20 things we learnt in 2020

As 2020 draws to a close, we look back on some of our researchers’ most exciting work achieved in a year like no other.

1. A breakthrough in the development of new technologies to treat muscle loss, published in Frontiers in Chemistry;

2. The realisation of new high energy density sodium metal batteries for more efficient, longer storage capacity, published in Nature Materials;

3. We were able to create a model of the upper airway through digital imaging and 3D printing for the treatment of sleep apnea;

   

4. A wearable device that can be used to harvest body heat and turn it into electricity, published in Advanced Energy Materials;

5. Threads (sutures) can be used to deliver drugs into soft tissue models using electrofluidics, published in Scientific Reports;

6. A new design optimisation, sensing and control paradigm for soft robotic systems was established;

7. Hand-held free form bioprinting is possible, published in Bioprinting;

   

8. Wireless stimulation of nerve cells using bipolar electrochemistry is possible, Applied Materials Today;

9. Deep Brain Stimulation increases life expectancy and this medical benefit comes with ethical consequences;

10. We demonstrated the efficacy of conveying multi-sensor information via fewer feedback channels, conveying grasp force to human users of prosthetics;

11. Inert gas bubbles can promote electrochemical reactions;

    

12. Reduction in pancreatic tumour volume is possible through a novel dual delivery technology, Advanced Healthcare Materials;

13. The performance of non-aqueous redox flow batteries were improved by using mixed ligand complexes to increase solubility;

14. Can you imagine measuring the force required to pull a single stem cell of a biomaterial surface? We did and we measured it…. Acta Biomaterialia;

15. Modelling and experiments, revealed ether assisted ion transport in ionic liquids, accelerating practical application in lithium metal batteries;

16. Ambient mass spectrometry can be applied to threads, upon which we can immobilise important target biomarkers, such as insulin, The Analyst;

17. A printable polymer composite was used to create robust humidity sensors, published in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces;

18. A new form of graphene – highly dispersible in water and with high conductivity can be produced using a scalable patent;

19. Ammonia is likely to become an important energy carrier of the future through the staged evolution of ammonia synthesis technologies;

20. Machine learning can be used to enable much faster optimization of 3D printing parameters.