In today's electric vehicle batteries, a single weak cell can limit the life of the entire battery pack, even when the other cells are still working well. The goal is for future batteries to be able to bypass weak cells and make better use of the remaining capacity. A study, led by researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden, now shows that a new ‘smart battery architecture’, under optimal conditions, can give electric vehicle batteries over 20 percent longer life in certain vehicles. At the same time, the total cost can be reduced over the battery's lifetime. 

Colorado State University researchers have developed an air quality monitoring device that can be paired with systems that track wildlife location and physiological data to learn how smoke impacts wildlife health and behavior.

By pairing high-frequency sound waves with roller pressing, researchers have found a way to line up microscopic heat-channelling particles inside flexible plastics in under a second without needing external heat. The finished material is 19 times stronger and conducts heat 171% more effectively, offering a fast, energy-efficient route to keep bendable electronics and wearables from overheating.

The University of Osaka, D3 Center, SANKEN, and NEC Corporation, have jointly developed RED-ONION (Research EnhanceD Osaka university Next-generation Infrastructure for Open research and innovatioN), a next-generation data transfer infrastructure designed to securely and rapidly transfer large volumes of research data—including sensitive data related to genomics and healthcare, as well as the results of its analysis and processing—in both directions between the D3 Center and SANKEN on the university’s Suita Campus. The infrastructure is scheduled to begin pilot operation in October 2026.

Early fire detection systems that are highly sensitive are essential for reducing the impact of fire disasters. However, their development still faces significant challenges due to the lack of capability for simultaneous monitoring of both temperature and gas. Herein, we propose a facile coaxial wet-spinning strategy to fabricate a dual-parameter fiber sensor capable of simultaneously detecting carbon monoxide (CO) and temperature for early combustion warning. The resulting core–sheath structured fiber consists of a CO sensing sheath made of SnO₂/In₂O₃ heterojunction/aramid nanofiber (ANF)/silver nanowire composite with biomimetic gradient pores, an ANF isolation layer, and a temperature sensing core composed of MXene. The gradient porous sheath constructed by gradient-induced phase separation technology exhibits gradually decreasing pore sizes from outer (> 10 μm) to inner (< 3 μm) regions. This structure demonstrates a significant enhancement in the fiber sensor’s sensitivity to CO, achieving a 15% higher response compared to non-gradient porous structures (ΔR/R₀ = 0.95%/ppm; detection limit of 10 ppm), with the response time reduced to 19.28 s, surpassing the response speed of most fire-warning fibers. Additionally, this fiber sensor can rapidly monitor abnormal temperature increases, enabling flame alarm functionality within 3 s. It also achieves precise real-time temperature detection within the range of 50–300 °C, exhibiting high sensitivity (20.6 μV K⁻¹) and a strong linear correlation (R² = 0.99). This work highlights the significant potential of gradient pore in enhancing CO sensing and offers a novel perspective for the design of ultrafast early fire-warning fiber sensors.

An international research team has reported results from the first clinical cohort of 10 blind patients with advanced retinitis pigmentosa treated with optogenetic therapy. The treatment, which combines gene therapy with light stimulating goggles, was considered safe in all participants. Six patients showed a clinically meaningful increase in light sensitivity, while several improved in tasks such as detecting or locating objects, finding doorways and following lines. Visual signals were also detected in the brain. The findings extend an earlier single patient result and provide a foundation for the further development of optogenetic therapies.