Liz Ahlberg

Microelectronics give researchers a remote control for biological robots

The hybrid “eBiobots” are the first to combine soft materials, living muscle and microelectronics, said researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Northwestern University and collaborating institutions. They described their centimeter-scale biological machines in the journal Science Robotics.

Method opens a window on how stress and strain affect battery performance

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Batteries that charge faster and have greater capacity could boost portable electronic devices and electric cars.