Using liquid metals to reduce power electronics e-waste
New research is exploring how liquid metals could transform the way power electronics are built, making them more reliable and recyclable at end of life. The project, being co-run by Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult and the University of Cambridge, UK, focuses on developing a ‘floating’ internal structure within power electronic devices using liquid metals.
Researchers recreate shimmering Roman golden fabric
South Korean scientists have successfully recreated ancient sea silk – a rare, shimmering fibre prized since Roman times – using a clam farmed in modern coastal waters. They also discovered how sea silk’s golden colour emerges naturally from the internal alignment of its proteins.
Molecular pain secrets revealed
Molecular secrets of the cells responsible for severe nerve pain conditions have been decoded. These neurons activate in people suffering neuropathic pain such as in diabetic neuropathy and sometimes fibromyalgia, a long-term debilitating condition.
India focuses on biopharma
The latest Indian budget announcement marks a decisive shift in the country’s approach to pharmaceuticals by placing biopharma and biologic medicines at the centre of its healthcare and manufacturing strategy.
New immunotherapy approach identified
Australian researchers have designed antibodies that recognise a sugar found only on bacterial cells. They report that the lab-made antibody cleared a lethal bacterial infection in mice by homing in on the sugar and flagging the pathogen for destruction by the immune system. The team says the advance could underpin a new generation of immunotherapies for multidrug resistant hospital-acquired infections.
Molecular ‘stickers’ help spin spider silk
Sticky patches on amino acids are essential for spiders to spin their dragline silk. This finding from an international study of the western black widow spider (Latrodectus hesperus) might inspire new high-performance sustainable fibres for medical and aerospace applications.
Research sheds new light on Parkinsons’ disease origin
New research reveals how Parkinson’s disease spreads from the gut to the brain with the help of immune cells, offering new potential therapeutic approaches.
Interview: Breakthroughs in colloids and interface science
The Sir Eric Rideal award lecture honours individuals who have made sustained and distinguished contribution to colloid and interface science. This year’s awardee is Joseph Keddie, professor of soft matter physics at the University of Surrey.
From silos to systems: Reimagining industry for sustainability
In my conversations with SCI members across sectors and around the world, one theme is becoming impossible to ignore: sustainability is pushing industries to move beyond siloed thinking and towards more connected, system-wide approaches.
Brazilian trade boost from EU/Mercosur agreement
The Brazilian chemical industry association, Abiquim, has welcomed the finalisation of the partnership agreement between Mercosur and the EU. This agreement is seen as an important milestone that expands the access of the chemical industry in Brazil to one of the largest markets in the world.