Science and Technology

  1. 1,000-cycle lithium-sulfur battery could quintuple electric vehicle ranges

    A new biologically inspired battery membrane has enabled a battery with five times the capacity of the industry-standard lithium ion design to run for the thousand-plus cycles needed to power an electric car.

  2. U-M forms collaboration to advance quantum science and technology

    U-M has formed a collaboration with Michigan State University and Purdue University to study quantum science and technology, drawing together expertise and resources to advance the field.

  3. Spray-on coating could make solar panels snow-resistant

    Researchers have demonstrated an inexpensive, clear coating that reduced snow and ice accumulation on solar panels, enabling them to generate up to 85% more energy.

  4. U-M, Humotech partner to bring open-source bionic leg to research labs

    First released in 2019, the open-source leg’s free-to-copy design is intended to accelerate scientific advances by offering a unified platform to fragmented research efforts across the field of bionics.

  5. $30M gift to establish the Ronald Weiser Center for Prostate Cancer at Michigan Medicine

    The center will be a clinically focused entity within the Rogel Cancer Center that combines expertise from three departments — Urology, Radiation Oncology and Radiology — with representatives from each discipline collaborating and serving in leadership roles.

  6. In the digital era, you are not alone

    Solitude traditionally has been defined as being physically separated from other people. But as the world becomes increasingly mediated, it’s time to rethink what ‘being alone’ really means.

  7. $2M to replace fossil fuels with solar power in fertilizer production

    U-M researchers will study the effectiveness of a new ammonia production process aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Bringing the process directly to farmers could cut environmental costs by reducing transportation requirements.

  8. Energy from waste: Cow-inspired biodigesters

    A proposed energy-production system based, in part, on cow stomachs could generate 40 percent more power from municipal waste streams, at a 20 percent reduced cost — and provide a viable alternative to sending waste to landfills.

  9. Exoskeletons to assist workers, the elderly, etc.

    U-M is developing a solution for the one in eight Americans who faces a mobility disability. A $1.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health is funding the creation of a modular, powered exoskeleton system that could be used on one or multiple joints of the legs.