Over the next three years, researchers from various European institutes will be working together with the Dutch Polymer manufacturer Supra Polix on the next generation of robots: (soft) robots that ‘feel pain’ and heal themselves. The partners can count on three million Euro in support from the European Commission.

An interdisciplinary research collaboration between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge has engineered a novel synthetic plant-microbe signalling pathway that could provide the foundation for transferring nitrogen fixation to cereals. Enhancing the root microbiota has enormous potential for improving crop yields in nutrient-poor soils and reducing chemical fertiliser use.

Thousands of square metres of coral are being grown on previously destroyed reefs in Indonesia, but previously it was unclear whether these new corals would revive the entire reef ecosystem. Now a new study, led by researchers from the University of Exeter and the University of Bristol, finds a heathy, diverse soundscape on the restored reefs.

The supplier of advanced bulk chemistry kits for DNA/RNA extraction, Molgen, has expanded its offering for agriculture laboratories.

Scientists at Hokkaido University and Texas A&M University have identified a key mechanism used by the SARS-CoV-2 virus to evade the immune systems of infected people. The finding might help scientists better understand how Covid-19 infection takes hold.

A French-South African collaboration has develop the first reliable method for sex determination, including among children and cases where DNA is missing or too altered.

The leading trade fair for the process industry is scheduled to take place from August 22 to 26, 2022, at the Frankfurt exhibition center. Originally, Achema was scheduled from April 4 to 8, 2022. Given the increasing uncertainty caused by the new Corona variant, those responsible — after intensive discussion with the community and the Achema Committee — have decided to do so.

Lab Innovations, the UK’s largest trade exhibition for the laboratory industry, returned to the NEC, Birmingham, on November 3 and 4, 2021 and brought the laboratory community together for the first time after almost two years apart.

In a new study, researchers at the University of Minnesota demonstrate how to transform silica into a self-assembling, dynamic and resilient material. This could signify a step forward in the quest to develop living construction materials and beyond.

Merck has acquired BSSN Software, a Germany-based laboratory informatics company that makes data more readily accessible for ease of integration, collaboration, analysis and long-term archiving. Financial details were not disclosed.