The Machine Intelligence and Neural Discovery (MIND) Institute at Wits University has been awarded core funding of US$1 million by Google.org. Led by Professor Benjamin Rosman (TIME100 AI 2025 influencer), the Wits Mind Institute is home to some of Africa’s leading fundamental AI researchers, and this landmark investment will supercharge its research and drive next-generation breakthroughs in natural and artificial intelligence.

Methotrexate, a common medication used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, has a newly recognised useful secondary effect to lower blood pressure and potentially reduces the risk of heart disease in people with this condition.

A new study led by Flinders University and Southern Adelaide Local Health Network (SALHN) researchers, has shown that methotrexate significantly lowers blood pressure when compared to another arthritis drug, sulfasalazine, marking the first clear evidence of this effect in newly diagnosed patients.

With rising risk to the environment and human health, the race for biodegradable plastics is gaining pace – with several projects under way at Flinders University in South Australia.

Published in Polymers, one of the latest experiments finds researchers combining calcium caseinate – a commercially available derivative of casein, the main protein in milk – with modified starch and bentonite nanoclay into a thin film, adding glycerol and polyvinyl alcohol to improve its strength and plasticity.

Recently, Prof. Jian LU's team (City University of Hong Kong, CityU HK) has engineered breakthrough 3D-printed artificial bone scaffolds. These superelastic scaffolds achieve a high recoverable strain (6% – 7%) and feature on-demand tuning of modulus, strength, permeability, and more. This advancement enables site-specific adaptive solutions for complex bone defects while offering valuable inspirations for multifunctional metamaterials across engineering fields.