Researchers at MIT are using bubbles to do computation: The “microfluidic” chip uses a network of tiny pipes with nanoliters of fluid pumped through them, and the presence or absence of a bubble represents a single bit of information. The team used nitrogen bubbles in water, but say that oil and water or other fluids…

Scientists have finally got beyond the novelty of gengineering glow-in-the-dark tropical fish, and are working on some genetic engineering that makes sense. They’ve managed to create a prototype cow that doesn’t have the ability to manufacture the deformed prions responsible for Mad Cow Disease.Link

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh have created a unique ink-jet printing system that uses “bio-ink” to lay down a pattern of cells that will differentiate into a designed pattern of both bone and muscle cells. They begin with a layer of nurturing proteins as a base, then use a robotic inkjet-style…

Boston University marine biologists have made progress converting sharks to “remote control” so that they might be outfitted with sensors and sent on spying machines. The sharks were implanted with electrical stimulators that trick their brains into smelling food. Using the stimulators, researchers were able to “steer” the sharks around a tank. The military has,…