Daily Innovation News

November 19^th 2024

⚡️ Energy

🇨🇳 China unveils 3 GW solar plant powering 2 million homes and cutting 4.7M tons of CO2

China's Mengxi Blue Ocean Photovoltaic Power Station, its largest single-capacity solar plant, generates 5.7 billion kWh annually using nearly 6 million panels. Located on a former coal mining site in Inner Mongolia, it prevents burning 1.71 million tons of coal and reduces emissions equivalent to planting 627 sq km of trees. Designed for sustainability, it integrates AI-powered solar tracking, rare-earth alloys for cost savings, and dual-use land for grazing and cultivation. This initiative supports China's net-zero emissions goal and renewable energy advancements.

🇨🇳 China unveils record-breaking 15 MW wind turbine, powering 160,000 homes annually

China's Sany Renewable Energy has activated the world's largest onshore wind turbine, producing 15 MW of power and sweeping an area equivalent to a football field per rotation. Located in Jilin Province, the SI-270150 turbine generates 56 million kWh yearly, doubling energy output from typical onshore installations. With advanced lightweight designs and robust stability systems, it highlights China's leadership in renewable energy innovation. The turbine will undergo extensive testing to validate its 30-year lifespan and reliability.

🇺🇸 US approves first onshore wave energy project, advancing renewable energy innovation

The US Army Corps of Engineers has greenlit a 100-kW onshore wave energy pilot at the Port of Los Angeles, marking a national milestone. Eco Wave Power will install eight wave energy floaters and an energy conversion unit, pioneering clean energy production from ocean waves. Scheduled for completion by early 2025, this project showcases wave energy's potential to contribute to the US renewable energy mix. The system could pave the way for scaling wave power, estimated to generate enough energy annually for 130 million homes.

💉 Biotechnology

🇺🇸 US researchers develop Evo, an AI model predicting gene mutation effects with precision

Scientists at the Arc Institute have created Evo, a genomic large language model trained on millions of microbial genomes to predict how genetic mutations affect organisms. Similar to AI systems like GPT, Evo analyzes DNA, RNA, and protein sequences, offering insights into genetic functions and synthetic biology applications. Published in Science, Evo successfully designs new biological systems, including CRISPR components, though some outputs remain imperfect. While not yet adapted for human genetics, Evo marks a groundbreaking step in applying AI to decode and engineer life.

🇬🇧 🇭🇰 UK and Hong Kong scientists recreate mouse using ancient gene, tracing stem cell origins

Researchers from the UK and Hong Kong have used genes from unicellular choanoflagellates, the closest relatives of animals, to create stem cells that successfully formed a living mouse. These genes, predating animal life, show that essential stem cell machinery evolved earlier than previously believed, reshaping our understanding of evolution and the origins of multicellular life. Published in Nature Communications, the breakthrough also holds potential for advancing regenerative medicine by optimizing stem cell therapies with insights from ancient genetic tools.

💊 Healthcare

🇺🇸 US researchers use optogenetics to prevent seizures, offering hope for epilepsy treatment

Researchers in the US have successfully used optogenetics to prevent seizure-like activity in living human brain tissue, a major step toward new treatments for epilepsy. The technique employs a virus to deliver light-sensitive genes to neurons, enabling control of abnormal activity with light pulses. This approach could one day replace invasive surgeries to remove seizure-causing brain tissue, offering a less harmful alternative. Published in Nature Neuroscience, the findings also shed light on how neuron interactions contribute to seizures, potentially informing therapies for other neurological conditions.

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