The Daily Innovation Newsletter

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July 28^th 2025

🚀 Space

🇺🇸 US scientists launch first lunar far side radio telescope to probe universe’s quietest signals

Researchers from the US Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory and partners are preparing LuSEE-Night, the world’s first radio telescope designed to operate on the Moon’s far side, for launch. Shielded from Earth’s radio noise, the telescope will study ultra-low-frequency signals, including the redshifted 21-cm hydrogen line, to explore the Cosmic Dark Ages before stars formed. Scheduled for deployment aboard Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost 2 lander, LuSEE-Night could pave the way for larger lunar observatories.

🌎 Sustainability

🇺🇸 US researchers create 3D printer that transforms food waste into household items

MIT researchers have developed the FOODres.AI Printer, a 3D printer that turns common food scraps like banana peels and eggshells into usable objects such as mugs and utensils. Powered by AI image recognition, the system identifies the type of waste and generates custom “recipes” to transform it into printable bioplastic. This innovation, designed for everyday users, aims to reduce landfill waste and support a circular economy by turning food waste into valuable goods at home.

🇯🇵 Japanese researchers develop deep-sea biodegradable plastic that vanishes underwater within 13 months

Scientists from Shinshu University and JAMSTEC have developed a bio-based plastic called LAHB that biodegrades in real deep-sea conditions, losing over 80% of its mass after 13 months at a depth of 855 meters. Unlike conventional PLA plastics that remain intact, LAHB was actively broken down by marine microbes into harmless byproducts like CO₂ and water. Published in Polymer Degradation and Stability, this marks the first proof that a plastic can fully degrade even in the cold, high-pressure, nutrient-poor environment of the deep ocean.

💊 Healthcare

🇺🇸 US scientists launch first 100% effective HIV prevention drug with global nonprofit rollout

The FDA has approved lenacapavir (Yeztugo), a twice-yearly injectable HIV prevention drug that demonstrated nearly 100% effectiveness in clinical trials. Developed by Gilead Sciences, it is the first long-acting capsid inhibitor approved for HIV-negative individuals and could significantly increase access and adherence compared to daily PrEP pills. With royalty-free licenses for generics in 120 low-income countries and partnerships with the Global Fund, this innovation is poised to protect up to two million people globally in the next three years.

🇪🇸 🇰🇪 Spanish and Kenyan researchers show ivermectin pills cut malaria infections by 26% in children

Researchers from Spain’s ISGlobal and Kenya’s KEMRI-Wellcome Trust have shown that monthly ivermectin doses reduced malaria infections by 26% among children aged 5–15 in a major field trial. Published in The New England Journal of Medicine, the BOHEMIA trial involved over 20,000 participants and demonstrated that the drug, traditionally used for parasitic diseases, can kill mosquitoes that feed on treated individuals. With no severe side effects reported, this strategy could be a valuable complement to bed nets and other tools in regions battling insecticide-resistant mosquitoes.

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See you soon,

Max

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