Media Watch
How Do Squids Camouflage?
The Scientist -
“The properties of [reflectins’] unusual amino acid content give them a high refractive index,” explained Alon Gorodetsky, a biomolecular engineer at University of California, Irvine, who develops materials inspired by the optical properties of reflectins. … The squids’ color-changing system also motivated Gorodetsky’s team to develop materials with adjustable infrared reflectivity. Gorodetsky noted that this material could coat objects and hide them from infrared cameras, with potential applications in the military. Read More
Iran battles a quiet disaster as land sinks beneath its feet
Ynetnews -
Amir AghaKouchak, an environmental engineering professor at the University of California, Irvine, told Forbes that because this land loss happens gradually, it doesn’t capture public attention the way earthquakes or floods do. “It lacks the dramatic visibility of acute disasters like earthquakes and floods, allowing authorities to underplay its risks,” says AghaKouchak.
In Iran, “this invisibility is a key reason land subsidence remains on the sidelines in national disaster planning, despite its profound long-term consequences,” he adds. Read More
The Best Colleges For Civil Engineering 2025
University Magazine -
28. University of California, Irvine … The University of California, Irvine, offers a civil engineering program that emphasizes sustainable infrastructure, water resource management, and structural analysis. You conduct research at advanced laboratories specializing in smart systems and environmental engineering. UCI partnerships with industry and government agencies lead to internships that integrate theory with practice. Faculty mentorship fosters technical expertise and leadership development through collaborative design and research projects. Graduates secure positions in top engineering firms and public agencies worldwide. Read More
Pee To Implants? Scientists To Turn Human Urine Into Bone And Tooth Material In Bizarre Yet Groundbreaking New Discovery!
Daily News Post India -
Scientists have found a new use for human urine, and it’s not what you think. Researchers from the University of California, Irvine, say they’ve figured out how to convert pee into hydroxyapatite, a mineral used in dental and bone implants. The discovery could change how we treat waste and create medical materials. … This is a first-of-its-kind discovery. While treated urine has been used for fertiliser or flushing, converting it into bone implants opens up a whole new frontier. Read More
Human urine converted into dental implant material
Dentistry -
David Kisailus is a professor of materials science and engineering at UC Irvine and a co-author of the study. He said: ‘This process achieves two goals at the same time. ‘On the one hand, it helps remove human urine from wastewater streams, mitigating environmental pollution and the buildup of unwanted nutrients. On the other hand, it produces a material that can be commercially marketed for use in a variety of settings.’ Read More
Repurposing Urine Into a Valuable Biomaterial Could Benefit Dental Implants, and Construction
Discover -
Inspired by the biology of bone-forming cells, scientists at the University of California, Irvine, along with collaborators across the U.S. and Japan, have discovered a novel way to reuse urea, a chemical found in urine, to manufacture hydroxyapatite, a valuable mineral with a wide range of uses.“This process achieves two goals at the same time,” said co-author David Kisailus, UC Irvine professor of materials science and engineering in a press release. Read More
Scientists Use Human Urine To Make Dental And Bone Implants
NDTV -
Researchers from the University of California, Irvine, collaborated with US and Japanese institutions to make a synthetic yeast system that converts urine into hydroxyapatite (HAp) - the main structural component of tooth enamel and bone mineral, which provides hardness. Notably, this biocompatible calcium phosphate mineral is widely used in bone and dental implants, archaeological restoration and biodegradable materials. Read More
Yellow to Green: Yeast Converts Human Urine Into Valuable Bone Material
Science Blog -
The new “osteoyeast” platform converts human urine into hydroxyapatite—the calcium phosphate mineral that forms bones and teeth—offering both environmental and economic benefits for waste management systems worldwide. … Researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, UC Irvine, and the University of Illinois developed the synthetic biology approach by modifying Saccharomyces boulardii, a hardy yeast species that naturally stores minerals in specialized cellular compartments called vacuoles. Read More
Scientists turn human urine into dental and bone implant material using yeast
Interesting Engineering -
Researchers from the University of California, Irvine, along with collaborators from U.S. and Japanese institutions, have engineered a synthetic yeast system that converts urine into hydroxyapatite (HAp). “This process achieves two goals at the same time,” said co-author David Kisailus, UC Irvine professor of materials science and engineering. “On the one hand, it helps remove human urine from wastewater streams, mitigating environmental pollution and the buildup of unwanted nutrients; and on the other hand, it produces a material that can be commercially marketed for use in a variety of settings.” Read More
Method turns urine into super valuable material
Futurity -
In a paper in Nature Communications, the researchers offer a techno-economic analysis of the technique to transform urine—which can seriously damage watersheds—into HAp, a calcium phosphate mineral projected to hold a market value of more than $3.5 billion by 2030. “This process achieves two goals at the same time,” says coauthor David Kisailus, a University of California, Irvine professor of materials science and engineering. Read More