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March 25^th 2025

⚡️ Energy

🇩🇰 🇩🇪 🇮🇹 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 🇳🇴 🇬🇧 Researchers set record for transparent solar tech with 12.3% efficiency and 30% visibility

An international team funded by the EU-backed CitySolar project has developed a semi-transparent solar cell that achieves a record 12.3% power conversion efficiency while maintaining 30% transparency. Detailed by scientists from seven countries, including Denmark, Germany, and Italy, the tandem cell combines perovskite and organic layers to harvest energy from ultraviolet and infrared light—leaving visible light untouched for window integration. These solar cells could enable buildings to generate electricity through glass surfaces without altering design or aesthetics. While not yet commercialized, the technology offers scalable potential for urban renewable energy solutions.

🚀 Space

🇨🇳 Chinese companies to launch 6 reusable rockets in 2025, aiming to rival SpaceX dominance

China’s private space sector is accelerating efforts to challenge SpaceX, with six reusable rocket launches planned for 2025. Companies like LandSpace Technology and Deep Blue Aerospace are pushing innovation, with LandSpace having already beaten SpaceX in launching the first rocket powered by liquid oxygen and methane. Deep Blue is preparing a reusable booster test and has ambitions for commercial space tourism by 2027. These developments, backed by state support and President Xi’s push for private-sector innovation, aim to position China as a major player in global spaceflight.

🇨🇳 Chinese researchers develop efficient method to split CO₂ into oxygen for Mars use

Researchers from Nanjing University and Fudan University have created an electrochemical process that directly splits carbon dioxide into oxygen and elemental carbon, offering a cleaner alternative to traditional oxygen production. Reported in Angewandte Chemie, the method uses a ruthenium-cobalt catalyst and lithium as a mediator to achieve over 98.6% oxygen yield—significantly higher than natural photosynthesis. The process works efficiently in simulated flue gas and Mars-like atmospheres, making it promising for space missions, underwater breathing systems, and climate solutions. If powered by renewable energy, it could aid in achieving carbon neutrality.

🦾 Robotics

🇺🇸 US firm unveils AI-powered super-humanoid robot to transform industrial logistics and reduce labor strain

Dexterity, a California-based robotics company, has introduced Mech, the world’s first AI-enhanced super-humanoid robot built for industrial environments. With a 5.4-meter armspan, dual arms capable of lifting 132 pounds, and a human-like sense of touch, Mech performs complex material handling tasks like truck loading and palletizing with precision and agility. The robot operates independently or via cloud, using edge computing and Physical AI to adapt to new tasks through downloadable apps. Designed to increase productivity and safety, Mech enables one human worker to oversee up to ten robots.

🌎 Sustainability

🇮🇳 Indian scientists use methane-eating bacteria to produce low-cost biodegradable plastic

Researchers have discovered that the bacterium Methylocystis suflitae can efficiently convert methane into biodegradable plastic, offering a cost-effective and eco-friendly way to recycle a potent greenhouse gas. Published in Systems Microbiology and Biomanufacturing, the study optimized fermentation to achieve high production rates of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a sustainable plastic alternative. The team identified four key enzymes involved in plastic synthesis and confirmed that the resulting material meets commercial-grade thermal standards. This breakthrough may enable scalable bioplastic manufacturing while reducing methane emissions.

💊 Healthcare

🇺🇸 US engineers develop single-shot contraceptive injection lasting months to years with minimal pain

MIT researchers, supported by the Gates Foundation, have created an injectable contraceptive that forms a long-lasting drug depot under the skin, potentially delivering medication for up to two years from a single shot. Published in Nature Chemical Engineering, the system uses crystal-forming levonorgestrel suspended in benzyl benzoate, enabling painless injection through a thin needle and sustained drug release. The depot’s release rate can be fine-tuned with tiny amounts of biodegradable polymer, offering adaptable dosing options. This innovation could transform birth control and chronic disease treatment, especially in low-resource settings.

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