Water Research update Europe puts organic chemicals on groundwater watch list Voluntary monitoring scheme tackles lack of regulation for emerging contaminants Read article: Europe puts organic chemicals on groundwater watch list
Biomedical devices Research update Magnetic beads help treat preeclampsia New technique can reduce the concentration of harmful sFlt-1 molecules in blood by 40% Read article: Magnetic beads help treat preeclampsia
Diagnostic imaging Research update Imaging techniques shed light on amyloid fibrils associated with Alzheimer’s disease Clinical test could be developed using emission of near-infrared light Read article: Imaging techniques shed light on amyloid fibrils associated with Alzheimer’s disease
Emerging therapies Research update Short ultrasound pulses improve drug delivery to the brain A short-pulse focused ultrasound sequence delivers drugs to the brain with high uniformity and safety Read article: Short ultrasound pulses improve drug delivery to the brain
Ecosystems Research update Muskrat drop when habitat dries Semiaquatic rodent’s population numbers and density closely tied to availability of temporarily flooded land Read article: Muskrat drop when habitat dries
Devices and structures Research update Granular aluminium superinductors could enhance qubit performance Researchers tackle quantum circuit cross talk without the need for complex fabrication procedures Read article: Granular aluminium superinductors could enhance qubit performance
Biomaterials Research update Spider catapults towards prey using energy stored in its web Creature uses external power amplification to spring to action Read article: Spider catapults towards prey using energy stored in its web
Materials Research update Single-molecule magnetometer images spin interactions Device could be an important add-on to scanning tunnelling microscopes Read article: Single-molecule magnetometer images spin interactions
Planetary science Research update Gravitational-wave mission detects rain of interplanetary dust A spacecraft testing technology for hunting ripples in the fabric of space–time has felt minuscule collisions with grains of cometary dust floating between planets Read article: Gravitational-wave mission detects rain of interplanetary dust
Microscopy Research update Atomic force microscopy goes 3D Exploiting the tunnelling current between the AFM tip and a sample allows the tip to closely follow the topography of the sample during imaging Read article: Atomic force microscopy goes 3D