science wire

Nudibranchs create their colourful patterns using structural colours, which they arrange in microscopic dots similar to Impressionist paintings Surprising coloration: Nudibranchs, a type of marine sl

EPFL and CSEM researchers have achieved a record 30% efficiency for triple-junction solar cells, which combine two thin-film perovskite cells and one silicon cell on a single device. The milestone could advance affordable next-generation solar technologies for space and terrestrial applications. Researchers from the Photovoltaics and Thin-Film Electronics Laboratory ( PV-Lab ) in EPFL's School of Engineering and CSEM have developed a new solar cell that combines exceptional voltage, high efficiency, and scalable manufacturing.

As dangerous microbes grow harder to control, researchers are exploring new ways to neutralise them using light-activated nanomaterials. Wick and his lab have been grappling with questions of this nature for more than two decades. As a lecturer - and, as of 2023, adjunct professor - at the Department of Health Sciences and Technology, he maintains strong ties to ETH Zurich.

Instead of using more and more concrete and steel, a European research team including Empa is focusing on intelligent shapes, digital manufacturing, and alternative binders.

Trees and plants store carbon. In biobased materials that are made from wood and plant fibres, the carbon remains sequestered for longer.

Plant-based alternatives are promising, but none will be effective unless we also rethink our production methods in a way that supports a sustainable transition - and the costs that come with it.

Many bridges in Switzerland were built before the 1980s - and are therefore approaching the end of their service life.

Sodium ion batteries have become a hot topic: They are considered to be cost-effective and widely available.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials promise revolutionary advances in electronics and photonics, but many of the most interesting candidates degrade within seconds of air exposure, making them nearly impossible to study or integrate into real-world technology. Transition metal dihalides represent a particularly compelling yet challenging class of materials, with predicted properties ideal for next-generation devices, but their extreme reactivity when exposed to air prevents even basic structural characterisation.

With the Winter Olympics just days away and the world's best athletes preparing to fight for medals, attention turns to a small but decisive factor in performance: ski and snowboard waxes. Two projects from the Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology (MEMTi), working with KV+ Sagl, ZHAW and Swiss-Ski, are racing to develop alternatives to fluorinated waxes-banned over environmental and health concerns but still considered the gold standard for speed.

TU Wien has entered the Guinness Book of Records together with its industry partner Cerabyte - for producing and successfully reading the smallest QR codes ever created.

Many characteristics of workwear are conducive to a textile circular economy: it is relatively uniform, traceable and comes from a single source.

In this STAR interview, we speak to Davoud Jafari of the Faculty of Engineering Technology (ET). STAR is an acronym for (S)ituation, (T)asks, (A)ctions, (R)esults.

Epoxy resin is a clear, robust polymer that is widely used - especially as part of fiber-reinforced materials in aviation, the automotive industry, and more.

Plastic is everywhere in modern society. While it has paved the way for enormous progress, the pollution it leaves behind is now creating major challenges.

Scientists have found a way to make perovskite solar cells not only highly efficient but also remarkably stable, addressing one of the main challenges holding the technology back from widespread use. Perovskite has long been hailed as a game-changer for the next generation of solar power. However, advances in material design are still needed to boost the efficiency and durability of solar panels that convert sunlight into electricity.

If manganese nodules can be mined in an environmentally friendly way, the critical metals needed for the energy transition could be produced with low CO2 emissions Global demand for copper, nickel and cobalt is expected to more than double by 2050.

McGill researchers develop a cheaper, safer material for use in solar panels, sensors and optical devices Breakthrough, using 'nature's building blocks,' harnesses plant-virus proteins to create nano

Posted on: 05 December 2025 The breakthrough has a huge potential impact - one that brings us much closer to quickly and cheaply producing printable electronics such as wearable health sensors or flexible displays.

Scientists have integrated discarded crustacean shells into robotic devices, leveraging the strength and flexibility of natural materials for robotic applications.

A novel, non-toxic solvent makes it possible to recycle mixed-fibre textiles almost perfectly. We are producing more textiles than ever before: worldwide, well over one hundred million tons of textiles are manufactured every year - more than twice as much as in the year 2000.

We rely on batteries now more than ever, from our phones and laptops to electric vehicles. But the ones powering today's technologies aren't without their shortcomings.

Something strange goes on inside platinum-bismuth-two (PtBi2). A new study by the Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat demonstrates that while PtBi2 looks like a typical crystal, electrons moving through it do something spectacular.

The Principality of Saxe-Jena existed for just 18 years before the last male scion, Johann Wilhelm, died in 1690 at the age of 15 and the house disappeared from History.

When natural disaster strikes, a building's survival often depends on how it's built.

The research project CircuBAT aims to close the loop between the production, use and recycling of automotive lithium-ion batteries.

Western engineers have amalgamated the function and force of photovoltaics (PV) technology with a heat pump and a thermal battery to create a fully electrified - and energy efficient - new house.

A new form of 3D-printed twisting metamaterial which can mitigate the effects of impact could lead to improved crash protection for vehicles in the years ahead. Researchers from universities in Scotland and Italy are behind the development of the material, which has a unique lattice shape that allows it to twist into itself to effectively protect against a range of impact types and severities.