The UK’s wheat is under threat from a newly identified strain of the yellow rust pathogen, prompting an urgent mobilisation of research institutes to protect harvests

Israel E. Wachs, the G. Whitney Snyder Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Lehigh University, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), one of the highest professional honors in the field of engineering. Wachs was recognized “for establishing fundamental structure–activity/selectivity rules governing molecular engineering of mixed oxide catalysts” that guide the rational design of solid catalysts (materials that accelerate and control chemical reactions) for air pollution remediation, sustainable energy, fuels, chemicals, plastics, and pharmaceuticals.

Scientists have succeeded in transforming desert sand into sustainable, eco-friendly bricks, offering a promising alternative to Portland cement, a material responsible for up 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Once scaled up for industrial production, these innovative bricks could provide the global construction sector with a much-needed substitute for traditional construction materials.