Special Ink Developed for Camouflage Technologies and Wearable Electronics Printable Metamaterial: A liquid metal-based ink could help develop flexible invisibility cloaks in the future. It can be printed onto various materials, remains soft, and can be stretched to 120 times its original dimensions—while still maintaining its electrical conductivity and stability. Surfaces printed with this ink can redirect electromagnetic waves. This could, for example, make robots invisibl

Combination of Closeness and Cuddle Hormone Can Be Healing Healing through love? Superficial skin injuries heal faster when the cuddle hormone oxytocin is circulating in our bodies. However, this only works if the elevated hormone level is accompanied by physical and emotional closeness, as a study shows. According to the study, loving attention and oxytocin together can promote wound healing, but they do not act as independent remedies. In the test subjects, superficial skin

Zinc Deprivation Inhibits Fungal Infection of Mucous Membranes A Matter of Balance: The yeast Candida albicans colonizes our mucous membranes. Researchers have now discovered why this is highly dangerous under certain conditions, but remains harmless in most cases. According to their findings, the immune system deprives the fungus of the necessary zinc, thereby inhibiting both toxin production and the proliferation of yeast cells. However, if the immune system is weakened, Ca

World Spider Database celebrates anniversary This spider is an ambush predator: Like all jumping spiders, the "Dark Sickleback" doesn't spin webs to catch prey, but instead stalks its victims, pouncing and killing them. Its special eyes help it do this. This spider species, measuring only six millimeters, is native to meadows throughout Europe and is just one of over 50,000 spider species listed in the World Spider Database. Evarcha arcuata, a European jumping spider – and on

Endurance training makes natural killer cells more efficient and effective against inflammation Exercise not only trains our muscles and endurance – our immune system also becomes fitter, as a study has now confirmed. According to this study, regular jogging, cycling, and other endurance sports also "train" the natural killer cells of our immune system. In trained people, these white blood cells release more anti-inflammatory messengers, use cellular energy more efficiently,

The Immune System's David vs. Cancer's Goliath What looks here like an amoeba or a slug crawling along is a deadly enemy – a cancer cell. The much smaller, round immune cell seems powerless against it. But a new immunotherapy could help. It combines an antibody and an inhibitor in such a way that it mobilizes the T-cells of the immune system against cancer – and renders them immune to the cancer's counter-measures. An immune cell attacking a much larger cancer cell. © M. Oegg