Daily Innovation News

June 6^th 2024

💻 Technology

🇨🇳 Chinese researchers create metamaterial for self-cleaning and temperature-regulating glass surfaces

Chinese scientists have developed the Polymer-based Micro-photonic Multi-functional Metamaterial (PMMM), a thin film for glass that enhances transparency, ensures privacy, cools interiors, and self-cleans. Featuring microscopic pyramid patterns, PMMM scatters 73% of incoming light while allowing 95% transmittance, aiding in glare-free brightness and increased photosynthesis in greenhouses. It also achieves radiative cooling, lowering indoor temperatures by 6°C, and offers superhydrophobic self-cleaning properties. PMMM could revolutionize sustainable building materials. This study was published in Nature Communications.

🇸🇬 Singaporean scientists develop roof aerogels that regulate temperature and absorb electromagnetic waves

Researchers at the National University of Singapore have engineered innovative aerogels from plastic waste for radiative cooling and electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption. These thin-film aerogels can be applied to building roofs to reduce indoor temperatures and serve as thermal insulators. Additionally, they developed aerogels that absorb 99.99% of EMW energy, shielding both humans and sensitive equipment from electromagnetic pollution. The advancements promise scalable, eco-friendly solutions for sustainable building and environmental applications.

⚡️ Energy

🇺🇸 NASA's new power source enables subsea robots to operate indefinitely, revolutionizing ocean exploration

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has developed a groundbreaking energy source allowing subsea robots to operate indefinitely without battery replacements. Using phase-change materials, these robots generate electricity from environmental temperature changes, enabling continuous operation. This advancement eliminates the need for costly and polluting ship-based recharges, vastly improving ocean mapping, resource exploration, and marine habitat protection. The technology, now offered by Seatrec Inc., promises to revolutionize oceanographic studies.

🇨🇳 China to lead in green hydrogen production with 220,000-tonne output, surpassing targets

China is set to exceed its 2025 green hydrogen production target by producing 220,000 tonnes this year, according to a Rystad Energy report. This achievement highlights China’s significant strides in renewable hydrogen, driven by nearly 2.5 GW of hydrogen electrolyzer capacity installed by year-end. While China still relies heavily on grey hydrogen, the country’s aggressive push for green hydrogen is vital for its dual carbon goals of peaking emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. This development underscores China's potential to lead in global green energy initiatives.

🤖 Artificial Intelligence

🇺🇸🇫🇮 Finnish researchers develop a model enabling AI systems to understand human emotions

Researchers at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, have created a model enabling computers to interpret human emotions using mathematical psychology principles. This technology aims to make AI systems more intuitive and responsive, predicting emotions such as happiness, irritation, and anxiety to enhance user interaction. The model could allow computers to adapt their behavior, offering guidance during user distress. The advancement could transform computers into empathetic partners, improving user experiences across various applications.

🌎 Environment

🇺🇸 US scientists create the world’s first seedless blackberry using CRISPR

Pairwise has developed the world’s first seedless blackberry using CRISPR technology, enhancing flavor, convenience, and sustainability in agriculture. This innovation addresses consumer reluctance due to seeds and thorns, offering a more enjoyable and accessible fruit. The CRISPR technology allows precise DNA modification, resulting in a consistently sweet, thornless, and compact plant that improves harvest efficiency and reduces waste. This development paves the way for more nutritious, high-quality food options and marks a significant advancement in agricultural innovation.

🇮🇪 Irish researchers use eggshell waste to recover rare earth elements for green energy

Researchers from Trinity College Dublin and iCRAG have discovered that eggshell waste can be used to recover rare earth elements (REEs) from water. This innovative method utilizes the calcium carbonate in eggshells to absorb and separate valuable REEs, offering an environmentally friendly extraction technique. This approach supports the growing demand for REEs in green technologies, such as electric cars and wind turbines, while promoting waste valorization and circular economy principles. The findings were published in ACS Omega.

🇬🇧 UK researchers develop electrified activated charcoal method to capture CO2 from air

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a low-cost, energy-efficient method for capturing CO2 directly from the air using electrified activated charcoal. This novel approach involves charging the charcoal with ions to form reversible bonds with CO2, making it highly effective and requiring significantly lower temperatures for CO2 removal. This method could be a game-changer for reducing greenhouse gases and mitigating climate change. The study was published in Nature.

🇨🇳 Chinese researchers develop eco-friendly method for recycling solar panels using saltwater

Researchers from Wuhan University and Northeastern University in China have created an environmentally friendly method to recycle solar panels using a molten mixture of sodium and potassium hydroxide. This innovative approach replaces harmful acids, efficiently separates valuable components like silicon and silver, and significantly reduces toxic waste. The scalable and automatable process promises to address the growing issue of solar panel waste as global adoption of solar technology increases. The study was published in Nature Sustainability.

💊 Healthcare

🇦🇺 Australian researchers use machine learning to identify nearly a million potential antibiotic sources in nature

An international research team led by Queensland University of Technology has discovered 863,498 potential antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in nature using machine learning. These peptides can kill or inhibit infectious microbes, offering a promising solution to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which poses a significant public health threat. The findings, published in Cell, revealed that some peptides were effective against antibiotic-resistant bacteria and infections in mice, potentially leading to new antibiotic treatments. The research database, AMPSphere, is publicly accessible for further study.

🇬🇧 UK researchers use fMRI to predict dementia 9 years in advance with 80% accuracy

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have developed a method using fMRI scans to predict dementia up to nine years before diagnosis with 80% accuracy. By analyzing changes in the brain’s default mode network (DMN) in over 1,100 volunteers from the UK Biobank, they provided a more precise prediction method than traditional memory tests or brain shrinkage measurements. Early prediction is crucial for developing treatments to prevent the irreversible loss of brain cells that cause dementia symptoms. The study was published in Nature Mental Health.

🇨🇳🇺🇸 First-ever gene therapy restores hearing in both ears of children born deaf

The world's first clinical trial to administer gene therapy to both ears in children with congenital deafness was conducted in Shanghai, in collaboration with researchers from the Mass Eye and Ear Hospital in Boston. This innovative treatment targets OTOF gene mutations causing hereditary deafness and has shown significant improvements in hearing and speech, including the ability to appreciate music. The successful results, if approved, could restore hearing for millions globally. The study was published in Nature Medicine.

🇺🇸 US trial cures 100% of rectal cancer patients long-term with new drug

In a groundbreaking Phase II trial, the drug Jemperli (dostarlimab-gxly) has completely eradicated tumors in all 42 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. The treatment showed no evidence of cancer after 26.3 months, offering a promising non-invasive alternative to chemotherapy and radiation. This PD-1-blocking monoclonal antibody encourages immune cells to attack cancer, providing hope for less debilitating cancer treatments. The findings were presented at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting.

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