Researchers create leather-like material from silk proteins

Leather is an ever growing multi-billion dollar industry requiring more than 3.8 billion bovine animals—equal to one for every two people on earth—to sustain production each year. And while the products—clothing, shoes, ...

New wheat crops as an alternative to a gluten-free diet

Wheat, one of the most widely consumed grains in the world, contains gluten, a mixture of proteins that can be toxic for people with coeliac disease. A new study that analysed the toxic components of these proteins in various ...

Is redback spider antivenom effective?

Media reports about the redback spider antivenom being ineffective caused a bit of a stir recently. The articles were based on research presented at a major toxinology conference in Dubai.

Designing a cleaner future

A slum on the outskirts of Accra, Ghana, received major media attention in 2010 and 2011 when the outside world realized where computers go to die. In an area called Agbogbloshie, impoverished residents were burning broken ...

New 'ATM' takes old phones and gives back green

When new cell phones or tablets enter the marketplace, yesterday's hot technology can quickly become obsolete - for some consumers. For others, the device still has value as an affordable alternative, or even as spare parts.

Peru villagers allege neglect after toxic spill

(AP)—More than a month after toxic slurry from a major copper mine sickened scores of people in one of Peru's highland communities, villagers complain that the mining company and the government have done little to help ...

Japan mines toxic e-waste for precious materials

Seeking to turn an environmental problem into an economic opportunity, high-tech companies in resource-poor Japan are mining mountains of toxic e-waste for precious materials.