The research team led by Dr. Byung Chul Lee at the Bionics Research Center of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Sang-Rok Oh), in collaboration with Prof. Jae-Woong Jeong at KAIST (President Kwang-Hyung Lee), Prof. Whal Lee at Seoul National University Hospital (Director Young-Tae Kim), and Prof. Pierre T. Khuri-Yakub at Stanford University (President Jonathan Levin), announced the development of a silicon-based disposable eco-friendly ultrasound patch. This achievement marks the first realization of superior performance beyond conventional high-cost lead-based ultrasound transducers without using lead at all.

A team of researchers from Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine) and Tsinghua University has unveiled a new messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine technology that could make future vaccines safer, more effective, and less burdensome for patients.

Diabetes mellitus represents a major global health issue, driving the need for noninvasive alternatives to traditional blood glucose monitoring methods. Recent advancements in wearable technology have introduced skin-interfaced biosensors capable of analyzing sweat and skin biomarkers, providing innovative solutions for diabetes diagnosis and monitoring. This review comprehensively discusses the current developments in noninvasive wearable biosensors, emphasizing simultaneous detection of biochemical biomarkers (such as glucose, cortisol, lactate, branched-chain amino acids, and cytokines) and physiological signals (including heart rate, blood pressure, and sweat rate) for accurate, personalized diabetes management. We explore innovations in multimodal sensor design, materials science, biorecognition elements, and integration techniques, highlighting the importance of advanced data analytics, artificial intelligence-driven predictive algorithms, and closed-loop therapeutic systems. Additionally, the review addresses ongoing challenges in biomarker validation, sensor stability, user compliance, data privacy, and regulatory considerations. A holistic, multimodal approach enabled by these next-generation wearable biosensors holds significant potential for improving patient outcomes and facilitating proactive healthcare interventions in diabetes management.

Researchers at Okayama University of Science (OUS) have developed a new wine grape variety, “Muscat Shiragai,” by crossing the rare wild Shiraga grape—found only in Okayama Prefecture—with Muscat of Alexandria. The team, led by Professor Emeritus Takuji Hoshino, has filed for official registration of the new variety with Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The project, launched in collaboration with Kurashiki City and Funao Winery, aims to revitalize the region through locally branded wine production. Early tastings of Muscat Shiragai grapes and wine have been well received for their sweetness, smooth flavor, and subtle Muscat aroma.

With European demand for critical raw materials growing alongside geopolitical tensions and supply risks, a major analysis offers vital new data on the rapidly expanding size and value of Europe’s “urban mine” of electronic waste. Europe’s discarded electronics now contain about 1 million tonnes of critical raw materials every year -- metals vital for renewable energy, digital networks, and defense. The EU-backed analysis shows only half of Europe’s e-waste is properly recycled, underlining huge potential to recover copper, aluminium, and rare elements. By implementing circular design, collection, and recycling, CRM recovery in the EU27+4 could reach 1.5 million tonnes annually by 2050. The report coincides with International e-Waste Day, Monday 14 Oct.

In the global race to decarbonize, hydrogen stands out as one of the most promising clean fuels. But despite its potential to power industries and transportation without emitting carbon, producing hydrogen sustainably in a water electrolyzer has been limited by the high cost and scarcity of one critical ingredient: iridium. Now, a team of researchers at Rice University has developed a new catalyst that dramatically reduces the amount of iridium needed in proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolyzers, a key technology for generating green hydrogen from water. Their innovation — an iridium-stabilized ruthenium oxide catalyst that uses just one-sixth as much iridium as conventional systems — maintains industrial-level performance for more than 1,500 hours of continuous operation. The research was recently published in Nature Nanotechnology.