The scientific team of Dr. Miloslav Polášek at IOCB Prague has developed a new method of separating the rare earth elements, or lanthanides, which are widely used in the electronic, medical, automotive, and defense industries. The unique method allows metals such as neodymium or dysprosium to be purified from used neodymium magnets. The environmentally friendly process precipitates the rare earths from water without organic solvents or toxic substances. The results were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS) at the end of June [2025].
Global demand for rare earths is driven primarily by their use in extremely strong neodymium magnets, which enable efficient conversion of motion into electrical energy and vice versa. They are essential to manufacturers of electric cars, wind power plants, mobile phones, computers, and data centers. As these industries develop, demand for rare earths will continue to grow. However, the process of mining and purifying these elements is highly energy intensive and produces large amounts of toxic and radioactive waste.
The rare-earth market is dominated by China, giving it leverage over Europe and North America. It is therefore strategically advantageous to focus on so-called urban mining, i.e. the recycling, renewal, and reuse of materials from discarded equipment, such as electric vehicles, as a significant domestic source of rare earths.
“In the future, we won’t be able to cover the growing consumption of rare earths with primary mining. We know that within ten years at the latest, it will be necessary to manage these materials more carefully. In order to achieve this, the development of new technologies must start now,” explains Miloslav Polášek, head of the Coordination Chemistry group. “Our method solves the fundamental problems of recycling neodymium magnets. We can separate the right elements so that new magnets can be produced. Our process is environmentally friendly, and we believe that it will work on an industrial scale. Fortunately, unlike plastics, chemical elements don’t lose their properties through repeated processing, so their recycling is sustainable and can compensate for traditional mining.”
The topic, which Polášek’s group has been working on for a long time, is part of Kelsea G. Jones’s doctoral thesis. “We’ve developed a new type of chelator, which is a molecule that binds metal ions. This chelator specifically precipitates neodymium from dissolved magnets, while dysprosium remains in solution, and the elements are easily separated from each other. The method is also adaptable for the other rare earths found in neodymium magnets,” says Jones. “The separation is done in water and generates no hazardous waste. We achieve the same or better results than current industrial methods that rely on organic solvents and toxic reagents.”
The new technology is patented and responds to a fundamental global problem at the right time. “We’re impatiently awaiting the results of a feasibility study, which will help us direct this research from the laboratory into practice. I believe that in cooperation with the investors and business partners we’re approaching, this new technology from IOCB Prague has the potential to influence a wide range of industrial sectors,” says Milan Prášil, director of the transfer company IOCB Tech.
This research has also yielded another important finding: namely, that the element holmium is used in neodymium magnets of newer electric cars. Scientists from Polášek’s team discovered this by analyzing samples from the electric motors of European and Chinese cars. However, professional publications have not yet mentioned this fact, and most recycling projects do not take it into account when processing waste from electric cars. These findings will undoubtedly influence other development and recycling projects, even beyond the automotive industry.
The mausoleum of Antiochus I (69–34 B.C.), who reigned over Commagene, a kingdom founded north of Syria and the Euphrates after the breakup of Alexander’s empire, is one of the most ambitious constructions of the Hellenistic period. The syncretism of its pantheon, and the lineage of its kings, which can be traced back through two sets of legends, Greek and Persian [emphasis mine], is evidence of the dual origin of this kingdom’s culture.
Crowning one of the highest peaks of the Eastern Taurus mountain range in south-east Turkey, Nemrut Dağ is the Hierotheseion (temple-tomb and house of the gods) built by the late Hellenistic King Antiochos I of Commagene (69-34 B.C.) as a monument to himself.
With a diameter of 145 m, the 50 m high funerary mound of stone chips is surrounded on three sides by terraces to the east, west and north directions. Two separate antique processional routes radiate from the east and west terraces. Five giant seated limestone statues, identified by their inscriptions as deities, face outwards from the tumulus on the upper level of the east and west terraces. These are flanked by a pair of guardian animal statues – a lion and eagle – at each end. The heads of the statues have fallen off to the lower level, which accommodates two rows of sandstone stelae, mounted on pedestals with an altar in front of each stele. One row carries relief sculptures of Antiochos’ paternal Persian ancestors, the other of his maternal Macedonian ancestors. Inscriptions on the backs of the stelae record the genealogical links. A square altar platform is located at the east side of the east terrace. On the west terrace there is an additional row of stelae representing the particular significance of Nemrut, the handshake scenes (dexiosis) showing Antiochos shaking hands with a deity and the stele with a lion horoscope, believed to be indicating the construction date of the cult area. The north terrace is long, narrow and rectangular in shape, and hosts a series of sandstone pedestals. The stelae lying near the pedestals on the north terrace have no reliefs or inscriptions.
The Hierotheseion of Antiochos I is one of the most ambitious constructions of the Hellenistic period. Its complex design and colossal scale combined to create a project unequalled in the ancient world. A highly developed technology was used to build the colossal statues and orthostats (stelae), the equal of which has not been found anywhere else for this period. The syncretism of its pantheon and the lineage of its kings, which can be traced back through two sets of legends, Greek and Persian, is evidence of the dual origin of this kingdom’s culture.
Criterion (i): The tomb of Antiochos I of Commagene is a unique artistic achievement. The landscaping of the natural site of Nemrut Dağ is one of the most colossal undertakings of the Hellenistic period (some of the stone blocks used weigh up to nine tons).
Criterion (iii): The tomb or the Hierotheseion of Nemrut Dağ bears unique testimony to the civilization of the kingdom of Commagene. Antiochos I is represented in this monument as a descendant of Darius by his father Mithridates, and a descendant of Alexander by his mother Laodice. This semi-legendary ancestry translates in genealogical terms the ambition of a dynasty that sought to remain independent of the powers of both the East and the West.
Criterion (iv): More so than the tombs at Karakus and Eski Kahta, the tumulus at Nemrut Dağ illustrates, through the liberal syncretism of a very original pantheon, a significant, historical period. The assimilation of Zeus with Oromasdes (the Iranian god Ahuramazda), and Heracles with Artagnes (the Iranian god Verathragna) finds its artistic equivalent in an intimate mixture of Greek, Persian and Anatolian aesthetics in the statuary and the bas-reliefs.
Integrity
Nemrut Dağ is largely intact and truthfully and credibly expresses it Outstanding Universal Value. The important cult areas of Commagene still exist, the structures are the original ones and their original interrelations can still be observed and perceived. Although the property boundary contains the tumulus and the east, west and north terraces, it does not include the full extent of the ceremonial routes. The greatest threat to the integrity of the property is the material damage caused by environmental conditions such as serious seasonal and daily temperature variations, freezing and thawing cycles, wind, snow accumulation, and sun exposure. The height of the tumulus is now reduced from its estimated original 60 m due to weathering, previous uncontrolled research investigations and climbing by visitors. Furthermore, the Nemrut property is located within a first degree earthquake zone and is very close to the East Anatolian Fault, which is seismically active. Therefore, the tumulus, statues and stelae are vulnerable to earthquakes.
Authenticity
Nemrut Dağ retains its authenticity in terms of form, materials and design as one of the unique artistic achievements of the Hellenistic period with its fascinating beauty of monumental sculptures in a spectacular setting. It has survived in a moderately well-preserved state. The original ceremonial routes to the Hierotheseion are known and still used for access today.
…
I highlighted ‘syncretism’ and ‘Greek and Persian legends’ in the previous excerpt as I found a different description which includes another influence while confirming the debt to Greek and Persian legends in this September 12, 2021 article for Arthipo,
Nemrut Mountain Statues, Kingdom of Commagene and Mount of Gods
Nemrut Mountain Statues is an archeological site that is among the archaeological hits of Asia Minor, and at the same time still keeps many secrets. Until now, it has not been possible to pinpoint what the artificial embankment at the top of the mountain hides. The colossal statues on Mount Nemrut are an excellent example of religious syncretism and Antiochus’ attempt to introduce a new state cult combining Greek, Persian and Armenian influences [emphasis mine].
Mount Nemrut Sculptures History and Art
Crowning one of the highest peaks of the Eastern Taurus mountain range in southeast Turkey, Mount Nemrut is the Hierotheseion (temple-tomb and home of the gods), built by the late Hellenistic King Antiochos I of Commagene (69-34 BC). The mausoleum of Antiochus I (69-34 BC), who ruled on Commagene, a kingdom established in the north of Syria and the Euphrates after the collapse of Alexander’s empire, is one of the most ambitious structures of the Hellenistic period. The syncretism of its pantheon and the lineage of its kings, which can be traced through two series of legends, Greek and Persian [emphasis mine], is evidence of the dual origin of the culture of this kingdom.
…
Material Used
The monuments on Nemrut Mountain Statues were built using two main types of rock materials; the first was a gray-green rock called tufite, consisting of a pyroclastic material containing a significant mixture of sedimentary material. These include steles with pictures of ancestors on the two main terraces, several small sculptures and minor architectural elements. The other material was the much more durable white and yellow limestone rock, which was also the main building material and from which huge statues and altars were carved.
Preservation and nanotechnology in Türkiye
The Nemrut Dağ preservation project is described in two different articles. There is significant overlap but also new detail in each one. This July 19, 2025 article by David Ramirez for The Anatoolian provides good detail,
The monumental statues atop Mount Nemrut, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are undergoing advanced conservation efforts using nano lime technology. Initiated in 2022, the restoration work has yielded promising results, leading to the expansion of the project in 2025.
Located at an altitude of 2,206 meters, Mount Nemrut hosts colossal stone sculptures that have endured centuries of harsh environmental conditions. To address the micro-cracks forming on their surfaces and internal structures, experts began applying nano-dispersed calcium hydroxide solutions. Following successful trials, the project now focuses on the iconic Eagle Head and King Antiochus I statues on the western terrace.
A Blend of Technology and Preservation
In the initial phase, layers of dirt and grime are meticulously removed from the statue surfaces. Then, the nano lime solution is carefully injected into the cracks using syringes. This not only strengthens the stone from within but also prevents water infiltration caused by rain and atmospheric conditions.
The method is designed to maintain the natural appearance of the stones, allowing visitors to experience the statues in their original form. The restoration phase is expected to take approximately one month, focusing on sustainable conservation without compromising historical authenticity.
Expanded Restoration in 2025
Ayşe Ebru Çorbacı, Director of the , stated that a test application on the Heracles statue in 2022 had shown effective results:
“After observing the success of the pilot project, we planned a comprehensive restoration for 2025. Our goal is to strengthen the structural integrity while preserving the aesthetic features of the statues. The cracks won’t be completely filled, allowing the original forms to remain visible.”
Authorities in Türkiye have begun a large-scale preservation project for the colossal statues on Mount Nemrut using nanotechnology.
The effort aims to protect the two-thousand-year-old stone heads from further erosion caused by wind, snow, and sun.
Nanotechnology methods strengthen Nemrut statues against erosion
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced that the first stage of the project was completed between July 7 and 27 [2025].
A team of one expert from Adiyaman Museum and six restorers worked on the eastern and western terraces of the mountain. They focused on the heads of King Antiochos and the eagle, two sandstone reliefs, and the head of Apollo.
…
“With the first consolidation works, the heads of Antiochos, the eagle, and the statue of Apollo have regained their integrity. Thanks to the interventions made with nanotechnology on the east and west terraces, the texture of the stones was strengthened and cracks were closed.” [Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy]
Restoration team uses new tech to protect Nemrut’s monuments
The team used different nanomaterials depending on the stone.
Limestone monuments were cleaned mechanically and biologically, then reinforced with a nano-particle calcium hydroxide solution. Cracks were filled with a hydraulic lime-based mortar. Sandstone works were treated with nano-dispersed ethyl silicate to block water from seeping into the stone.
One of the most symbolic results was on the Apollo statue. Its headpiece, which had been reattached and separated several times in the past, was permanently fixed during this round of work.
Minister Ersoy emphasized that this was the first time such methods were permanently applied at Nemrut. “Nano lime and nano silicate techniques have breathed new life into Nemrut’s stones for the first time,” he said.
Five year conservation roadmap aims to secure Nemrut’s future
The project is planned to continue over five years. Test studies began in 2022 and monitoring continued through 2023 and 2024 before this summer’s application phase. …
There’s more about stone here in a November 10, 2023 posting “Preserving stone and repairing historic Church of the Scalzi in Venice (Italy) with nanotechnology.” The nanotechnology solution mentioned in the Italian story is in fact a nanosilica solution similar to the one being used at Nemrut Dağ. There are the other stone stories mentioned in the 2023 piece,
A new AI tool that picks out bird and amphibian sounds in audio recordings could improve how ecologists monitor and study Canada’s wildlife.
“HawkEars is a software package that analyzes audio recordings to identify bird and amphibian species, and it is trained on species that occur in Canada,” says Jan Huus, a retired software developer and avid bird watcher who created the tool. After reading about her research, he connected with ecologist Elly Knight, an adjunct professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, and the two have been collaborating ever since, with support from the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute.
“These acoustic cues have so much information in them because it’s essentially the currency the birds are communicating in,” says Knight, co-director of the Boreal Avian Modelling Centre with Biodiversity Pathways.
Although not very common, Northern Goshawks can be spotted in British Columbia, especially in the provincial parks. They are mostly spotted from September to February.
Northern Goshawks are the bigger and fiercer relative of the Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks. They are mostly gray with short, broad wings and a long tail and have a white stripe over their yellow eyes.
…
Northern Goshawks are residents in Alaska, Canada, and the mountainous west. Some younger birds may migrate to Central States during the winter.
They live in large forests, so they are hard to find, especially as they are very secretive and can be aggressive if you get too close to a nest.
Northern Goshawks live in large tracks of mostly coniferous or mixed forests. They watch for prey on high perches and mostly eat medium-sized birds and small mammals.
…
Getting back to HawkEars, Evan Cruickshank’s September 2, (?) 2025 article for The Gateway (University of Alberta’s student newspaper) provides a few more details about HawkEars, Note: Links have been removed,
An artificial intelligence (AI) tool developed during the COVID-19 pandemic is changing how Canadian scientists listen to wildlife. It’s also transforming what they learn from it. HawkEars can track species at risk, assess phenology shifts due to climate change, and fill data gaps for nocturnal or elusive species.
HawkEars identifies amphibians and birds from audio recordings using spectrograms. Jan Hughes, a retired programmer and bird watcher, created the technology during the pandemic. Elly Knight, a professor in the University of Alberta department of biological sciences, began collaborating with Hughes on HawkEars after he reached out to her.
Knight, already experienced with passive acoustic monitoring and boreal bird ecology, saw the tool’s potential and jumped on board. With support from the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, they’ve been working together ever since.
The AI tool analyzes sound spectrograms, meaning it does not listen to raw audio, but rather looks at the output. HawkEars is able to identify 344 species of birds and 13 species of amphibians.
Monitoring wildlife like never before
According to WILDLABS, tools like HawkEars allow researchers to monitor wildlife at a broad scale and in real time. Having faster and more scalable tools speeds up research as manual fieldwork is time-intensive. The United Nations (UN) has stated that ecosystems are under increasing pressure from climate change and biodiversity loss, these tools are becoming incredibly valuable.
HawkEars also allows researchers to monitor shifts in the distribution of species, behaviour, and abundance within our forests.
“The best approach is a consensus between the AI and the human. If you aggregate the positive detections between the two, you get a better data set than if you just have a human do it,” Knight said.
According to Knight, it’s important to have a Canadian specific classifier as tools like BirdNET and Perch rely on training data sourced from the United States (U.S.). They are less effective in Canada because of how different our species diversity is in the boreal forests.
HawkEars trains exclusively on Canadian data to ensure accurate identification of local species. This makes it ideal for researchers at the U of A.HawkEars is significantly more accurate than other classifiers when used in Canada.
…
It’s important to note that HawkEars is not perfect, Knight said. AI struggles in the same way that humans might. Knight specifically mentioned that certain groups of birds, such as sparrows and warblers, are especially difficult to differentiate because of how similar their calls are.
While AI is powerful, it cannot replace trained human listeners. According to Knight, there needs to be a combined effort between humans and AI for the most accurate results.
“There are certainly cases where the AI does [sic] a better choice than a human … but on average, it’s just not as good,” Knight said.
HawkEars is widely available to both researchers and the public. Knight hopes it will help decentralize data collection.
HawkEars: A regional, high-performance avian acoustic classifier by Jan Huus, Kevin G. Kelly, Erin M. Bayne, Elly C. Knight. Ecological Informatics Volume 87, July 2025, 103122 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2025.103122 Under a Creative Commons license CC BY-NC 4.0 Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
This paper is open access.
For the curious, you can find HawkEars (hosted by Jan Huus?) on GitHub here.
There’s seems to be a bit of a war (for credit or acknowledgement?) between Texas A&M University and Johns Hopkins University. Both universities have published almost identical news releases with some disturbing news about privacy on the internet.
New research provides first evidence of the use of browser fingerprints for online tracking.
Clearing your cookies is not enough to protect your privacy online.
New research led by Texas A&M University found that websites are covertly using browser fingerprinting — a method to uniquely identify a web browser — to track people across browser sessions and sites.
“Fingerprinting has always been a concern in the privacy community, but until now, we had no hard proof that it was actually being used to track users,” said Dr. Nitesh Saxena, cybersecurity researcher, professor of computer science and engineering and associate director of the Global Cyber Research Institute at Texas A&M. “Our work helps close that gap.”
When you visit a website, your browser shares a surprising amount of information, like your screen resolution, time zone, device model and more. When combined, these details create a “fingerprint” that’s often unique to your browser. Unlike cookies — which users can delete or block — fingerprinting is much harder to detect or prevent. Most users have no idea it’s happening, and even privacy-focused browsers struggle to fully block it.
“Think of it as a digital signature you didn’t know you were leaving behind,” explained co-author Zengrui Liu, a former doctoral student in Saxena’s lab. “You may look anonymous, but your device or browser gives you away.”
This research marks a turning point in how computer scientists understand the real-world use of browser fingerprinting by connecting it with the use of ads.
“While prior works have studied browser fingerprinting and its usage on different websites, ours is the first to correlate browser fingerprints and ad behaviors, essentially establishing the relationship between web tracking and fingerprinting,” said co-author Dr. Yinzhi Cao, associate professor of computer science and technical director of the Information Security Institute at Johns Hopkins University. [emphasis mine]
To investigate whether websites are using fingerprinting data to track people, the researchers had to go beyond simply scanning websites for the presence of fingerprinting code. They developed a measurement framework called FPTrace, which assesses fingerprinting-based user tracking by analyzing how ad systems respond to changes in browser fingerprints. This approach is based on the insight that if browser fingerprinting influences tracking, altering fingerprints should affect advertiser bidding — where ad space is sold in real time based on the profile of the person viewing the website — and HTTP records — records of communication between a server and a browser.
“This kind of analysis lets us go beyond the surface,” said co-author Jimmy Dani, Saxena’s doctoral student. “We were able to detect not just the presence of fingerprinting, but whether it was being used to identify and target users — which is much harder to prove.”
The researchers found that tracking occurred even when users cleared or deleted cookies. The results showed notable differences in bid values and a decrease in HTTP records and syncing events when fingerprints were changed, suggesting an impact on targeting and tracking.
Additionally, some of these sites linked fingerprinting behavior to backend bidding processes — meaning fingerprint-based profiles were being used in real time, likely to tailor responses to users or pass along identifiers to third parties.
Perhaps more concerning, the researchers found that even users who explicitly opt out of tracking under privacy laws like Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California’s California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) may still be silently tracked across the web through browser fingerprinting.
Based on the results of this study, the researchers argue that current privacy tools and policies are not doing enough. They call for stronger defenses in browsers and new regulatory attention on fingerprinting practices. They hope that their FPTrace framework can help regulators audit websites and providers who participate in such activities, especially without user consent.
This research was conducted in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University and presented at the ACM Web Conference (WWW) 2025.
Funding for this research is administered by the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), the official research agency for Texas A&M Engineering.
New research provides first evidence of the use of browser fingerprints for online tracking
Clearing your cookies is not enough to protect your privacy online.
New research conducted by a team at Johns Hopkins and Texas A&M universities [emphasis mine] found that websites are covertly using browser fingerprinting—a method to uniquely identify a web browser—to track people across browser sessions and sites.
It’s not unusual for multiple institutions to publish news releases about the same research but rewriting them to highlight their own researchers’ contributions and almost ignoring the other institution? These examples stand out.
In any event, here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,
The First Early Evidence of the Use of Browser Fingerprinting for Online Tracking by Zengrui Liu, Jimmy Dani, Yinzhi Cao, Shujiang Wu, Nitesh Saxena. WWW ’25: Proceedings of the ACM [Association for Computing Machinery] on Web Conference 2025 Pages 4980 – 4995 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3696410.3714548 Published: 22 April 2025
This December 16, 2024 Nanowerk Spotlight article by Michael Berger highlights work where living cells are combined with nonliving materials (also called biohybrid materials or engineered living materials), Note: A link has been removed,
Chemical detection outside laboratory settings poses persistent technical challenges. Environmental monitoring, industrial quality control, and medical diagnostics require identifying specific molecules in complex mixtures. Current portable detectio n methods, such as test strips or electronic sensors, often lack sensitivity or struggle to detect multiple chemicals simultaneously. Traditional laboratory analysis provides precise results but requires expensive equipment, trained personnel, and days or weeks to process samples.
Living cells naturally detect and respond to chemicals with remarkable sensitivity. Their molecular detection systems, refined by evolution, can identify specific compounds at extremely low concentrations and process multiple signals simultaneously. Biologists have learned to harness these capabilities by engineering bacteria and yeast cells to produce visible signals when they encounter target molecules. These cellular sensors can detect compounds at concentrations far lower than conventional methods. However, using engineered cells outside the laboratory remains impractical because they require careful maintenance and protection from environmental stresses.
Materials scientists have recently developed new methods to protect living cells while preserving their functionality. Parallel advances in microfluidic technology enable precise control of tiny liquid volumes in miniature channels on portable chips. These developments create an opportunity to transform cellular sensors from laboratory curiosities into practical field devices.
The researchers first modified yeast and bacteria cells by adding genes that produce fluorescent proteins in response to specific chemicals. They precisely engineered these genetic circuits by controlling the number of receptor proteins on each cell’s surface. More receptors increase sensitivity but can also lead to false positives, while fewer receptors provide more selective detection. By optimizing this balance, they achieved detection of some compounds at concentrations as low as two nanomoles per liter – equivalent to finding a grain of salt dissolved in an Olympic swimming pool.
To protect these engineered cells, the team developed a two-layer encapsulation system. They embedded the cells in soft beads made from alginate, a natural polymer derived from seaweed. These beads provide a supportive environment while allowing chemicals to pass through. A tougher outer shell, combining alginate with polyacrylamide, adds physical protection. The resulting capsules, each about two millimeters wide, withstand significant compression without breaking and keep the cells alive and functional for over a month.
The researchers integrated these sensor capsules into a microfluidic chip with separate chambers for different sensors. ..
…
This technology transforms living cells into practical sensors for field use. By combining synthetic biology, materials science, and microfluidic engineering, the researchers have created a system that preserves the sensitivity of cellular sensors while making them robust enough for real-world applications. …
I received (via email) a January 17, 2025 notice from Canada’s Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (PI) about obtaining free tickets to their upcoming Galileo exhibition,
Explore Galileo and His Ingenious Discoveries at Perimeter Institute
Monday, February 8 – Monday, February 17, 2025
Perimeter Institute, in collaboration with the Embassy of Italy in Canada and the Galileo Museum in Florence, invites you to the exhibition “Galileo and His Ingenious Discoveries.” This celebration of Galileo’s groundbreaking inventions and writings is part of Perimeter’s 25th anniversary.
Explore replicas of historical instruments and documents, highlighting how Galileo’s work continues to influence science and technology. The exhibition is free and open to the public at Perimeter Institute.
Don’t miss out! Free tickets to attend this event in person will become available on Monday, January 20 [2025], at 9 am ET.
An October 23, 2024 news item on ScienceDaily announces a radical (by my standards) new technology for agriculture,
Photosynthesis, the chemical reaction that enables almost all life on Earth, is extremely inefficient at capturing energy — only around 1% of light energy that a plant absorbs is converted into chemical energy within the plant. Bioengineers propose a radical new method of food production that they call ‘electro-agriculture.’ The method essentially replaces photosynthesis with a solar-powered chemical reaction that more efficiently converts CO2 into an organic molecule that plants would be genetically engineered to ‘eat.’ The researchers estimate that if all food in the US were produced using electro-agriculture, it would reduce the amount of land needed for agriculture by 94%. The method could also be used to grow food in space.
“If we don’t need to grow plants with sunlight anymore, then we can decouple agriculture from the environment [emphasis mine] and grow food in indoor, controlled environments,” says corresponding author and biological engineer Robert Jinkerson (@JinkersonLab) of University of California, Riverside. “I think that we need to move agriculture into the next phase of technology, and producing it in a controlled way that is decoupled from nature has to be the next step [emphasis mine].”
Electro-agriculture would mean replacing agricultural fields with multi-story buildings. Solar panels on or near the buildings would absorb the sun’s radiation, and this energy would power a chemical reaction between CO2 and water to produce acetate—a molecule similar to acetic acid, the main component in vinegar. The acetate would then be used to feed plants that are grown hydroponically. The method could also be used to grow other food-producing organisms, since acetate is naturally used by mushrooms, yeast, and algae.
“The whole point of this new process to try to boost the efficiency of photosynthesis,” says senior author Feng Jiao (@Jiao_Lab), an electrochemist at Washington University in St. Louis. “Right now, we are at about 4% efficiency, which is already four times higher than for photosynthesis, and because everything is more efficient with this method, the CO2 footprint associated with the production of the food becomes much smaller.”
To genetically engineer acetate-eating plants, the researchers are taking advantage of a metabolic pathway that germinating plants use to break down food stored in their seeds. This pathway is switched off once plants become capable of photosynthesis, but switching it back on would enable them to use acetate as a source of energy and carbon.
“We’re trying to turn this pathway back on in adult plants and reawaken their native ability to utilize acetate,” says Jinkerson. “It’s analogous to lactose intolerance in humans—as babies we can digest lactose in milk, but for many people that pathway is turned off when they grow up. It’s kind of the same idea, only for plants.”
The team is focusing their initial research on tomatoes and lettuce but plan to move on to high-calorie staple crops such as cassava, sweet potatoes, and grain crops in future. Currently, they’ve managed to engineer plants that can use acetate in addition to photosynthesis, but they ultimately aim to engineer plants that can obtain all of their necessary energy from acetate, meaning that they would not need any light themselves.
“For plants, we’re still in the research-and-development phase of trying to get them to utilize acetate as their carbon source, because plants have not evolved to grow this way, but we’re making progress,” says Jinkerson. “Mushrooms and yeast and algae, however, can be grown like this today, so I think that those applications could be commercialized first, and plants will come later down the line.”
The researchers also plan to continue refining their method of acetate production to make the carbon-fixation system even more efficient.
“This is just the first step for this research, and I think there’s a hope that its efficiency and cost will be significantly improved in the near future,” says Jiao.
The ideal material for interfacing electronics with living tissue is soft, stretchable, and just as water-loving as the tissue itself–in short, a hydrogel. Semiconductors, the key materials for bioelectronics such as pacemakers, biosensors, and drug delivery devices, on the other hand, are rigid, brittle, and water-hating, impossible to dissolve in the way hydrogels have traditionally been built. Scientists have now solved this challenge that has long stymied researchers, reimagining the process of creating hydrogels to build a powerful semiconductor in hydrogel form. The result is a bluish gel that flutters like a sea jelly in water but retains the immense semiconductive ability needed to transmit information between living tissue and machine.
A paper published today in Science from the UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) has solved this challenge that has long stymied researchers, reimagining the process of creating hydrogels to build a powerful semiconductor in hydrogel form. Led by Asst. Prof. Sihong Wang’s research group, the result is a bluish gel that flutters like a sea jelly in water but retains the immense semiconductive ability needed to transmit information between living tissue and machine.
The material demonstrated tissue-level moduli as soft as 81 kPa, stretchability of 150% strain, and charge-carrier mobility up to 1.4 cm2 V-1 s-1. This means their material—both semiconductor and hydrogel at the same time—ticks all the boxes for an ideal bioelectronic interface.
“When making implantable bioelectronic devices, one challenge you must address is to make a device with tissue-like mechanical properties,” said Yahao Dai, the first author of the new paper. “That way, when it gets directly interfaced with the tissue, they can deform together and also form a very intimate bio-interface.”
Although the paper mainly focused on the challenges facing implanted medical devices such as biochemical sensors and pacemakers, Dai said the material also has many potential non-surgical applications, like better readings off the skin or improved care for wounds.
“It has very soft mechanical properties and a large degree of hydration similar to living tissue,” said UChicago PME Asst. Prof. Sihong Wang. “Hydrogel is also very porous, so it allows the efficient diffusion transport of different kinds of nutrition and chemicals. All these traits combine to make hydrogel probably the most useful material for tissue engineering and drug delivery.”
‘Let’s change our perspective’
The typical way of making a hydrogel is to take a material, dissolve it in water, and add the gelation chemicals to puff the new liquid into a gel form. Some materials simply dissolve in water, others require researchers to tinker and chemically modify the process, but the core mechanism is the same: No water, no hydrogel.
Semiconductors, however, don’t normally dissolve in water. Rather than find new, time-consuming means of trying to force the process, the UChicago PME team re-examined the question.
“We started to think, ‘Okay, let’s change our perspective,’ and we came up with a solvent exchange process,” Dai said.
Instead of dissolving the semiconductors in water, they dissolved them in an organic solvent that is miscible with water. They then prepared a gel from the dissolved semiconductors and hydrogel precursors. Their gel initially was an organogel, not a hydrogel.
“To eventually turn it into a hydrogel, we then immersed the whole material system into the water to let the organic solvent dissolve out and let the water come in,” Dai said.
An important benefit of such a solvent-exchange-based method is its broad applicability to different types of polymer semiconductors with different functions.
‘One plus one is greater than two’
The hydrogel semiconductor, which the team has patented and is commercializing through UChicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, is not merging a semiconductor with a hydrogel. It’s one material that is both semiconductor and hydrogel at the same time.
“It’s just one piece that has both semiconducting properties and hydrogel design, meaning that this whole piece is just like any other hydrogel,” Wang said.
Unlike any other hydrogel, however, the new material actually improved biological functions in two areas, creating better results than either hydrogel or semiconductor could accomplish on their own.
First, having a very soft material bond directly with tissue reduces the immune responses and inflammation typically triggered when a medical device is implanted.
Second, because hydrogels are so porous, the new material enables elevated biosensing response and stronger photo-modulation effects. With biomolecules being able to diffuse into the film to have volumetric interactions, the interaction sites for biomarkers-under-detection are significantly increased, which gives rise to higher sensitivity. Besides sensing, the responses to light for therapeutic functions at tissue surfaces also get increased from the more efficient transport of redox-active species. This benefits functions such as light-operated pacemakers or wound dressing that can be more efficiently heated with a flick of light to help speed healing.
“It’s a ‘one plus one is greater than two’ kind of combination,” Wang joked.
Researchers in the lab of UChicago Pritzker School of Engineering Asst. Prof. Sihong Wang (right), including PhD student Yahao Dai (left), have developed a hydrogel that retains the semiconductive ability needed to transmit information between living tissue and machine, which can be used both in implantable medical devices and non-surgical applications. (Photo by John Zich)
Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,
Soft hydrogel semiconductors with augmented biointeractive functions by Yahao Dai, Shinya Wai, Pengju Li, Naisong Shan, Zhiqiang Cao, Yang Li, Yunfei Wang, Youdi Liu, Wei Liu, Kan Tang, Yuzi Liu, Muchuan Hua, Songsong Li, Nan Li, Shivani Chatterji, H. Christopher Fry, Sean Lee, Cheng Zhang, Max Weires, Sean Sutyak, Jiuyun Shi, Chenhui Zhu, Jie Xu, Xiaodan Gu, Bozhi Tian, and Sihong Wang. Science 24 Oct 2024 Vol 386, Issue 6720 pp. 431-439 DOI: 10.1126/science.adp9314
The United Kingdom’s government announced changes to its winter fuel policy in July 2024. These changes included the decision to cut the winter fuel allowance for what amounted to millions of pensioners. (You can find out more in an October 11, 2024 Reuters Fact Check.)
Unfortunately, this October 9, 2024 news item on Azonano doesn’t point to immediate relief for those affected by the changes but it seems to give hope, Note: A link has been removed,
In light of the recent ]UK] Government announcement regarding the planned changes to the winter fuel policy, which will see a reduction in support for pensioners, Haydale is working with strategic partner Staircraft, which is owned by Travis Perkins plc, to develop a solution to help mitigate rising energy costs.
Our newly developed graphene-based underfloor heating system, has just completed initial successful trials, offering a revolutionary way for households to significantly reduce their heating bills.
With energy prices on the rise and Government support being scaled back, our innovative heating technology promises to ease the burden on household finances.
Graphene’s exceptional heat conductivity allows for a faster, more efficient distribution of warmth, using considerably less energy than traditional heating systems., Independent trials have demonstrated that our low voltage underfloor heating system can reduce energy consumption, leading to major cost savings— of up to 70% vs traditional underfloor heat systems using main power and copper wires – exactly what’s needed as heating bills increase.
“Our mission has always been to provide practical, affordable solutions to everyday problems, and the timing of this innovation couldn’t be more important,” said Keith Broadbent, CEO of Haydale. “At a time when many pensioners and vulnerable households are facing higher costs with less support, we believe our graphene heating technology can provide real relief.”
Dr Luke Whale, Technical Director at Staircraft Group said “Our initial trials on graphene underfloor heating panels bonded to our pre-cut chipboard flooring panels are demonstrating extremely efficient room heating can be achieved at much lower running costs than traditional underfloor heating methods. We will now be discussing its potential with house builders, in the hope that site trials can be undertaken as a next step.”
This cutting-edge system not only lowers heating expenses but also promotes sustainability by reducing energy consumption, making it an eco-friendly option for households concerned about their carbon footprint.
Haydale is committed to bringing this affordable and efficient technology to the market, helping consumers – especially pensioners – stay warm without breaking the bank.
No mention of when this product might come to market or what it will cost pensioners.
NeurIPS, one of the leading conferences in machine learning and artificial intelligence research, kicks off in Vancouver this week. UBC experts, including researchers presenting new papers at the conference, are available to comment on related topics.
Dr. Xiaoxiao Li, an assistant professor in the department of electrical and computer engineering, specializes in building trust in AI and advancing its use in healthcare. Dr. Li will present three papers at NeurIPS.
What does responsible AI look like?
Responsible AI is about building AI we can trust—AI that is fair, transparent and helpful. For example, a responsible healthcare app not only explains why it makes a diagnosis or treatment recommendation but also strives to minimize bias to serve diverse populations better, while keeping personal data secure. Ultimately, responsible AI serves humanity ethically, safely and inclusively.
Dr. Cong Lu, a postdoctoral fellow in the department of computer science, focuses on deep reinforcement learning, open-ended learning, and AI for science. Dr. Lu will be presenting two papers at the conference.
What role will AI play in scientific discovery?
Recent advances like ‘The AI Scientist’ have shown progress towards automating the entire scientific pipeline – generating hypotheses, conducting experiments and drafting papers. But what will it take to bridge the gap between this supporting role and groundbreaking contributions that, for now, are in the domain of human scientists?
Dr. Kwang Moo Yi, an assistant professor in the department of computer science, researches 3D computer vision.
What does AI literacy mean to the general public?
AI literacy is as essential as AI’s use and advancement are inevitable, creating a divide between those who use it effectively and those left behind. Knowledge unlocks potential, but equitable solutions ensure everyone benefits, preventing societal gaps as technology reshapes opportunities and capabilities. This answer was also written quickly given keywords via AI, much faster than what I would’ve been able to alone.
…
Given how much money is swirling around this conference, the NeurIPS 2024 website is a very bare bones site. As for my contention regarding money, let’s take a look at the organizing committee, Note 1: GSK until 2022 was known as GlaxoSmithKline, a British multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company; Note 2: The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is a philanthropic effort funded by Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan
Organizing Committee
General Chairs
Amir Globerson (Google, Tel Aviv University) Lester Mackey (Microsoft Research)
Senior Program Chair
Danielle Belgrave (GSK.ai)
Program Chairs
Angela Fan (Meta) Ulrich Paquet (Google DeepMind; AIMS South Africa) Jakub Tomczak (Eindhoven Uni. of Technology & [sic]; Chan Zuckerberg Initiative) Cheng Zhang (GenAI, Meta)
Program Chair Assistants
Stefan Groha (GSK.ai) Max Horn (GSK.ai) Francois Meyer (University of Cape Town) Babak Rahmani (Microsoft Research) Caroline Weis (gsk.ai)
Workshop Chairs
Bo Han (HKBU / RIKEN) Manuel Rodriguez (Max Planck Institute for Software Systems) Adil Salim (Microsoft Research) Rose Yu (UC San Diego)
Workshop Chair Assistants
Bo Zhao (University of California San Diego) Jianing Zhu (HKBU)
Tutorial Chairs
Gal Chechik (NVIDIA, Bar-Ilan University) Irene Chen (UC Berkeley) Andrew Dai (Google)
Competition Chairs
Jake Albrecht (Bristol Myers Squibb) Tao Qin (Microsoft Research AI4Science) Megan Yates (Zindi)
