New broom in the White House
Joe Biden started his presidency with strong statements his administration will focus on the environment and take guidance from science. His first action was to return the US to the Paris Climate Agreement. Former Secretary of State John Kerry, who played a big role in the Paris agreement at the outset, has been made Biden’s special envoy for climate. Read more in C&I Magazine.
Faster vaccines
Rapid DNA sequencing and structure comparisons allow scientists to characterise viruses and 3D print vaccines in record timescales. It promises to dramatically speed up the delivery of flu vaccines, currently developed six months in advance. Read the article in C&I Magazine.
Ancient tooth plaque
Researchers have gleaned evidence of trade links between the Near East and South Asia during the Bronze Age by analysing ancient teeth. The teeth tartar revealed that Bronze Age people in the Levant ate staple foods such as cereals, sesame and dates, but also feasted on more exotic fare such as soya bean, turmeric and perhaps banana. Read more in C&I Magazine.
Ocean warmth peaks
The highest ocean temperatures since 1955 were seen in 2020, according to a new study (Adv. Atmos. Sci. doi: 10.1007/s00376-021-0447-x). Twenty researchers from 13 institutions worldwide collaborated on the publication, which calculated the temperature and salinity at the surface of oceans down to 2000m. Read the C&I news article.
Ultrasound brain therapy
Ultrasound is a valuable medical imaging tool. Now, targeted pulses of ultrasound have also been developed as a promising treatment for a range of brain diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, stroke, multiple sclerosis and neuralgia. Read more in C&I Magazine.
Stabilising perovskites
Research has shown that solar cells made from lead halide perovskite are just as good at converting sunlight into energy as commercial silicon-based solar cells. However, their instability in humidity and heat has hampered their large-scale roll-out. Read more in C&I Magazine.
Malaria disruption
Some of the measures announced by governments to contain the spread of Covid-19 could have disrupted malaria control and treatment programmes in malaria-prone African countries, according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO). Read the C&I Magazine news article.
Tracking cancer metastasis
Gene editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 has been used to track metastasis in mice implanted with thousands of modified human cancer cells. The technology enabled the creation of a map of cell divisions visualised using coloured phylogenetic trees, where each colour represents a different location in the body. Read the article in C&I Magazine.
New photodetector
Photodetectors to detect long wavelength infrared (LWIR) are highly sought after for applications in earth science and astronomy, remote sensing, night vision, optical communication, and thermal and medical imaging. Read the article in C&I magazine.
One-two punch hits bacteria
A two-pronged antibiotic strategy has shown promise against difficult-to-treat bacteria. Researchers at The Wistar Institute in Philadelphia targeted an enzyme IspH used by bacteria to make isoprenoids, essential for cell walls and energy production