Iodine intervenes
A new cathode material developed by researchers at the University of California San Diego, US, could make solid state lithium-sulfur batteries a viable alternative to lithium-ion batteries.
Cow modified to produce human insulin in her milk
A brown Jersey cow has been genetically modified to produce human insulin in her milk. The Brazilian heifer became the first transgenic cow to make this important protein, needed by patients with diabetes. The technique relied on a virus to transfer the DNA recipe for insulin into an ordinary adult cell from a cow, a process resembling how Dolly the sheep was famously cloned in 1996.
Polyamides from sugar
Researchers from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland have developed a novel method for producing polyamides using sugar derived from agricultural waste.
Sustainable "lightning" fertiliser trialled in UK
A system that simulates lightning could give farmers an on-the-spot supply of nitrate-based fertiliser using only air, water, and electricity. Its feasibility is currently being trialled in an 18-month project in the UK.
A light boost for solar cells and cancer therapies
Scientists at Kobe University, Japan, have discovered an important mechanism for the upcycling of light, which could allow more targeted development of materials for high-efficiency solar photovoltaic cells and photodynamic cancer therapies, whereby targeted drugs are activated by light.
MOFs weed out glyphosate
New metal-organic frameworks, or MOFs, can completely remove glyphosate from water, a study shows. The new material could be an important tool for removing organic pollutants from water supplies.
Korean researchers claim battery breakthrough
Lithium-ion batteries increasingly make the world go round. However, they are not without problems. In the drive to diversify battery stocks, a number of alternatives have been suggested, both to the manufacturing process and the batteries themselves.
Longer shelf life for fruit and veg
Longer-lasting, bacteria-free produce is within reach, say US researchers at Texas A&M University. An interdisciplinary team covering chemical engineering, food science, and horticulture, claim a new coating could improve the safety of fresh fruit and vegetables and boost protection against bacteria and fungi.
Plasma plasters
An effective treatment for chronic wounds that relies on an ionised gas rather than antibiotics has been developed by a team of international scientists. It could help change the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers and internal wounds.
First carbon capture for Flue2Chem
Carbon dioxide from factory chimneys in the UK has started its journey towards being recycled into household detergent ingredients. This marks a major milestone for the two-year Flue2Chem initiative – a cross-sector collaboration supported by Innovate UK to find an alternative raw material to virgin fossil fuel for manufactured goods from cosmetics to plastics.