March 6th 2025

Author

Max Gray
March 06, 2025

The Daily Innovation Newsletter

Enjoying this newsletter? Know someone who would too? Forward this email to them!

March 6th 2025

⚡️ Energy

UK-based Power Roll, in collaboration with the University of Sheffield, has advanced the development of an advanced back-contact perovskite solar film that is lightweight, flexible, and cost-effective to produce. The new microgroove structure, featuring 362 grooves per component, improves power conversion efficiency by up to 12.8% while eliminating the need for costly rare materials. This ultra-thin solar film can be applied to a variety of surfaces, enabling clean energy generation in remote areas and non-traditional locations. The research was published in ACS Applied Energy Materials.

Moltex Energy Canada has unveiled the Waste to Stable Salt (WATSS) process, a breakthrough that recycles 90% of used nuclear fuel into valuable energy while significantly reducing waste. This 24-hour chemical process extracts transuranic materials from spent fuel and refines them into molten salt, which can be used in advanced reactors. By transforming nuclear waste into a resource, WATSS offers a cost-effective, sustainable solution for managing rising global nuclear energy demands. The innovation could reshape nuclear fuel cycles, enhancing energy production and reducing long-term waste liabilities.

💉 Biotechnology

Scientists from Johns Hopkins University and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have identified gene modifications that increase the size of tomatoes and African eggplants by altering the number of seed-containing locules. By tweaking specific duplicate genes, researchers grew larger fruit without disrupting plant development. This Nature study highlights "pan-genetics," a technique that could improve crop yields and food security worldwide.

💊 Healthcare

A Stanford-led team has discovered two antibodies that work together to neutralize all known variants of SARS-CoV-2 in laboratory tests. One antibody anchors to a stable region of the virus, allowing the second to block infection. This bispecific antibody approach, detailed in Science Translational Medicine, significantly reduced viral load in mice and could lead to long-lasting COVID-19 treatments. Researchers aim to expand the method to target all coronaviruses, influenza, and HIV.

Scientists at the Keck School of Medicine of USC have identified a gene, KCTD20, that regulates tau protein buildup, a key factor in Alzheimer’s and related diseases. By suppressing this gene in lab-grown human brain organoids and mice, researchers activated lysosomes, which removed toxic tau and prevented neurodegeneration. This approach, published in Neuron, offers a potential new strategy for treating tau-related diseases without disrupting essential neurotransmitter function.

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine and Stanford University have created a cannabinoid-based compound that relieves pain without affecting the brain, preventing addiction and psychoactive effects. The modified molecule, which binds only to pain-sensing nerve cells outside the brain, provided long-lasting relief in mice without tolerance buildup. Published in Nature, this discovery could offer a safer alternative to opioids for chronic pain treatment.

That’s all for today, please reply to this email if you have any comments or feedback, we’d love to hear from you about what we can do better!

Have you enjoyed this email? Make sure to share it with your friends and colleagues.

Thanks for reading!