Researchers have developed a water-responsive polyvinyl alcohol-based film reinforced with a chitosan-pectin hybrid polysaccharide that maintains mechanical stability under high humidity and transforms into a high-performance adhesive upon water activation and hot-pressing, offering a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based films and formaldehyde-containing adhesives.

SAN ANTONIO—June 24, 2026—Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and St. Mary’s University are collaborating to develop a physics-based forecasting tool that can predict the degradation and durability of TiFe-based metal hydride vessels through a chemical and thermo-mechanical framework. It is supported by a new $125,839 grant from the St. Mary’s-SwRI Technology and Applied Research (S²TAR) Program, which fosters collaborations between researchers from both organizations.

By leveraging a classical mathematical function, researchers at the Simons Foundation’s Flatiron Institute developed a new method that enables molecular dynamics simulations to run 2.5 to seven times as fast — all without sacrificing accuracy. For the most popular software package for molecular dynamics simulations, GROMACS, the researchers achieved a fivefold speed increase in simulations run at high accuracy.

A tandem neural network capable of inferring key physical parameters of semiconductor materials from simple transistor measurements has been developed, as reported by researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo. While conventional approaches for this type of analysis require hours or even days, the proposed system produces results in under one millisecond with near-perfect accuracy.

A newly developed laser Speckle-based Curvature Optical Metrology (SCOM) system is enabling high-precision, two-dimensional curvature mapping of strongly curved and freeform X-ray mirrors—expanding the boundaries of optical fabrication and beamline performance.

In a new study, researchers from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME) and Department of Chemistry developed a nanoplasmonic “leaf,” a wireless bioelectronic device that they used to stimulate nerves and pace heartbeats in an animal model.

Scientists have shown how a plasma-based approach, using non‑thermal plasma can prevent catalyst deactivation in a key hydrogen‑production reaction, maintaining stable performance for 30 hours.