Researchers from North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have developed a drug-delivery system that allows rapid response to heart attacks without surgical intervention. In laboratory and animal testing, the system proved to be effective at dissolving clots, limiting long-term scarring to heart tissue and preserving more of the heart’s normal function.

North Carolina State University research into wearable robotics shows how amputees wearing these devices adapted when presented with a real-world challenge: carrying a weighted backpack. The results could assist device manufacturers and clinicians expand the utility of these important devices, and could help researchers develop smarter controllers that adapt to real-world demands.

Researchers from North Carolina State University have engineered designer biosensors that can detect antibiotic molecules of interest. The biosensors are a first step toward creating antibiotic-producing “factories” within microbes such as E. coli. Macrolides are a group of naturally occurring small molecules that can have antibiotic, antifungal or anticancer effects. The antibiotic erythromycin is one example – it is a mac...

Researchers at North Carolina State University and Duke University have developed a way to assemble and pre-program tiny structures made from microscopic cubes – “microbot origami” – to change their shape when actuated by a magnetic field and then, using the magnetic energy from their environment, perform a variety of tasks – including capturing and transporting single cells.

In a proof-of-concept study, North Carolina State University engineers have designed a flexible thermoelectric energy harvester that has the potential to rival the effectiveness of existing power wearable electronic devices using body heat as the only source of energy. Wearable devices used to monitor a variety of health and environmental measures are becoming increasingly popular.

Researchers at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have developed a new surgical tool that uses low-frequency intravascular ultrasound to break down blood clots that cause deep vein thrombosis. The tool is the first ultrasound 'drill' that can be aimed straight ahead, allowing doctors to better target clots—which holds promise for significantly reducing treatment time. To date, the technology ...

Researchers from North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have developed a new technique that uses modified insulin and red blood cells to create a glucose-responsive 'smart' insulin delivery system. In an animal model study, the new technique effectively reduced blood sugar levels for 48 hours in a strain of mice that had Type 1 diabetes.

Researchers from North Carolina State University have created elastic, touch-sensitive fibres that can interface with electronic devices. "Touch is a common way to interact with electronics using keyboards and touch screens," says Michael Dickey, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at NC State and corresponding author of a paper describing the work.

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a technique that uses light to get 2D plastic sheets to curve into 3D structures, such as spheres, tubes or bowls. The advance builds on earlier work by the same research team, which focused on self-folding 3D structures. The key advance here is that rather than having the plastic fold along sharp lines - into polygonal shapes such as cubes or pyramids - the pl...

Biomedical engineering researchers from North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have developed inexpensive paper pumps that use capillary action to power portable microfluidic devices, opening the door to a range of biomedical tools. Microfluidic devices are devices that manipulate fluids which have a volume of one microliter or less - volumes substantially smaller than a single teardrop.

Inspired by origami, North Carolina State University researchers have found a way to remotely control the order in which a 2D sheet folds itself into a 3D structure. "A longstanding challenge in the field has been finding a way to control the sequence in which a 2D sheet will fold itself into a 3D object," says Michael Dickey, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at NC State and co-corresponding author of ...

Research from North Carolina State University offers insights into how far and how fast cyborg cockroaches - or biobots - move when exploring new spaces. The work moves researchers closer to their goal of using biobots to explore collapsed buildings and other spaces in order to identify survivors. NC State researchers have developed cockroach biobots that can be remotely controlled and carry technology that may be used to map disaster areas ...

  Athletes, soldiers, miners, and many others can suffer from dehydration, potentially putting them in mortal danger. Monitoring hydration levels within the body out in the field remains a challenge, but researchers at North Carolina State University have come up with a technology that may prove to be a consistent way of gauging hydration.

  Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a combination of software and hardware that will allow them to use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and insect cyborgs, or biobots, to map large, unfamiliar areas – such as collapsed buildings after a disaster.

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed an energy-efficient technique for accurately tracking a user's physical activity based on data from wearable devices. One goal for wearable health technologies is to identify and track physical activity by the wearer. However, accomplishing this goal requires a trade-off between accuracy and the power needed for data analysis and storage, which is a challenge, given the limited ...

Researchers have found an unexpected way to control the thermal conductivity of 2D materials, which will allow electronics designers to dissipate heat in electronic devices that use these materials. 2D materials have a layered structure, with each layer having strong bonds horizontally, or "in plane," and weak bonds between the layers, or "out of plane." These materials have unique electronic and chemical properties, and hold promise for use...

Researchers at North Carolina State University have created a high voltage and high frequency silicon carbide (SiC) power switch that could cost much less than similarly rated SiC power switches. The findings could lead to early applications in the power industry, especially in power converters like medium voltage drives, solid state transformers and high voltage transmissions and circuit breakers.

Researchers from North Carolina State University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have created an efficient, semi-printed plastic solar cell without the use of environmentally hazardous halogen solvents. These solar cells can be manufactured at room temperature, which has implications for large-scale commercial production. Plastic solar cells, or organic photovoltaics, are popular because they are lightweight, flexible, transparent and in...

An interdisciplinary team of researchers from North Carolina State University and the University of Florida is launching an initiative that will use a custom-designed video game to boost computational thinking in middle school science classrooms. The goal is not only to improve educational outcomes, but also to foster gender and racial diversity in computer science and other science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a type of inverter device with greater efficiency in a smaller, lighter package - which should improve the fuel-efficiency and range of hybrid and electric vehicles. Electric and hybrid vehicles rely on inverters to ensure that enough electricity is conveyed from the battery to the motor during vehicle operation. Conventional inverters rely on components made of the semiconductor ...