The Weekly Brief
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November 28th 2025
⚡️ Energy
Star Catcher Industries has set a new world record by wirelessly beaming 1.1 kilowatts of solar power using a multi-spectrum optical laser system, surpassing the previous 800-watt record set by DARPA. The demonstration, conducted at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, used off-the-shelf solar components to showcase the potential for a continuous, weather-independent power supply from orbit. This breakthrough marks a key step toward building a space-based power grid that could support satellites, orbital data centers, and eventually Earth-based energy needs.
🇨🇳 Chinese engineers launch world’s first grid-connected CO₂ generator powered by industrial waste heat
China has become the first country to connect a commercial supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO₂) power generator to the grid, using waste heat from a steel plant in Guizhou province. Developed by the China National Nuclear Corporation, the 15 MW system is over 50% more efficient than traditional steam-based methods and represents a leap forward in compact, high-efficiency clean energy. This breakthrough could transform power generation in nuclear, solar, and mobile systems, offering scalable, space-saving alternatives for future energy infrastructure.
🦾 Robotics
🇺🇸 US startup deploys record-scale autonomous excavation tech to tackle labor shortages in construction
US-based Bedrock Robotics has launched the construction industry’s largest supervised autonomy deployment for mass excavation, using its AI-powered platform to automate earthmoving on a 130-acre manufacturing site in partnership with Sundt Construction. Its Bedrock Operator system enables excavators of various sizes to operate semi-autonomously, loading trucks and handling repetitive tasks while human crews focus on complex work. Designed for quick setup and integration into standard workflows, the technology aims to offset a critical labor shortfall as the US ramps up domestic infrastructure.
📈 Investor’s Corner
Nanalyze, our go-to source for no-BS investment analysis on disruptive tech, released the following interesting pieces this week:
🌎 Sustainability
Researchers at the University of California, Davis have used CRISPR to create wheat that boosts production of apigenin, a natural compound that stimulates nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria to form protective biofilms. This innovation enables the bacteria to convert atmospheric nitrogen into plant-usable fertilizer, eliminating the need for root nodules or synthetic nitrogen inputs. Published in Plant Biotechnology Journal, the method could lower pollution, reduce farming costs, and improve yields - especially in regions with limited access to chemical fertilizers.
💊 Healthcare
🇺🇸 US scientists develop nasal nanodrops that eliminate brain tumors and trigger immune memory in mice
Researchers from Washington University and Northwestern University have created a noninvasive nasal nanotherapy that eradicates glioblastoma in mice by activating the brain’s immune system. The treatment uses gold-core spherical nucleic acids to deliver STING pathway activators directly to brain tumors via the nose, bypassing the blood-brain barrier without surgery. When combined with T-cell–boosting drugs, it not only destroyed tumors but also prevented their return, showing strong potential for future brain cancer immunotherapies. The study was published in PNAS.
🇺🇸 🇬🇧 US–UK team delivers world-first gene therapy that halts fatal childhood dementia in Hunter syndrome
A three-year-old boy in California has become the first patient to receive a one-time stem cell gene therapy for Hunter syndrome, a rare, fatal disorder that causes progressive brain and body damage. Developed at the University of Manchester and administered at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, the treatment modifies the patient’s own stem cells to produce a vital enzyme that crosses the blood-brain barrier - something current therapies cannot do. Months after the procedure, the child has shown major physical and cognitive improvements, offering new hope for treating inherited neurodegenerative diseases.
🇺🇸 🇨🇭 US–Swiss teams use CRISPR to cut bad cholesterol by 95%, paving way for one-shot heart therapy
CRISPR-based therapies from California’s Scribe Therapeutics and Switzerland’s CRISPR Therapeutics have shown dramatic reductions in LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and lipoprotein(a) in early trials across mice, monkeys, and humans. Using a new epigenetic editing technique that avoids permanent DNA changes, Scribe’s treatment suppressed cholesterol-linked genes for over 515 days with a single injection. Presented at AHA 2025, these findings suggest a future where a one-time gene therapy could replace lifelong medication for millions at risk of heart disease.
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See you soon,
Max