Daily Innovation News

October 29^th 2024

⚡️ Energy

🇧🇪 Belgian artificial energy island to generate 3.5GW wind power, reaching 3 million homes

Belgium’s Princess Elisabeth Island, the world’s first artificial energy island, will harness 3.5GW of wind power from the North Sea, supplying renewable energy to over three million households. Funded with a $702 million European Investment Bank grant, the project will integrate both HVDC and HVAC systems, serving as a critical hub for Belgian and European grids. This sustainable infrastructure also enables future energy interconnectors with neighboring countries, supporting Europe’s renewable energy and climate goals.

🚘 Transport

🇨🇳 Chinese company XPeng AeroHT begins large-scale flying car production, eyes 2026 market launch

XPeng AeroHT has initiated construction on a facility in China set to produce 10,000 units annually of its innovative EV/eVTOL "Land Aircraft Carrier." This facility combines aviation precision with automotive efficiency, aiming to cut costs and improve production timelines. Set for a 2026 release, AeroHT’s flying car concept includes autonomous drive, park, and takeoff capabilities, promising a new era in urban air mobility. Pre-sales are expected before the end of 2024, with prices starting below $280,000.

🇫🇷 French cruise operator Ponant unveils hybrid green cruise ship using wind, hydrogen, and bio-LNG

French cruise company Ponant announced "Swap2Zero," a nearly emission-free cruise ship combining wind, hydrogen, bio-LNG, and solar energy for transoceanic travel. The vessel, which gained approval from Bureau Veritas, uses 50% sail propulsion and integrates carbon capture, hydrogen fuel cells, and extensive solar panels to minimize emissions. Its design allows it to operate autonomously for up to a month, setting a new benchmark in sustainable marine technology and aiming for full carbon neutrality.

🌎 Environment

🇺🇸 US researchers find bacterial proteins that may transform rare earth mining, reduce China’s supply dominance

Researchers in the US have identified two proteins in bacteria that naturally separate rare earth elements (REEs), potentially making mining cleaner and more cost-effective. These proteins, LanM and LanD, specifically bind to valuable REEs used in technologies like smartphones and wind turbines, offering a non-toxic alternative to traditional, chemical-heavy extraction methods. This innovation could allow the US to tap into domestic REE sources, reducing reliance on China, which currently supplies most REEs. The findings were published in Cells.

💉 Biotechnology

🇨🇭 Swiss researchers create laser-based bioprinter to grow human-like tissues, aiming to replace lab animals

Researchers in Switzerland have developed a laser bioprinting technique to produce lab-grown tissues with natural-like structures for medical testing and research. This technology creates microfilament scaffolds, replicating the precise alignment found in human tissues like muscles and nerves, enabling cells to grow realistically. This innovation offers promising applications in drug testing, surgical tissue replacement, and potentially lab-grown meat, reducing the need for animal testing. The new bioprinter is patented by ETH Zurich.

💊 Healthcare

🇬🇧 UK researchers create digital twins to identify best cancer treatments for patients

UK researchers developed "digital twins" for cancer patients, simulating individual responses to various treatments. These digital models enable scientists to predict the most effective therapies based on the unique molecular data of each patient’s cancer, potentially improving treatment outcomes. In trials, patients receiving the predicted best treatment had a significantly higher response rate compared to those with alternate therapies. This technology could accelerate personalized medicine, ensuring treatments are better tailored to patients’ specific needs and reducing trial-and-error in cancer care.

🇺🇸 US researchers at MIT create implant combining chemo and phototherapy to destroy aggressive tumors

MIT researchers have developed a dual-action cancer therapy implant, combining chemotherapy with phototherapy in a single microparticle to target tumors directly. This approach, published in ACS Nano, using molybdenum disulfide particles that release chemotherapy when heated, eradicated tumors in mice with triple-negative breast cancer and extended their lifespan. The laser-activated particles provide localized treatment, potentially reducing chemotherapy’s side effects and improving effectiveness. Researchers aim to progress to larger animal studies, with hopes of application in treating various solid tumors.

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