Rice bioengineers have designed an erasable serum marker that could enable clinicians to detect problems or measure any changes in how a patient responds to treatment with greater precision, using simple, minimally-invasive testing.

In a remarkable stride towards environmental sustainability, researchers at the Department of Biotechnology and Medical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Rourkela, India, have developed a novel approach to predict the adsorption capacity of biochar using machine learning. This breakthrough, detailed in their latest study titled "Machine Learning-Driven Prediction of Biochar Adsorption Capacity for Effective Removal of Congo Red Dye," offers a powerful solution to combat dye pollution.

A tiny device that entangles light and electrons without super-cooling could revolutionize quantum tech in cryptography, computing, and AI.

To a human, microplastics are very small at less than 5 millimeters (mm) wide. But to an insect, microplastics might be the same size as the food they usually eat. Researchers reporting in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology have shown that crickets can and will consume polyethylene microplastics if their mouth is larger than the plastic particle. The study suggests that crickets — and likely many other insects — cannot distinguish plastic from food.

Aston University’s Professor Patricia Thornley has been appointed as the new chief scientific adviser (CSA) for the Department for Transport. Professor Thornley is a highly respected leader in the field of sustainable energy, recognised for her extensive contributions to advancing low carbon innovation and clean technologies. She is currently based at Aston University, where she is based at the Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute. She will join the Department for Transport early next year, where she will be based four days a week, spending one day a week at the University.