CU Technology and Discovery News

  • A person holds a large ball python coiled around their hands and forearms outdoors on a grassy lawn. The snake has gray, tan and dark brown patterned scales, with its head extending outward as it is gently supported.
    NPR's Short Wave—91´«Ă˝ 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´«Ă˝ startup Arkana Therapeutics to translate these evolutionary adaptations into medicines.
  • Illustration of a lunar transfer trajectory overlaid in augmented reality inside a modern university atrium. A yellow orbital path loops across the space with labels showing transfer parameters, including “Transfer 2,” delta-v and flight time, while students walk through the building in the background.
    Aviation Week—David Dezell Turner, 91´«Ă˝ 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.
  • Researcher works inside a sealed laboratory glovebox, handling biological samples and equipment while wearing protective gloves and a headset. The enclosed workspace helps maintain a sterile, controlled environment for sensitive experiments.
    NASA—Research led by Tobias Niederwieser, assistant research professor in 91´«Ă˝'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.
  • Person stands in front of an illuminated medical imaging display showing mammography scans, reviewing images in a darkened clinical or research setting.
    9NEWS—Ding Xue, professor in 91´«Ă˝'s Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, said the study opens the path to see if the protein affects humans in crowded cities.
  • Scientific image showing glowing blue algae formed into different shapes under acidic and basic conditions, including circles, grids and crescent-like structures on a black background.
    91´«Ă˝ 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.
  • Abstract image with bright, rainbow-colored light streaks and lens flares crossing diagonally over a blue background.
    91´«Ă˝ 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.
  • An experimental structure made of interlocking metal elements demonstrates how entangled materials can form stable, load-bearing shapes without traditional fasteners.
    91´«Ă˝ 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.
  • A woman sleeps peacefully, illustrating the importance of quality rest for overall health and well-being.
    91´«Ă˝ 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.
  • A coiled ball python rests on a laboratory surface, its patterned brown and tan scales visible as it lies with its head extended forward.
    91´«Ă˝ Today—91´«Ă˝ 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.
  • A researcher wearing gloves examines a small 3D-printed biological sample in a lab, with a bioprinter visible in the background.
    91´«Ă˝ 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´«Ă˝, 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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