Clinical researchers and bioengineers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University and Harvard’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have developed a novel vaccine strategy with the potential to solve the challenge of device infection in patients. Their approach uses slowly biodegradable, injectable biomaterial scaffold vaccines that are equipped with immune cell attracting and stimulating molecules and S. aureus-specific antigens. Applied to a mouse model of orthopedic device infection, the vaccines created a beneficial immune response that decreased the bacterial burden about 100-fold more effectively than much shorter-lived conventional control vaccines.

Stanford Medicine researchers found that a smartphone could monitor patients with two types of muscular dystrophy as well as traditional methods and diagnose conditions more accurately — at no cost.

FSNet is a new problem-solving tool that can find the optimal solution to an extremely complex problem without violating any of the problem’s many constraints. Developed at MIT, FSNet could help power grid operators manage electricity-production scheduling.

Remote physiologic monitoring (RPM)—digital tools that track patients’ health data between visits—shows promise for improving chronic disease management and reshaping primary care delivery, according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. While prior studies have examined how RPM affects patients who use the technology, this is the first study to quantify the impact of RPM on practices, including its effects on practice revenue, care delivery, and resource allocation across patients.

Researchers at Texas A&M University have developed the first known metallic gel. Unlike everyday gels, like those used in hand sanitizers, hair products or soft contact lenses, this new material is made entirely of metals and can withstand extreme heat. The discovery could be a game changer for energy storage.