Indoor lighting in homes and offices and public outdoor lighting account for approximately 20% of all electricity consumption in developed countries. An EU initiative developed efficient light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to address the issue. LEDs are gradually replacing fluorescent tubes in solid-state lighting solutions. They convert electric current directly into light and have very long operating lifetimes.

Researchers at Lund University and the MIT in the US have developed a method to analyse and separate cells from the blood. Ultimately, the method, which goes under the name iso-acoustic focusing, can become significant to measure the efficiency of cancer treatments for individuals. In brief, the method involves exposing cells to ultrasound when they flow through a so-called micro-channel inside a chip.

Plastic accounts for nearly 80% of all waste found in our oceans, gradually breaking down into smaller and smaller particles. New research from Lund University investigates how nanosized plastic particles affect aquatic animals in different parts of the food chain. “Not very many studies have been done on this topic before. Plastic particles of such a small size are difficult to study”, says Karin Mattsson.

Researchers at Lund University have successfully explained how iron-based dyes work on a molecular level in solar cells. The new findings will accelerate the development of inexpensive and environmentally friendly solar cells. The goal is to be able to use iron-based dyes in solar cells in the future. By using iron instead of other more expensive and rare metals, the production of solar cells and light catchers will become cheaper and more enviro...

After studying how insects navigate through dense vegetation, researchers at Lund University have come up with a system that can be applied to flying robots. By adapting the system to drones, they can be made to adjust their speed to their surroundings and fly on their own– completely without human intervention and control.

Light of a certain wavelength can be used to put so-called active materials into motion and control their movement. In the future, this discovery can become significant in widely different areas such as environmental protection, medicine and the development of new materials which can be programmed. Joakim Stenhammar at Lund University led the study where he, together with colleagues from universities in Düsseldorf, Edinburgh and Cambridge, d...