European researchers are striving to improve the technology that could one day help blind people see again.

Research at University of Galway and MIT pioneers intelligent device to sense its environment and adapt to release drugs as required, despite surrounding scar tissue.

An artificial intelligence developed at TU Wien (Vienna) can suggest appropriate treatment steps in cases of blood poisoning. The computer has already surpassed humans in this respect.

The bioderived 'smart sutures' could help patients heal after bowel resection or other types of surgery.

New work from an MIT team in collaboration with Merck suggests a practical solution for surmounting the difficulty of administering biologics. In a recent paper, the researchers describe a hydrogel platform for delivering monoclonal antibodies – one type of biologic – through subcutaneous injection.

In addition to 3D printing, the machine allows for controlling extra functions: programming the material's response so that shape-changing occurs under an external magnetic field, or changes in its electric properties develops under mechanical deformation. This opens the door to the design of soft robots or smart sensors and substrates that transmit signals to different cellular systems, among other applications.