A 3D model of the Sea of Japan reveals a three-layer vertical structure of PCBs, with dissolved PCB concentrations peaking at intermediate depths (100–600 m). Among the congeners, CB28 exhibits the highest concentration, CB180 the lowest. CB153 and CB101 are enriched below the surface. Heavier congeners are scavenged during spring blooms, showing high concentration at intermediate depths due to sinking of biogenic particles. Thus, the biological pump likely concentrates the high-chlorinated PCBs at intermediate depths.

On 8:00 PM (EST) November 6, 2025, leading scientists from across the globe will gather online for the Extreme Manufacturing Webinar Series: “Additive Manufacturing and the 21st Century Industrial Revolution.” The event brings together four pioneering researchers whose work is pushing the boundaries of what can be made—and how fast, sustainable, and intelligent manufacturing can become.

Research teams from Lanzhou University, Shandong University of Technology, University of California, Irvine, and Hanyang University have published a comprehensive review on solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) for next-generation solid-state batteries. Their study, recently accepted in Materials Futures, explores the safety, flexibility, and scalable processability of SPEs, and illustrates how molecular design enables tunable ion-conduction pathways, stable electrode contact, and large-scale manufacturability. Key topics covered include ion-transport mechanisms, polymer chemistry strategies, inorganic filler engineering, and future research directions.

Protein designers have now created new calcium channels, built bottom-up from scratch. Naturally occurring ion channels, present in the membrane of excitable cells, generate electrical impulses. These electrophysiological signals help direct muscle contraction, the heartbeat and the release of neurotransmitters. Synthetic ion channels could serve as tools for biomedical research, from neuroscience experiments to heart biology models and synthetic cell signaling circuits. 

A new quantum transport theory reveals how femtosecond time scale thermoelectric fluctuations influence energy control at the nanoscale. The University of Jyväskylä, Finland, has contributed to the development of a theoretical approach that enables accurate simulations of temperature differences and electric currents in nanoscale junctions formed by single molecules. The research opens new possibilities for designing components used in quantum technologies.