Category: Sustainability

An innovative and cost-effective battery cathode material, developed by a multi-institutional research team led by Georgia Tech’s Hailong Chen promises to significantly enhance the performance and affordability of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). This breakthrough has the potential to transform the electric vehicle (EV) industry and bolster large-scale energy storage solutions. “For a long time, people have…

In a new study published in Nature Communications, researchers from McGill University emphasize the transformative potential of digitizing herbarium specimens to boost biodiversity conservation efforts. The team underscores how digitizing these collections, housed in museums globally, can offer invaluable insights to preserve species amid escalating climate change. Herbarium digitization entails cataloging a specimen’s species name…

Research from Florida Atlantic University’s (FAU) Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute offers new hope for the Florida Keys’ declining shallow reefs. The study, recently published in the journal Heredity reveals that mesophotic (deep-sea) coral ecosystems could play a crucial role in the recovery of shallow reefs within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS). Since the…

Silk, known for its ancient luxury and durability, is now set to revolutionize the future of microelectronics. Researchers led by the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have achieved a remarkable scientific feat. They have successfully created a uniform two-dimensional (2D) layer of silk protein fragments, known as fibroins, on graphene — a…

In a significant step toward creating sustainable fuels, researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a pioneering artificial photosynthesis system. This groundbreaking setup chains two carbon atoms together to produce ethylene with unparalleled efficiency, longevity and yield. “The performance, or the activity and stability, is about five to six times better than what is…

In a significant step towards a more sustainable energy future, scientists led by Columbia Engineering have developed advanced K-Na/S batteries that promise to revolutionize how we store renewable energy. By leveraging inexpensive, readily available elements such as potassium, sodium and sulfur, these high-energy batteries offer an efficient and affordable solution for long-duration energy storage. Renewable…

A new study led by the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science has revealed that over 2 million acres of floodplain were developed across the United States in the past 20 years. Significantly, nearly half of this development occurred in Florida, where about 398,000 new residential properties were built on…

Researchers from the Interface Science Department at the Fritz Haber Institute (FHI) in Berlin have achieved a significant breakthrough in the quest for sustainable energy by unveiling a new method to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into ethanol using an innovative combination of copper and zinc oxide catalysts. The study, published in the journal Energy & Environmental…

A new study from the University of Cambridge’s Sainsbury Laboratory has revealed that flowers, including the common hibiscus, use sophisticated pre-patterned designs in petal formation to attract pollinators such as bees. These intricate designs, resembling a ‘paint by numbers’ system, could provide new insights into the evolution and biodiversity of plant life. Edwige Moyroud and…

Researchers from the Mens, Manus and Machina (M3S) Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) of Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT’s research enterprise in Singapore, along with collaborators from the University of Florida, Melbourne Business School, Tongji University and MIT, have published a groundbreaking study showcasing the economic advantages of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVCS).…