Category: Science & Technology News

Researchers have induced a senescent-like state in worms by modifying the activity of the transcription factor TFEB. Under normal conditions, worms experience regeneration and signs of rejuvenation after fasting followed by refeeding. However, when TFEB is absent, this recovery fails to occur. Instead, the worms’ stem cells enter a state that closely resembles cellular senescence.

This senescent condition is characterized by several hallmark features: DNA damage, enlarged nucleoli, elevated levels of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS), and activation of inflammatory signals—all traits commonly observed in aging mammalian cells.

Researchers at the University of Sydney have developed a transformative method for producing ammonia using electricity and plasma—mimicking the effect of artificial lightning. This innovation offers a cleaner, decentralized alternative to the traditional Haber-Bosch process, which currently dominates global ammonia production but carries a heavy environmental cost.

Ammonia is a critical ingredient in fertilizers and plays a vital role in supporting nearly half of global food production. However, conventional ammonia production relies on high heat, high pressure, and fossil fuels, making it one of the most carbon-intensive industrial processes in existence.

At Tianjin University, scientists have developed a revolutionary method to test micro-LED wafers without causing damage—solving a key obstacle that has long hindered the high-end display industry. Using just 0.9 megapascals of pressure, the team has introduced a soft-contact approach that offers a viable path to scaling up production of ultra-bright, energy-efficient screens for everything from luxury televisions to next-generation wearables.

Micro-LED technology holds immense promise, but commercial success hinges on achieving exceptionally high yields during wafer fabrication. Even minor defects in these tiny LED structures can degrade performance, increase costs, and delay production. As a result, rigorous quality testing is essential—but testing itself has been a persistent problem.

Quantum computing has taken a major step forward with a breakthrough demonstrating an unconditional exponential speedup—a long-awaited milestone in the field. Led by Daniel Lidar, a professor of engineering at the University of Southern California (USC) and a leading expert in quantum error correction, the research was carried out in collaboration with teams from USC and Johns Hopkins University. Their findings were published in Physical Review X.

Quantum computers have promised transformative capabilities: solving complex equations, designing next-generation medicines, breaking encryption, and discovering new materials. However, one persistent barrier has slowed progress—noise. These small but constant errors disrupt quantum operations, often rendering results less reliable than those from traditional classical computers.

Australian researchers at Swinburne University of Technology have created strong, sustainable bricks using used coffee grounds, offering a promising solution for reducing the construction industry’s carbon footprint.

On June 27, Swinburne signed an intellectual property licensing agreement with startup Green Brick to bring these eco-friendly bricks to market.

This breakthrough marks a powerful convergence of ancient botanical wisdom and modern science, showing how plants can be tapped more sustainably for life-saving medicine. For decades, the chemotherapy drug Taxol—used to treat breast, ovarian, lung, and other aggressive cancers—was derived from the bark of the Pacific yew tree.

But harvesting Taxol in this way kills the tree, posing a major ecological and supply challenge since yews grow slowly and live for centuries. In recent years, scientists discovered that a precursor chemical called baccatin III, which can be chemically converted into Taxol, is produced in the tree’s needles and can be harvested without harming the plant.

Researchers from the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) have successfully established a functional quantum communications network between their campuses using fiber-optic infrastructure. The system, named the Rochester Quantum Network (RoQNET), transmits data through single photons sent over 11 miles of optical fiber—operating at room temperature and using standard optical wavelengths.

RoQNET represents a significant step forward in the development of secure quantum communications, a technology that could redefine how sensitive data is transmitted. Quantum networks offer unprecedented security, as any attempt to intercept or copy quantum information would alter the data and be immediately detectable. This is achieved through the use of qubits, the fundamental units of quantum information. Among the various forms qubits can take—such as atoms, trapped ions, or diamond defects—photons are considered ideal for long-distance quantum transmission.

A new breakthrough in energy storage technology could transform how we power transportation systems that are hard to decarbonize. Researchers have developed a sodium metal fuel cell capable of delivering three times the energy densityof conventional lithium-ion batteries—offering a safer, faster-refueling, and more sustainable alternative for powering aircraft, trains, and ships.

While metals like lithium and sodium have long been recognized for their high energy potential, their use in practical energy systems has been hindered by the limitations of traditional battery designs. Metal-air batteries, although promising in theory, have struggled with reliability and rechargeability. Now, researchers are sidestepping those challenges by adapting the electrochemical principles of metal-air reactions into a refuelable fuel cell system.

In a groundbreaking move, UK researchers have begun work on the first synthetic human genome, aiming to unlock new frontiers in medicine, biotechnology, and genetics. Backed by an initial £10 million investment from the Wellcome Trust, the Synthetic Human Genome Project (SynHG) seeks to lay the foundation for building human DNA entirely from scratch.

This ambitious effort marks a new chapter in genomic science, moving from reading and editing DNA to writing complete genetic structures, such as chromosomes. The technology has the potential to transform how scientists understand disease, develop treatments, and engineer biological systems.