FAU researchers have been awarded a five-year NIH grant to address the urgent need for a reliable, rapid and affordable self-test for early HIV detection. Expected to cost less than $5, the novel micro-chip technology will detect HIV during the acute infection phase or viral rebound, deliver rapid results in about 40 minutes and remain stable without refrigeration. The handheld device will be battery-powered and operate fully automated, providing true “sample-in-answer-out” functionality that requires minimal user manipulation.

Self-healing coatings are advanced materials that can repair damage, such as scratches and cracks on their own. Researchers from Waseda University have developed an efficient method for preparing self-healing films consisting of alternating layers of highly cross-linked organosiloxane and linear polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Their film is more durable than conventional self-healing PDMS materials, offering superior hardness and greater thermal stability while self-healing at mild temperatures, paving the way for stronger, more reliable, and easier-maintained self-healing materials.

In a National Science Review perspective, the research progress and future challenges of nuclear optical clocks are presented. The Th-229 clock, with a small nucleus and separated quantum states, may outperform atomic clocks. After 50-year research, key breakthroughs have been made, and solving remaining issues will revolutionize timekeeping and fundamental physics.