#northwesternuniversity

#northwesternuniversity

World's Smallest Remote-Controlled Walking RobotIndeed, technology is amazing. Engineers invented the world's smallest remote-controlled robot which is only about half a millimeter wide. To visualize it, think of something that is smaller than the thickness of a US penny. The robot imitates the look of a small crab, hence it is called a robotic crab. Although this is a small man-made creature, it actually took its creators a year and a half to make. This time allowed them to make it as realistic as possible.  The robot can move sideways, walk, twist, turn, and even jump. The robot is still in its developmental phase, but it shows a promising future.  It is especially promising for the medical and manufacturing industry, where it can be used to perform minimally invasive surgeries and help in the assembly or repair of small-scale machines. Truly, it is an epitome of "small but mighty."  Image credit: CNN#Robot #Engineering #Technology #NorthwesternUniversity #Illinois

Scientists Reversed Paralysis in Mice with Spinal Cord Injury by Injecting Synthetic Nanofibers Gel That Promotes Regeneration of Severed NervesResearchers from Northwestern University in Chicago created a self-assembling gel that helped in regenerating severed nerves in animals. Samuel Stupp and his colleagues created the gel out of monomers-- protein units that self-assemble into long chains of fibers in water.The gel was injected into paralyzed mice, and after four weeks, the animals were able to walk again. In addition, the researchers discovered that the gel helped regenerate the severed ends of neurons.“The extent of functional recovery and solid biological evidence of repair we observed using a model that truly emulates the severe human injury makes the therapy superior to other approaches,” said Stupp.Image credit: Samuel I. Stupp#NerveTreatment #Regeneration #Biology #Animals #NorthwesternUniversity #SelfAssemblingGel #Research