Improving biodiversity and maintaining yields at the same time? For many, this sounds like a contradiction in terms. However, a new study by the University of Würzburg shows that both are possible under the right conditions.

Scientists have reinvented a 19th-century pesticide breakthrough for modern agriculture. While copper-based bactericides like Bordeaux mixture (copper sulfate + lime) revolutionized crop protection in 1885, their heavy metal pollution and plant toxicity remain unresolved. Now, researchers apply cutting-edge single-atom material technology to create Cu₁/CaCO₃, a next-gen copper bactericide where isolated copper atoms are anchored on calcium carbonate. This atomic-level design delivers the same powerful disease protection while reducing copper residue by 20-fold and minimizing plant damage. More than just a new pesticide, this advancement bridges advanced materials science with sustainable agriculture, offering a blueprint for developing eco-friendly crop protection solutions that address both efficacy and environmental concerns.

Scientists have developed a new method to separate nonbiting male mosquitoes from disease-carrying females, a breakthrough that could make mosquito control faster, cheaper, and easier to scale.

With global energy demand climbing and climate challenges intensifying, researchers are exploring transformative new ways to make chemical manufacturing sustainable. In a newly published review, an international team led by Dr. Yong Jiang and colleagues from Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Technical University of Denmark, and Tsinghua University highlight “biohybrid” synthesis systems—an innovative technology integrating living cells with advanced materials—to unlock clean production of chemicals for a greener future.