February 18th 2025

Author

Max Gray
February 18, 2025

The Daily Innovation Newsletter

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February 18th 2025

💻 Technology

Meta has announced Project Waterworth, a 31,068-mile subsea cable initiative designed to enhance global digital connectivity and support AI-driven technologies. Spanning the US, India, Brazil, South Africa, and other regions, this will be the longest subsea cable project ever, utilizing 24-fiber pair technology for unprecedented capacity. The infrastructure will improve economic cooperation, digital inclusion, and AI development while incorporating advanced deep-sea and coastal protection techniques to ensure reliability.

⚡️ Energy

California-based Next Energy Technologies has developed the world’s largest fully transparent organic photovoltaic (OPV) window, measuring 101.6 cm by 152.4 cm. Using OPV coatings derived from Nobel Prize-winning research, these windows generate electricity while allowing visible light to pass through. The technology, applied via automated slot-die coating, integrates seamlessly into existing glass manufacturing, reducing HVAC demands and supporting net-zero building designs. This breakthrough moves the industry closer to large-scale solar-integrated facades.

Core Power has unveiled the Liberty program, a plan to develop a floating nuclear power plant in the US by the mid-2030s. Using molten salt reactors, these Floating Nuclear Power Plants (FNPPs) will generate 175 GWh of clean electricity annually while enhancing efficiency and safety. Built in shipyards using modular construction, FNPPs will be mass-produced and towed to deployment sites. The initiative aims to revolutionize maritime energy, offering nuclear-powered vessels extended operation with minimal refueling.

💉 Biotechnology

Scientists at the University of Galway have developed APOLLO, a database of 247,092 computer models simulating human microbiome metabolism. Published in Cell Systems, this breakthrough allows researchers to study how microbes influence health and disease without relying solely on live experiments. APOLLO's models predict metabolic markers linked to conditions like Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s, and child undernutrition, paving the way for improved diagnostics, personalized treatments, and microbiome-based therapies. This innovation moves microbiome research closer to precision healthcare solutions.

💊 Healthcare

Stanford Medicine scientists have pinpointed nearly 400 single nucleotide variants that directly influence inherited cancer risk by regulating genes involved in DNA repair, metabolism, and inflammation. Published in Nature Genetics, the study used large-scale genetic screening and functional analysis to map 1,100 cancer-associated genes, highlighting pathways that could serve as new drug targets. These findings enhance genetic screening for cancer risk and pave the way for personalized prevention and treatment strategies.

Researchers at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation have created a self-healing electronic skin (E-Skin) that repairs itself in seconds, significantly advancing wearable health technology. Published in Science Advances, the E-Skin recovers over 80% of its functionality within 10 seconds, outperforming previous versions that took minutes or hours to heal. The technology enables precise fatigue detection and muscle strength monitoring, functioning reliably even in extreme conditions. This breakthrough could revolutionize athletic performance tracking, rehabilitation, and everyday health monitoring.

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