BiotechNews1

Penn State researchers developed a programmable hydrogel skin that morphs shape and encrypts information on demand. Originally written by  Neetika Walter for Interesting Engineering, on February 05, 2026 The team encoded the Mona Lisa into the smart skin using their halftone-based printing method . Researchers at Penn State have developed a new fabrication method that allows a programmable “smart synthetic skin” to change its appearance, texture, and shape while also hiding or revealing information on demand . The material is made from hydrogel , a water-rich, gel-like substance, and is produced using a technique the team describes as 4D printing . Unlike traditional synthetic materials with fixed properties, the smart skin can dynamically respond to external stimuli such as heat, solvents, or mechanical stress. The approach allows a single sheet of material to perform multiple functions at once , including adaptive camouflage , information encryption and decry...

The biosensor uses an enzyme-based biofuel cell, antibodies called aptamers and a bacterial elimination mechanism to make water decontamination faster and easier. Originally published by Christopher McFadden at https://interestingengineering.com on Mar 02, 2025           Stock image of a biosensor.                                                  grechina/iStock A team of researchers has developed a new self-powered biosensor that can detect Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria in drinking water and destroy them in situ (on site). This discovery could have enormous ramifications for providing s afe drinking water worldwide . Traditional methods , such as culturing or polymerase chain reaction (PCR), are time-consuming and labor-intensive . They also require specialized equipment and trained sta...

Originally published by Lisa Marshall, Nicholas Goda, University of Colorado at Boulder , on August 1, 2024 Laboratory tests show this 3D-printed material molds and sticks to organs. Pictured is a porcine heart. Credit: University of Colorado at Boulder In the quest to develop life-like materials to replace and repair human body parts , scientists face a formidable challenge: Real tissues are often both strong and stretchable and vary in shape and size . A CU Boulder -led team, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Pennsylvania , has taken a critical step toward cracking that code. They've developed a new way to 3D print material that is at once elastic enough to withstand a heart 's persistent beating, tough enough to endure the crushing load placed on joints , and easily shapable to fit a patient's unique defects . Better yet, it sticks easily to wet tissue . Their breakthrough, described in the Aug. 2 edition of the journal Science , helps ...