In a recent development, a team of scientists from the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and other institutions has come up with an innovative way to deal with plastic waste. Their study develops a photocatalytic method to degrade plastic waste, depositing polystyrene (PS) onto a durable tungsten oxide (WO₃) photoanode. Under light, PS undergoes oxidation, producing carbon dioxide at the anode and hydrogen gas at the cathode, offering an eco-friendly, cost-effective approach for waste treatment and fuel production.

Researchers at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) have developed an innovative tool that enhances surgeons' ability to detect and remove cancer cells during cryosurgery, a procedure that uses extreme cold to destroy tumors. This breakthrough technology involves a specialized nanoscale material that illuminates cancer cells under freezing conditions, making them easier to distinguish from healthy tissue and improving surgical precision.

In a new study published in Engineering, researchers have developed an analytical framework integrating ecological security assessment, prediction, and zoning management. Using the Daqing River Basin as a case study, they found its ecological security improved from 2000~2020, but with spatial differences. The framework offers valuable insights for similar regions and sets a basis for further ecological security research.

For decades, scientists have relied on electrodes and dyes to track the electrical activity of living cells. Now, UC San Diego engineers have discovered that quantum materials just a single atom thick can do the job with high speed and resolution—using only light.

Scientists from Southeast University and Guangzhou University have developed a new design paradigm for reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs). Published in Engineering, this approach addresses challenges in traditional RIS design, such as high data costs and inefficient pattern design. It combines a novel topological representation method with a separate design architecture, offering a more efficient way to design RISs for applications in wireless communication and sensing.