9 entries · earth-cycles
• Echolocation in bats, dolphins and toothed whales
  3 entries · waves
• Electric eel
  5 entries · experiment
• Electric rays, electric catfish and electrolocation
  4 entries · biological
• Electricity storage (supercapacitors, sodium-ion, solid-state, flow batteries)
  6 entries · energy
• Electron microscopy and cryo-EM
  2 entries · particles
• Electronic skin (e-skin)
  4 entries · inert
• Embryonic stem cells
  3 entries · biological
• Engineered living building materials
  2 entries · experiment
• Enhanced rock weathering
  1 entries · terraforming
• Enzymatic plastic recycling to monomers
  1 entries · cleanup
• Extreme survivors (tardigrades and rotifers)
  2 entries · experiment
• Fibonacci spirals and the golden angle (phyllotaxis)
  2 entries · math
• Flax
  4 entries · organic
• Flexible & bio-integrated electronics
  3 entries · inert
• Form-finding architecture (Frei Otto, Gaudí catenaries)
  2 entries · biomimetic
• Fractals in biology and allometric scaling laws
  3 entries · math
• Fungal electrical spiking
  1 entries · experiment
• Gamma rays (sterilization, radiotherapy, Gamma Knife, PET)
  5 entries · light
• Gecko adhesion
  3 entries · biological
• Genetically modified & gene-edited crops
  7 entries · biological
• Geopolymers & volcanic ash
  4 entries · mineral
• Glowing bacteria partners and counterillumination
  4 entries · bioluminescence
• Gold nanoparticles
  5 entries · metal
• Graphene & carbon from biomass
  5 entries · organic
• Graphene and carbon nanotubes
  4 entries · mineral
• Gravity, microgravity and the body
  5 entries · earth-cycles
• Green fluorescent protein (GFP)
  4 entries · biological
• Growing life in Mars and Moon conditions
  3 entries · terraforming
• Heavy-metal biosorption
  1 entries · cleanup
• Hemp
  5 entries · organic
• Hibernation and torpor
  3 entries · biological
• Honeycomb hexagons
  2 entries · math
• How many species are there?
  1 entries · ecosystems
• Human echolocation
  1 entries · waves
• Human microbiome and the gut-brain axis
  3 entries · cells
• Hydra (no aging)
  2 entries · experiment
• Hydrogels
  4 entries · organic
• Hydrogen gas
  4 entries · gas
• Hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide (signaling gases)
  6 entries · gas
• Hydropower, tidal and wave energy
  3 entries · energy
• Hydrothermal vent life and chemosynthesis
  3 entries · experiment
• Hydroxyapatite
  6 entries · mineral
• Hyperthermophiles: life above boiling
  3 entries · experiment
• Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)
  4 entries · biological
• Industrial enzymes
  3 entries · biological
• Infrared (heat sensing, photobiomodulation)
  3 entries · light
• Infrasound in animals
  1 entries · waves
• Insects that convert waste (black soldier flies, mealworms)
  2 entries · cleanup
• Jute
  3 entries · organic
• Keratin
  6 entries · organic
• L-systems and Voronoi patterns
  2 entries · math
• Lab-grown & artificial skin
  2 entries · biological
• Lasers (optical tweezers, laser cooling, ultrafast pulses, LASIK, 3D printing)
  7 entries · light
• Lenski long-term E. coli evolution experiment
  4 entries · experiment
• Lignin
  5 entries · organic
• Liposomes and lipid nanoparticles
  5 entries · biological
• Liquid metals (gallium alloys, EGaIn)
  2 entries · metal
• Lithium (batteries)
  5 entries · metal
• Liver and digit-tip regeneration in mammals
  2 entries · experiment
• Lizard tail regeneration
  1 entries · experiment
• Lotus effect (superhydrophobic surfaces)
  3 entries · organic
• Lunar regolith (moon soil construction)
  2 entries · mineral
• Magnesium (biodegradable implants)
  2 entries · metal
• Magnetite
  5 entries · mineral
• Magnetotactic bacteria
  3 entries · biological
• Mars terraforming feasibility studies
  3 entries · terraforming
• Martian meteorite ALH84001
  1 entries · extraterrestrial
• Mass extinctions and recovery
  2 entries · ecosystems
• Medicines from animal venoms
  5 entries · biological
• Melanized fungi (Chernobyl "radiation-eating" fungi)
  4 entries · biological
• Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)
  4 entries · metal
• Methane (biogas)
  2 entries · gas
• Microbial fuel cells
  3 entries · energy
• Microwaves in chemistry
  1 entries · light
• Mitochondria, chloroplasts and endosymbiosis
  1 entries · cells
• Molecular motors and the cytoskeleton
  5 entries · cells
• Moon, tides and living rhythms
  5 entries · earth-cycles
• MOXIE: making oxygen on Mars
  1 entries · terraforming
• Muon tomography (pyramids)
  2 entries · particles
• Murchison and other carbon-rich meteorites
  3 entries · extraterrestrial
• Mussel adhesive proteins (DOPA)
  4 entries · biological
• Mutation breeding & directed evolution
  6 entries · biological
• Mycelium
  11 entries · organic
• Mycoremediation (fungi that break down pollutants)
  1 entries · cleanup
• Mycorrhizal networks between trees
  2 entries · ecosystems
• Nacre & calcium carbonate
  6 entries · mineral
• Naked mole-rat
  3 entries · experiment
• Nanoparticle drug delivery
  2 entries · ai-emerging
• Nanopore sequencing
  2 entries · ai-emerging
• Natural gas and methane hydrates
  3 entries · energy
• Natural mutation and evolution in the wild
  7 entries · biological
• Navigating by Earth's magnetic field
  5 entries · earth-cycles
• Neutron, positron (antimatter) and neutrinos
  4 entries · particles
• Newt lens regeneration
  1 entries · experiment
• Nitinol (shape-memory alloy)
  3 entries · metal
• Nitric oxide (signaling gas)
  3 entries · gas
• Nuclear fission and fusion
  3 entries · energy
• Ocean iron fertilization experiments
  2 entries · terraforming
• Octopus arm autonomy
  1 entries · experiment
• Octopus suckers and octopus-inspired adhesives
  2 entries · biological
• Oil (petroleum)
  2 entries · energy
• Oil-eating bacteria
  6 entries · biological
• Optogenetics (light-controlled proteins)
  6 entries · biological
• Organoid intelligence and DishBrain
  2 entries · ai-emerging
• Organoids
  4 entries · biological
• Osmotic (blue) energy
  2 entries · energy
• Oxygen (hyperbaric and oxygen-releasing materials)
  3 entries · gas
• Ozone
  2 entries · gas
• Parasites that change host behaviour
  7 entries · parasites
• Perovskites
  5 entries · mineral
• Phage therapy
  4 entries · biological
• Phages and endogenous retroviruses
  3 entries · parasites
• Photodynamic therapy
  2 entries · light
• Photoelectric effect and wave–particle duality
  4 entries · particles
• Phytoremediation and hyperaccumulator plants
  2 entries · cleanup
• Piezoelectric and triboelectric energy harvesting
  3 entries · energy
• Planarian memory and bioelectric patterning
  2 entries · experiment
• Plant electrical signalling
  2 entries · experiment
• Plant memory (Mimosa pudica)
  1 entries · experiment
• Plant nanobionics (sensor plants)
  2 entries · experiment
• Plastic-eating bacteria & enzymes
  5 entries · biological
• Platinum (cancer drugs and catalysis)
  4 entries · metal
• Pompeii worm
  2 entries · experiment
• Prions
  1 entries · cells
• Prochlorococcus and ocean plankton
  1 entries · ecosystems
• Protein language models (ESM)
  2 entries · ai-emerging
• Proton and particle beam therapy
  2 entries · particles
• Quantum biology (photosynthesis, enzyme tunneling)
  4 entries · particles
• Quantum entanglement and Bell tests
  2 entries · particles
• Quantum tunneling
  2 entries · particles
• Quarks and the Higgs boson
  3 entries · particles
• Quartz
  4 entries · mineral
• Radio waves and living things
  1 entries · light
• Rare earth elements
  3 entries · metal
• Regenerative agriculture
  1 entries · cleanup
• Restoring land on Earth (biocrusts, Loess Plateau)
  3 entries · terraforming
• Resurrection plants
  3 entries · biological
• Ribosome structure
  2 entries · cells
• Scaly-foot snail (iron-plated armor)
  2 entries · experiment
• Sea cucumber gut regrowth
  1 entries · experiment
• Sea cucumber stiffness-changing tissue
  1 entries · biological
• Sea star arm regeneration
  2 entries · experiment
• Self-healing materials
  3 entries · inert
• Shark electroreception (ampullae of Lorenzini)
  2 entries · biological
• Shark skin
  2 entries · biological
• Shellac
  4 entries · organic
• Silica
  5 entries · mineral
• Silica aerogel (Stardust comet catcher)
  3 entries · mineral
• Silk fibroin
  8 entries · organic
• Silver (antimicrobial)
  2 entries · metal
• Single-cell learning and decisions (ciliates)
  2 entries · experiment
• Slime mold problem solving (Physarum)
  3 entries · experiment
• Solar photovoltaics (silicon, organic)
  4 entries · energy
• Soy protein
  4 entries · organic
• Space radiation shielding
  3 entries · inert
• Spider silk proteins
  7 entries · organic
• Spider web robustness
  1 entries · biomimetic
• Spiny mouse skin regeneration
  1 entries · experiment
• Sponge spicules & spongin
  4 entries · organic
• Starch & PLA bioplastics
  6 entries · organic
• Steam and thermal power (geothermal, concentrated solar)
  3 entries · energy
• Structural color and photonic crystals in nature
  2 entries · light
• Swarm decision-making (bees and ants)
  3 entries · experiment
• Synchrotron light sources
  1 entries · particles
• Synthetic cells (JCVI-syn)
  3 entries · biological
• Synthetic gene circuits
  2 entries · experiment
• Tardigrade proteins
  3 entries · biological
• Terahertz waves
  2 entries · light
• Termite mound ventilation
  3 entries · biomimetic
• Thermoelectrics
  3 entries · energy
• Thermus aquaticus and Taq polymerase
  4 entries · experiment
• Titanium and titanium alloys
  2 entries · metal
• Transgenic animals (salmon, GloFish)
  3 entries · biological
• Tree frog toe pads and insect adhesive pads
  3 entries · biological
• Trees for contaminated and radioactive sites (poplar, forest irrigation)
  3 entries · cleanup
• Turing reaction-diffusion patterns
  4 entries · math
• Turritopsis "immortal" jellyfish
  2 entries · experiment
• Ultrasound (imaging, focused ultrasound, sonogenetics)
  4 entries · waves
• Ultraviolet (UV-C, far-UVC 222 nm, vitamin D)
  3 entries · light
• Venus flytrap mechanics
  2 entries · biological
• Vibration and resonance energy harvesting
  2 entries · waves
• Virus capsids and self-assembly
  2 entries · cells
• Virus-templated materials (M13 phage)
  4 entries · biological
• Visible light (photosynthesis, LEDs, phototherapy)
  3 entries · light
• Wastewater treatment with algae and constructed wetlands
  2 entries · cleanup
• Whale song
  1 entries · waves
• Wind power
  4 entries · energy
• Wolbachia and dengue control
  3 entries · parasites
• Wood
  6 entries · organic
• X-rays (crystallography, imaging)
  3 entries · light
• Xenobots (reconfigurable organisms)
  2 entries · experiment
• Xenon and helium (noble gases in medicine)
  3 entries · gas
• Zebrafish fin and heart regeneration
  2 entries · experiment
• Zeolites
  5 entries · mineral