A new study reveals that water-extractable organic matter (WEOM) from air-dried soils can effectively estimate microbial biomass, offering a safer alternative to traditional methods. This approach reduces the use of toxic solvents, simplifies sampling, and shows a strong correlation between WEOM and microbial biomass carbon. The findings open new doors for accessible and scalable soil microbiology research. This innovative method provides a safer, more efficient alternative to traditional chloroform fumigation extraction, enhancing soil microbiology research.

The Center for Space Exploration Research at the University of California, Davis, has partnered with Proteus Space to launch a US government-sponsored satellite into space with a custom AI-enabled payload. The UC Davis-designed payload is a dynamic digital twin that models the current condition and predicts the future state of the spacecraft’s power system, running in real time onboard the spacecraft instead of in ground-based mission control.

Researchers have developed a new flexible material that can attenuate radar signals using tree bark waste as core raw source. The innovative material combines silicone rubber with sustainable carbon derived from tree bark, resulting in an eco-friendly alternative to traditional, high-cost technologies. Despite being made from natural waste, the new material can perform just as well as expensive nanocarbons, offering a greener and more affordable option to attenuate electromagnetic signals.

Major step forward in liver organoid technology could lead to new ways to help people living with hemophilia and other coagulation disorders while also taking another step closer to producing transplantable repair tissues for people with damaged livers.