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January 29^th 2025

💻 Technology

🇨🇭 Swiss firm develops world’s first hardware to counter quantum computing threats

SEALSQ has introduced quantum-resistant secure hardware using post-quantum cryptography (PQC), designed to withstand attacks from both current and future quantum computers. Built on the QS7001 platform, it employs KYBER and DILITHIUM algorithms, providing enhanced security and energy efficiency for applications like AI, blockchain, and IoT. This innovation addresses vulnerabilities in today’s encryption systems, safeguarding sensitive data against emerging quantum threats. SEALSQ’s solution sets a new standard in the $7.9 billion hardware security market.

⚡️ Energy

🇨🇳 Chinese scientists develop catalyst to extend lithium-air battery lifespan and efficiency

Researchers at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics and Dalian Maritime University have developed a novel catalyst to improve lithium-air batteries, significantly extending their lifespan. Published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition, the study introduces a salt called 1,3-dimethylimidazolium iodide (DMII) into the battery’s electrolyte. The iodide ions enhance charge transfer, while the DMI⁺ ions protect the lithium surface, reducing degradation. The modified batteries demonstrated stable performance for over 960 hours, addressing key challenges in lithium-air technology and bringing more efficient energy storage closer to reality.

🚘 Transport

🇺🇸 US company Boom Supersonic's XB-1 becomes first private-built plane to break sound barrier

Boom Supersonic's XB-1 prototype has officially broken the sound barrier, reaching Mach 1.122 in a test flight over California’s Mojave Air & Space Port. This marks the first privately funded piloted supersonic flight and the first commercial supersonic flight in the US since Concorde's retirement in 2003. The flight tested key technologies for Boom’s planned Overture airliner, set to enter service in 2029, including advanced aerodynamics, carbon composite construction, and a vision system for improved pilot visibility. Overture aims to offer faster-than-standard air travel while complying with FAA regulations on sonic booms.

🌎 Environment

🇺🇸 US scientists engineer plant to extract nickel, clean soil, and produce biofuel

Molecular biologists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst are pioneering phytomining by genetically modifying Camelina sativa to absorb nickel from soil, reducing reliance on destructive mining. Camelina is being engineered to mimic Alyssum murale, a natural nickel hyperaccumulator, while also producing biofuel. This technique, funded by the US Department of Energy, could supply up to 30% of domestic nickel demand and help transition to a greener economy. The research enhances sustainable resource extraction while improving soil health.

💉 Biotechnology

🇨🇳 Chinese scientists create mice from two fathers, advancing reproduction research

Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have successfully bred mice from two male parents that survived to adulthood, a major milestone in reproductive biology. Published in Cell Stem Cell, the study overcame key barriers by modifying "imprinting genes," which regulate gene expression and have historically prevented unisexual reproduction in mammals. While challenges remain—only 11.8% of embryos developed to birth, and surviving mice had shorter lifespans—this breakthrough could pave the way for advances in stem cell research, regenerative medicine, and understanding imprinting-related diseases.

💊 Healthcare

🇺🇸 US researchers develop drug candidate to repair brain damage and restore vision

Scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have discovered LL-341070, a drug candidate that accelerates myelin repair in the brain. Myelin, essential for proper nerve signaling, is damaged in diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS), causing vision loss and other neurological symptoms. In mice, the drug improved brain functions linked to vision even after significant myelin damage, offering hope for reversing vision loss and other impairments. The findings were published in Nature Communications.

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