Nuptials notice: foods and robots are getting married

Edible electronics are being developed to assist rescue operations and go inside hospital patients, setting the stage for all-consuming tech to become consumable. By  Anthony King Professor Dario Floreano is a Swiss-Italian roboticist and engineer engaged in a bold research venture: the creation of edible robots and digestible electronics. However counterintuitive it may seem, combining … Read more

Plant-powered planes may be no pipe dream

EU researchers are seeking to expand supplies of clean aviation fuels by producing more from agricultural sources. By  Tereza Pultarova Professor David Chiaramonti is looking down at the ground to help resolve a problem up in the sky: aeroplanes’ emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other pollutants. An expert in energy systems and power generation at … Read more

Food for thought: obesity may affect the brain too

Calorie-filled meals with little nutrition are suspected of having an impact on decision-making and of causing an overweight trap. By  Pieter Devuyst and Horizon Staff Esther Aarts has a warning for fast-food lovers around the world: such diets not only expand waistlines but also cause brain inflammation. A professor of nutritional neuroscience at Radboud University … Read more

Two itchy-skin diseases that can go much deeper

Psoriasis and eczema can have complex causes and consequences that researchers are seeking to uncover. By  Gareth Willmer In his mid-teens during the 1970s, Maarten de Wit had severe joint pain in multiple parts of his body. He had to wait another three years until the age of 19 before being diagnosed with arthritis. ‘At … Read more

Berry tasty: the fruits emerging from new breeding and processing

Research is helping strawberries and raspberries become more resilient to climate change and snacks become healthier. By  Matthew Newman Supermarkets across Europe offer such regular and wide selections of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries – even in the grip of winter – that it’s easy to take them for granted. But behind the seemingly limitless domestic … Read more

Under the skin: bullying’s hidden health effects

Intimidation at school is a widespread and worrying phenomenon being examined through psychology and genomics. By  Sofia Sanchez Manzanaro The coastal Finnish town of Rauma became the site of the country’s first-ever school shooting in January 1989, when a 14-year-old boy killed two classmates using his father’s pistol. The shooter claimed to be a victim … Read more