Ground broken on enzyme recycling plant
French biotechnology company Carbios has started building a €230m facility that will recycle waste PET plastic using enzymes. The enzymes rapidly degrade PET – polyethylene terephthalate – into its component monomers, which can later be repolymerised.
Parkinson’s: promising drug trials and insights
Re-analysis of data from a large clinical trial has shown that a drug called prasinezumab may slow signs of motor deterioration in people with rapidly progressing Parkinson’s disease.
Electric crackers: heating up for cleaner chemicals
BASF, SABIC and Linde have jointly inaugurated the world’s first large-scale demonstration plant for electrically heated steam cracking furnaces in Ludwigshafen, Germany, following three years of development.
Polyurethane made at room temperature
Researchers at the University of Liège, Belgium, have developed a process for producing bio-based polyurethane (PU) foams, which are recyclable and free of isocyanate, at room temperature.
Researchers are powering wearables with sweat
The use of wearable electronics for healthcare is driving interest in green energy sources to power and make them maintenance-free. Now, researchers in Australia say they have developed wearable devices that can generate enough energy from sweat to power a smartwatch or a Fitbit. What’s more, the energy generated can be stored.
Nasal spray treats tachycardia
Researchers are studying a nasal spray that safely treats recurrent episodes of a condition that causes rapid abnormal heart rhythms. In a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, they reported that the drug etripamil quickly relieved patients’ symptoms when used at home, and without the need for medical supervision.
Funding gap threatens Europe's cleantech edge
A joint report from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Patent Office (EPO) indicates that low-carbon technologies, clean mobility, and alternatives to plastics are the leading fields in cleantech innovation in Europe.
Genetic colouring could unlock robotic weeding
Crops could be genetically engineered with colour to distinguish them from wild and weedy relatives, plant geneticists at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, propose. This would enable weeding robots to combine a camera with AI to learn how to identify and destroy weeds, while sparing nearby crops.
New catalyst simplifies carbon bond formation
A new mild and simple route to making carbon atoms bind together with iron-based catalysts has been marked out by scientists in the US.
Antibiotics overprescribed in pandemic, says WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that there was widespread overuse of antibiotics in patients hospitalised by Covid-19.