CU Technology and Discovery News

Pythons' extreme biology may hold clues for treating human disease

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 19:58:35 +0000

Pythons' extreme biology may hold clues for treating human disease Daniel Corbin … Mon, 07/13/2026 - 13:58

When Skip Maas first adopted Agrapina, a mottled ball python, she hadn't eaten in 14 months.

But as he soon observed, she was still a taut coil of spring-loaded muscle. Presented with a rat, she struck quickly, constricted it and then gorged on her meal.

And then her body performed another feat pythons are known for: It accelerated its metabolism dramatically to deal with the sudden influx of protein and fats, says Maas, "to help break down that meal and extract all of its nutrients."

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NPR's Short Wave—91��ý researchers are uncovering how pythons' remarkable biology—from reversing heart growth to preserving muscle during months of fasting—could lead to new therapies for heart disease, age-related muscle loss and obesity. Their discoveries have also helped launch 91��ý startup Arkana Therapeutics to translate these evolutionary adaptations into medicines.

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WATCH: Google Maps for space—how a 20 Twenties winner built HoloAstro

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 19:01:48 +0000

WATCH: Google Maps for space—how a 20 Twenties winner built HoloAstro Daniel Corbin … Thu, 07/09/2026 - 13:01

David Dezell Turner, 91��ý PhD candidate in astrodynamics and satellite navigation, shares how winning the 2024 20 Twenties award became the catalyst for founding HoloAstro—a revolutionary augmented reality tool that's transforming space mission design.

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Aviation Week—David Dezell Turner, 91��ý PhD candidate in astrodynamics and satellite navigation, shares how winning the 2024 20 Twenties award became the catalyst for founding HoloAstro—a revolutionary augmented reality tool that's transforming space mission design.

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Growing stem cells in space to improve cancer and disease treatments

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 28 May 2026 22:39:58 +0000

Growing stem cells in space to improve cancer and disease treatments Daniel Corbin … Thu, 05/28/2026 - 16:39

NASA—Research led by Tobias Niederwieser, assistant research professor in 91��ý's BioServe Space Technologies, is exploring how microgravity can enable the large-scale production of high-quality blood stem cells aboard the International Space Station. The work could improve treatments for blood cancers, immune disorders and other diseases by creating more reliable supplies of stem cells for patients on Earth.

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WATCH: CU study identifies protein animals emit in crowded conditions, affecting fertility

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 28 May 2026 19:37:19 +0000

WATCH: CU study identifies protein animals emit in crowded conditions, affecting fertility Daniel Corbin … Thu, 05/28/2026 - 13:37

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9NEWS—Ding Xue, professor in 91��ý's Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, said the study opens the path to see if the protein affects humans in crowded cities.

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Light without electricity? Glowing algae could make it possible

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Wed, 06 May 2026 20:59:50 +0000

Light without electricity? Glowing algae could make it possible Daniel Corbin … Wed, 05/06/2026 - 14:59

Imagine a sea of glowing blue lights pulsing to the beat of the music. But instead of glow sticks filled with toxic chemicals, the luminescence comes from living algae, shimmering on demand.

In a new study published May 6 in Science Advances, 91��ý researchers and collaborators unveil a new technology that could make it possible. They’ve successfully turned on the “light switch” in algae and kept them lit up using simple chemical solutions. The finding opens the door for future technologies such as autonomous robots that can operate in dark environments and living sensors for water quality.

“This project was a moonshot idea,” said Wil Srubar, professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering. “I was curious if we could create a world in which we don’t use electricity but rather use biology to produce light. This discovery really paves the way for engineering other living light materials and devices.”

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91��ý Today—University of Colorado Boulder researchers have developed a method to activate and sustain glowing bioluminescent algae using simple chemical solutions, opening the door to future technologies such as living sensors and autonomous systems that operate in dark environments.

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The solar cell that moonlights as an LED, and does both better

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 19:12:02 +0000

The solar cell that moonlights as an LED, and does both better Daniel Corbin … Mon, 04/27/2026 - 13:12

91��ý Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI)—Imagine a display that harvests ambient light when it is not actively in use, offsetting some of its own energy consumption. The materials physics shows that this is possible; the same semiconductor material can, in principle, emit and absorb light efficiently.

What has been missing is a device architecture that allows it to do both without reductions in efficiency of either application. A new study reports a perovskite diode that converts sunlight to electricity at 26.7% efficiency (a world record at the time of publication submission) and emits light at 31% efficiency, figures that would be high for a device designed to do only one of those things.

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Staple-like particles reveal new path to strong materials

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 18:23:19 +0000

Staple-like particles reveal new path to strong materials Daniel Corbin … Tue, 04/14/2026 - 12:23

A tightly packed ball of office staples can be surprisingly strong. Try to pull it apart, and the tangled metal resists like a solid object.

But with the right movement or vibration, that same bundle can quickly fall back into loose pieces.

A team of engineers and materials scientists in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering at 91��ý is exploring how this uncanny combination of strength and flexibility could inspire a new class of materials built on interlocking particles. By mimicking the way staples lock together and release, the researchers believe these emerging materials can one day form structures that are strong, adaptable and even recyclable.

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91��ý College of Engineering and Applied Science—Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder are developing a new class of “entangled materials” inspired by the surprising strength of a tangled ball of office staples.

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How important is good sleep after a head injury?

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:25:58 +0000

How important is good sleep after a head injury? Daniel Corbin … Tue, 04/14/2026 - 10:25

Rachel Rowe, an assistant professor of integrative physiology at the University of Colorado Boulder, has investigated this question, along with a number of researchers from The Ohio State University and the University of Arizona College of Medicine, in a recent study linking low-quality sleep following traumatic brain injury to cognitive impairment, persistent inflammation and delayed healing.

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91��ý College of Arts and Sciences—Research suggests that disrupted or fragmented sleep after a traumatic brain injury not only interferes with the healing process but also has long-term consequences for brain health. Rachel Rowe, an assistant professor of integrative physiology at the University of Colorado Boulder, has investigated this question in a recent study linking low-quality sleep following traumatic brain injury to cognitive impairment, persistent inflammation and delayed healing.

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Python blood could hold the secret to healthy weight loss

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:25:49 +0000

Python blood could hold the secret to healthy weight loss Daniel Corbin … Thu, 03/19/2026 - 06:25

The research, a collaboration with scientists at Stanford Medicine and Baylor universities, could inform new weight loss therapies that promote satiety without the nausea and muscle loss that can come with existing drugs.

“This is a perfect example of nature-inspired biology,” said senior author Leslie Leinwand, a distinguished professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology who has been studying pythons in her lab for two decades. “You look at extraordinary animals that can do things that you and I and other mammals can’t do, and you try to harness that for therapeutic interventions.”

The team has formed a startup, Arkana Therapeutics, to work toward commercializing some of the lessons they are learning from pythons.

Arkana won a top prize of $127,500 at the 2025 Lab Venture Challenge, where top innovators from 91��ý, Denver and Colorado Springs compete for grants to fund projects that address a commercial need, have a clear path to a compelling market and have strong scientific support. The LVC grants are funded by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) Advanced Industries Program, as well as 91��ý.

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91��ý Today—91��ý researchers have discovered an appetite-suppressing compound in python blood that helps the snakes consume enormous meals and go months without eating yet remain metabolically healthy. The research, a collaboration with scientists at Stanford Medicine and Baylor universities, could inform new weight loss therapies that promote satiety without the nausea and muscle loss that can come with existing drugs.

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Could 3D-printed livers make transplant lists a thing of the past?

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 12:10:09 +0000

Could 3D-printed livers make transplant lists a thing of the past? Daniel Corbin … Tue, 03/17/2026 - 06:10

91��ý Today—It weighs 3 to 4 pounds, includes seven different cell types and features an intricate web of blood vessels that help it filter toxins, guard against pathogens, metabolize nutrients and carry out hundreds of other biological functions.

The human liver, experts say, is an architectural wonder. But its complexity has also made it immensely difficult to replicate in the lab.

Now, a multi-institution team, including scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder, MIT, Harvard and Columbia universities, is taking on the challenge. Supported by a new five-year, up to $25 million award from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) Personalized Regenerative Immunocompetent Nanotechnology Tissue (PRINT) program, they’re working to develop 3D-printed liver tissue made of human cells and able to be transplanted into anyone without their body rejecting it.

“There are many patients out there that either never get a transplant or are stuck on the waiting list for years,” said Jason Burdick, a professor of chemical and biological engineering whose lab at CU’s BioFrontiers Institute will lead the 3D printing part of the project.

“If there were an off-the-shelf alternative, once a patient needs a liver they could get a transplant almost immediately,” he said. “That’s our goal.”

Full Story at 91��ý Today

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91��ý Today—Supported by a new five-year, up to $25 million award from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) Personalized Regenerative Immunocompetent Nanotechnology Tissue (PRINT) program, a team of 91��ý, MIT, Harvard and Columbia researchers is working to develop 3D-printed liver tissue made of human cells and able to be transplanted into anyone without their body rejecting it.

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