In-depth articles written by our editorial team focusing on the latest developments in materials science and technology
We study the brain to understand disease, both physical and psychological. Over the last few decades, optical brain imaging has developed into a rich and diverse sub-sector of neuroscience, allowing scientists to investigate real-time brain activity in an unprecedented way.
By Sarah Moore
16 Mar 2022
Some of the most common spectroscopic methods that are used by food industries to quantify the presence of food additives in their final food products include ultraviolet/visible (UV/Vis) spectroscopy and infrared (IR) spectroscopy.
By Benedette Cuffari
10 Mar 2022
An effective sensor could sense nitrogen concentrations, which is one of the main limiting factors for crop growth and agricultural productivity. This article discusses the use of Raman spectroscopy to detect nitrogen deficiency in plants.
By Dr. Priyom Bose
9 Mar 2022
Researchers have presented a unique portable flow-virometry reader (FVR) for rapid identification of SARS-CoV-2 directly from saliva samples, which blends the quick turnaround time of an antigen test with a high sensitivity comparable to RT-PCR.
By Laura Thomson
8 Mar 2022
Cyanobacteria have evolved complicated mechanisms to transform light energy into chemical energy during three billion years of existence. Cyanobacteria produce reducing power (NADPH) and chemical energy (ATP) for carbon dioxide fixation using only the most basic of ingredients: light and water.
By Laura Thomson
8 Mar 2022
Many medical professionals throughout history have relied upon the color of blood to determine certain health characteristics of the patient. In a recent Royal Society of Chemistry study, researchers sought to utilize Raman spectroscopy to gain insight into the optical properties of blood samples at the cellular level.
By Benedette Cuffari
7 Mar 2022
A new approach that is being tested for feasibility for sperm identification with optical microscopy techniques is the use of deep convolutional neural networks as an image analysis tool. The advantage of these automated analysis methods is that they can be combined with an automated recording of microscope images.
By Rebecca Ingle, Ph.D
28 Feb 2022
A new lensless holographic microscopy technique promises high-quality imaging and analysis of biological samples without the need for lenses and could transform access to healthcare worldwide.
By Ben Pilkington
25 Feb 2022
One technique that has emerged as a powerful tool in such cellular studies is using atomic force microscopy to perform force spectroscopy on immobilized cellular species.3 This is known as single-cell force spectroscopy and is a powerful technique for measuring the mechanical forces between cells that are an essential part of the cell adhesion process.
By Rebecca Ingle, Ph.D
24 Feb 2022
Reducing food waste is one key strategy to increasing food availability and ensuring that our limited global resources are better allocated. An international team of researchers from the United States Department of Agriculture and the Korea Food Research Institute has developed a novel microscopy technique that may help reduce food waste by identifying produce, specifically blueberries, that are more susceptible to spoilage.
By Sarah Moore
24 Feb 2022