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August 15^th 2025

⚡️ Energy

🇬🇧 UK scientists develop indoor solar cell that could power billions of IoT devices without batteries

Researchers at University College London have created a perovskite-based solar cell that achieves a record 37.6% efficiency under indoor LED light, dramatically outperforming commercial alternatives. Detailed in Advanced Functional Materials, the cell remains stable for months and is tuned to absorb indoor wavelengths, making it ideal for powering smart home and IoT devices without disposable batteries. This innovation could reduce environmental waste and enable widespread deployment of autonomous, battery-free electronics.

🇺🇸 US firm unveils solar-powered hydrogen module for off-grid, scalable clean fuel production

SunHydrogen, Inc. has demonstrated a 20.7 sq ft hydrogen-generating module that uses only sunlight and water, marking a major milestone toward scalable, off-grid green hydrogen production. The system, showcased in an open prototype, integrates solar collection and water-splitting catalysts into a single unit, eliminating the need for grid electricity or traditional electrolyzers. Published performance data supports its commercial viability, with a closed system pilot planned next at UT Austin’s Hydrogen ProtoHub.

🚘 Transport

🇺🇸 US engineers fly solar drone for 74 hours non-stop, moving closer to perpetual uncrewed flight

Aerospace firm Skydweller Aero has flown the world’s largest solar-powered drone for 74 hours using only sunlight and batteries, showcasing a major step toward aircraft capable of months-long autonomous missions. Backed by the US Navy, the carbon fiber drone uses 17,000 solar cells and AI-driven systems to perform surveillance without fuel or crew, supporting defense, environmental monitoring, and disaster response. With payload capacity of 400 kg, it outperforms earlier solar UAVs and reduces the need for costly refueling or multiple aircraft.

💉 Biotechnology

🇨🇳 Chinese scientists develop tool to edit millions of DNA bases, boosting genetic and crop engineering

Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have created a new programmable chromosome engineering (PCE) system that allows precise editing of DNA fragments spanning millions of base pairs - far beyond the capabilities of tools like CRISPR. Published in Cell, the study shows the method is over 3.5 times more efficient than the older Cre-Lox system and avoids genetic "scarring," enabling more stable and permanent genome modifications. This breakthrough holds major promise for accelerating research in synthetic biology, gene therapy, and crop improvement.

💊 Healthcare

🇸🇪 Swedish researchers create injectable “skin in a syringe” to heal burns without scarring

Scientists at Linköping University have developed a gel containing live fibroblast cells that can be injected or 3D-printed to rebuild functional dermis instead of scar tissue. Published in Advanced Healthcare Materials, the gel combines gelatin beads and hyaluronic acid, held together by click chemistry, and has shown cell survival and blood vessel formation in mice. This innovation could transform burn treatment by enabling scar-free healing using a patient’s own cells.

🇺🇸 US researchers advance hormone-free male contraceptive pill with no side effects to efficacy trials

Scientists at YourChoice Therapeutics have successfully completed the first human trial of YCT-529, a non-hormonal male contraceptive pill that targets the retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARα), disrupting sperm production without affecting hormones, libido, or mood. In a Phase Ia clinical trial published in Communications Medicine, the drug showed no side effects and was well tolerated across all doses, clearing the way for efficacy trials. With full reversibility demonstrated in animal studies and a long half-life enabling non-daily dosing, YCT-529 could become the first widely available male birth control pill, potentially rebalancing contraceptive responsibility.

🇨🇦 Canadian researchers create magnetic micro-robot that dissolves kidney stones from inside the body

Scientists at the University of Waterloo have developed a magnetically guided, enzyme-loaded micro-robot that navigates the urinary tract to directly dissolve kidney stones. Published in Advanced Healthcare Materials, the soft filament delivers urease to raise urine pH, weakening stones by up to 30% in five days during lab tests, and may eliminate the need for slow-acting oral meds or surgery. The device is externally steered and eventually passed naturally, offering a targeted, less painful alternative for recurring kidney stone sufferers.

🇺🇸 US scientists develop fast-acting antidote that clears carbon monoxide from blood in under a minute

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have engineered a protein-based antidote, RcoM-HBD-CCC, that rapidly removes carbon monoxide (CO) from the bloodstream without affecting oxygen or blood pressure. In Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), mouse studies showed the treatment cleared 50% of CO in under a minute and flushed it safely via urine - vastly outperforming current oxygen-based therapies. This breakthrough could lead to the first fast, low-risk emergency treatment for CO poisoning, which causes 50,000 ER visits annually in the US.

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Max

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