chemical and biomolecular engineering

Stock image of a colorful and dynamic textile.

Nov 14, 2025

Research Round Up: Responsive Materials

NC State University leads the development of responsive materials engineered to sense and react to stimuli in exciting, innovative ways. Remarkably versatile, these advanced materials can harvest energy from friction, self-repair structural damage, assemble themselves into electronic devices — and more.

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.

A young child scared of getting a shot from a doctor with a needle.

Aug 20, 2025

How Dental Floss Could One Day Deliver Vaccines

Recent research findings show that dental floss could be an effective way to administer vaccines and immunizations instead of shots.

illustration shows how a microbe is mutated to produce a new microbe that produces more plasmid dna for use in biomedical applications

Aug 13, 2025

‘Controlled Evolution’ Dramatically Boosts pDNA Production for Biomedical Manufacturing

The advance is significant because the new technique could drive down the cost of gene therapy treatments.

graphic design shows how vaccine can gain entry to the bloodstream via a space between the tooth and the gum

Jul 28, 2025

Why You May Get Future Vaccines Via Dental Floss

Researchers have demonstrated a novel vaccine delivery method, using dental floss to introduce vaccine via the tissue between the teeth and gums.

illustration outlines the continuous workflow of a self-driving lab that makes use of continuous, dynamic work flow experiments.

Jul 14, 2025

Researchers Hit ‘Fast Forward’ on Materials Discovery with Self-Driving Labs

A new technique allows “self-driving laboratories” to collect at least 10 times more data than previous techniques at record speed.

aerial view of a wastewater treatment plant

Jun 11, 2025

Researchers Create New Way to Remove Phosphorus from Contaminated Water

Researchers have created an inexpensive material that can filter phosphorus from contaminated surface waters, drinking water supplies or wastewater streams and reuse the phosphorus for agricultural applications.

Image of four-step process of capturing microplastics from water.

Mar 26, 2025

New Water Microcleaners Self-Disperse, Capture Microplastics and Float Up for Removal

Proof-of-concept work uses unique, safe particles to remove microplastics in a single cycle.

Campus gateway sign reading NC State University

Mar 24, 2025

Novel Material Holds Promise for Tech to Convert CO2 Into Fuel

Researchers have developed a novel combination of materials that have organic and inorganic properties, with the goal of using them in technologies that convert carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into a liquid fuel.

An aerial photo of NC State's Centennial Campus with the Raleigh skyline behind it.

Mar 3, 2025

NC State Names Krista S. Walton Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation

Noted chemical engineer will lead research enterprise.

illustration shows how a new technique can tune quantum dots to produce a full range of colors

Feb 18, 2025

Light-Powered Breakthrough Enables Precision Tuning of Quantum Dots

The new technique uses light to tune the optical properties of quantum dots – making the process faster, more energy-efficient and more environmentally sustainable.

a small patch rests on the back of a person's left wrist. the person is touching the patch with their right index finger

Jan 15, 2025

Researchers Make Comfortable Materials That Generate Power When Worn

The work stems from an advanced understanding of materials that increase comfort in textiles and produce electricity when rubbed against another surface.

an array of green lights that look like LEDs

Oct 11, 2024

Engineering Perovskite Materials at the Atomic Level Paves Way for New Lasers, LEDs

New technique dictates precisely how layered hybrid perovskite materials convert electrical charge into light.

Oct 4, 2024

Podcast: Microplastics

Nathan Crook talks microplastics - and the microbes that can eat them.

photo of nc state university's iconic belltower

Aug 22, 2024

For First Time, DNA Tech Offers Both Data Storage and Computing Functions

The new DNA computer is the first that can repeatedly store, retrieve, compute, erase and rewrite data.