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July 30^th 2025

⚡️ Energy

🇫🇮 Finnish engineers store 14 GWh of waste heat underground to cut fossil fuel heating needs

In a pioneering energy project, Finland's Lounavoima waste-to-energy plant has begun storing 14 GWh of surplus heat 1.2 miles underground using custom glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) tubes. Developed in partnership with Exel Composites and QHeat, the system captures summer heat for winter use, reducing emissions and replacing oil-based heating for around 700 homes. This could be a scalable solution for fossil fuel reduction in Europe, where 60% of heating still relies on carbon-based sources.

🌎 Sustainability

🇩🇪 German scientists create aircraft-grade carbon fiber from algae to cut aviation emissions

Researchers at the Technical University of Munich have developed a method to produce high-strength carbon fiber from microalgae instead of fossil fuels. In partnership with Fraunhofer IGB, SGL Carbon, and Airbus, the GreenCarbon project demonstrated that algae-derived acrylonitrile can match conventional materials in performance and was successfully used in a research helicopter flight. Published results show this algae-based process could significantly reduce carbon emissions from aviation and other industries by enabling carbon-negative materials.

💉 Biotechnology

🇺🇸 US researchers create mini-brain with blood vessels to transform neurodrug testing and development

Scientists at Johns Hopkins University have developed a lab-grown whole-brain organoid that includes neural tissue from multiple brain regions and primitive blood vessels. Known as the multi-region brain organoid (MRBO), it mimics the structure and function of a 40-day-old fetal brain and features early blood-brain barrier formation, making it a promising model for studying complex neurological disorders like autism, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s. Published in Advanced Science, the breakthrough offers a more accurate alternative to animal models and could help reduce the 90% failure rate of neuropsychiatric drugs in clinical trials.

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