Battery viewed in 3D
Researchers have pioneered a technique to peer into the 3D structure of rechargeable batteries for the first time. Their novel microscopy technique visualised the nanoscale-thick boundary surface layer where the graphite anode meets the liquid electrolyte in a lithium battery.
Deep heat
At 6000°C, the Earth’s core is hotter than parts of the sun. Tapping into this residual heat could yield an unlimited and renewable resource for energy production, Anthony King reports.
R&D superpower
Innovation forms the very foundation of science-based industries like chemicals, pharmaceuticals and renewable energy. And the bedrock of that innovation is research and development (R&D). While research-based institutions and industry can provide that R&D, it requires an appropriate environment in which to flourish.
Coffee climate threat
Worldwide yields of coffee will fall due to climate change, research indicates. Bad news for many of the tens of millions of coffee farmers in developing countries, which mostly farm two species, Coffea arabica (Arabica coffee) and C. canephora (Robusta coffee).
Africa health MoU
Medical and health sciences accounted for US$402m or 22.1% of South African government expenditure on R&D in 2020/21, according to a January 2023 report from the Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators.
Sepsis study data to aid antibiotic discovery
Australian researchers have teamed up in an experiment to mimic what happens to bacteria on exposure to human blood serum. The study looked at four strains of bacteria known to cause sepsis, which occurs when the body’s response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs.
Trees in farming
UK farms could boost food production, encourage wildlife and achieve net zero in the next decade if they planted trees between their crops, say researchers from the University of Reading, who are spearheading the UK’s involvement in Reforest, a new Europe-wide programme to encourage agroforestry.
Kenya drugs ruling
The High Court in Kenya has restrained Lords Healthcare from distributing and marketing five drugs in Kenya for infringing on property rights of Indian drug company Cipla. The drugs include those for treatment of hypertension, diabetes and HIV/Aids. The Court ruled Lords has been marketing and distributing pharmaceutical products that are ‘confusingly similar to those of Cipla’.
H2 on tap
Researchers have designed highly effective catalysts to make hydrogen directly from seawater, which is key to reducing the strain on freshwater resources and avoiding the energy-intensive and carbon-emitting desalination process.
Spin doctor device
A new device that can precisely measure the spins of electrons could help improve understanding of the structure and purpose of materials, an Australian team claims.