Cyphochilus beetle with cellulose-based coating

Ultra-white coating modelled on beetle scales

13 March 2018

Researchers have developed a super-thin, non-toxic, lightweight, edible ultra-white coating that could be used to make brighter paints and coatings, for use in the cosmetic, food or pharmaceutical industries.

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Top: petals of Ursinia speciosa, a daisy, contain a dark pigment that appears blue due to 'disordered' striations. Bottom: close-up top and side view of microscopic striations.

Petals produce a 'blue halo' that helps bees find flowers

18 October 2017

New study finds 鈥渕essy鈥 microscopic structures on petals of some flowers manipulate light to produce a blue colour effect that is easily seen by bee pollinators. Researchers say these petal grooves evolved independently multiple times across flowering plants, but produce the same result: a floral halo of blue-to-ultraviolet light.

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History reveals the hazards of dismantling trade protection

31 January 2017

As the UK prepares to leave the EU, trade regimes are being reconfigured.聽Research into 19th-century trade regulations by Carolyn Cobbold, historian of science,聽shows聽that聽scientific claims play聽a significant role in shaping international trade. She urges us to heed the lessons of the past.

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