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Researchers Make Better Magnets – at a Lower Cost

Exploration

Early-stage research happening at NC State

close photograph of a chimpanzee eating a piece of fruit

Dec 1, 2025

Why Researchers Are Studying Lipid Levels in Chimpanzee Blood

The research holds value for zoos, wildlife conservation and – maybe – human health. 

Nov 6, 2025

Study: Composite Metal Foam Could Lead to Safer Hazmat Transportation

Composite metal foam can withstand tremendous force – enough to punch a hole in a railroad tank car – at much lower weight than solid steel. 

Oct 30, 2025

Nanotyrannus Confirmed: Dueling Dinosaurs Fossil Rewrites the Story of T. rex

A complete Nanotyrannus skeleton has just ended one of paleontology’s longest-running debates. 
diagram shows how a metabot can fold itself from a two-dimensional sheet into various multi-dimensional structures

Oct 15, 2025

‘Metabots’ Shapeshift From Flat Sheets Into Hundreds of Structures

The metabots resemble animated sheets of plastic, capable of moving around a surface or grasping objects. 
a gembok defecates in a sere landscape

Oct 15, 2025

African Wildlife Poop Sheds Light on What Shapes the Gut Ecosystem

Because the gut microbiome plays a critical role in animal health, the work can be used to inform conservation efforts. 
A step-by-step diagram shows how a two-dimensional sheet can be cut and folded to create a three-dimensional shape that resembles a Chinese lantern

Oct 10, 2025

‘Chinese Lantern’ Structure Shifts Into More Than a Dozen Shapes for Various Applications

The rapid shape-shifting behavior of the structures can be controlled remotely using a magnetic field. 
NC State metal gateway sculpture silhouetted against the sky

Oct 8, 2025

Designing Polymers for Use in Next-Generation Bioelectronics

New research offers insights into how to fine-tune the electronic properties of polymers for use in applications such as implantable electronics and light-harvesting technologies. 
A person holds two small blocks of steel metal foam.

Oct 7, 2025

Some Like It Hot: Composite Metal Foam Proves Resilient Against High Stresses at High Temperatures

Coupled with the material’s high strength-to-weight ratio, the finding suggests that CMF could be used in applications ranging from automobile engines to aerospace components to nuclear power technologies. 
multicolored pixels in the shape of a person using a VR system stand in silhouette against a black background

Oct 1, 2025

‘Embodied’ AI in Virtual Reality Improves Programming Student Confidence

Giving AI “peers” in virtual reality a body that can interact with the virtual environment can help students learn programming. 

Sep 24, 2025

Study Challenges Theory Behind N.C. Blue Crab Decline

There are plenty of juvenile blue crabs in Pamlico Sound, so where are the adults? 

Sep 17, 2025

‘Teen’ Pachycephalosaur Butts Into Fossil Record

A young pachycephalosaur provides answers to questions about what they might have done with those cranial domes. 

Sep 10, 2025

Precise Imaging Technique Confirms Hemoglobin Preservation in Dinosaur Bone

Researchers use Resonance Raman imaging to confirm the presence of hemoglobin in dinosaur remains. 
a robot inspects a collection of rainbow-colored test tubes

Aug 25, 2025

Meet Rainbow: The Multi-Robot Lab Racing to Discover the Next Quantum Dots

Rainbow autonomously discovers nanoparticles critical for next-generation displays, solar cells, LEDs and quantum-engineering technologies. 
NC State metal gateway sculpture silhouetted against the sky

Aug 21, 2025

Researchers Demonstrate New Technique for Controlling Phase Boundaries in Thin Films

The technique allows researchers to engineer new energy storage materials that do not rely on toxic elements. 
Campus gateway sign reading NC State University

Aug 20, 2025

Researchers Make Better Magnets – at a Lower Cost

The new technique for manufacturing strong magnetic materials improves the quality of the magnets, produces the magnets quickly, uses less energy and is less expensive.