CHEST receives Glenview Environmental Sustainability Award for Innovation
Grant and Award Announcement
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 21-Jan-2026 23:11 ET (22-Jan-2026 04:11 GMT/UTC)
A new membrane technology stemming from the research led by teams from India could change how industries separate chemicals, reducing energy use and improving water recycling. With a nature-inspired design, the ‘POMbranes’ developed by the scientists are built from molecular units with permanent one-nanometre openings. When assembled into thin films, these openings act as fixed gateways, allowing only smaller molecules to pass, enabling highly selective filtration without the need for traditional heat-driven methods, such as evaporation. The membrane’s flexibility, stability, and lower energy demand make it attractive for use in industries such as textiles and pharmaceuticals.
A unique study exploring popular ways to “self‑gift” has found that ordering a takeaway, or takeout, meal is a preferred treat regardless of whether people have had a good or a bad day at work.
Published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology and led by Dr Suzanna Forwood and Dr Annelie Harvey of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in the United Kingdom, the research is the first to compare how likely people are to choose a range of food and non-food options for both self-reward and self-consolation.
Research suggests that religion and spirituality may act as a protective factor against internet addiction and depression by providing meaning, social support, and reduced feelings of isolation.