Tropospheric ozone (O3)  is a concerning pollutant, responsible for reduction in yields of major staple crops like rice, wheat, and maze. In this Journal of Environmental Sciences study, researchers from China and the United States of America found that rising O3 pollution led to national-level wheat, rice, and maize yield losses in China between 2005–2019. This trend was largely mitigated during COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, indicating the need for an effective emission control policy.

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) scientists have built the world’s first automated cyborg insect “factory line”. Supported by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), this new prototype robotic system automates the attachment of miniature electronic backpacks on the back of Madagascar hissing cockroaches, turning them into insect-hybrid robots. This new assembly method significantly reduces preparation time and human error, marking a big step towards large-scale deployment of insect-hybrid robots in complex environments for search and rescue efforts in disaster zones. Led by Professor Hirotaka Sato from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at NTU Singapore, the automated system can attach the electronic “backpacks” to Madagascar hissing cockroaches in just 1 minute and 8 seconds per insect. This is about 60 times faster than the traditional manual process dependent on trained operators, which often takes more than an hour. When processing four insects, the system completed all assemblies in under 8 minutes, about 30 times quicker than manual methods.

A research team led by Prof. CHENG Tianhai from the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has made a breakthrough by developing a high-resolution satellite remote sensing method to quantify global methane emissions from landfills.

Researchers have developed a powerful new method to detect harmful blue-green algae in freshwater lakes, according to a new paper published a journal of the American Chemical Society

New research from northern Scandinavia and Svalbard reveals that Arctic lakes could emit more methane as climate change increases lake and ecosystem productivity. The study highlights how even modest warming can drive greenhouse gas emissions from Arctic sediments—fuelled by lake algal production and plant growth around the lakes.

In IJEM, a new method for the production of high specific strength SiC-based ceramics at a relatively low sintering temperature (1100 °C) is proposed. Low-temperature sintering of SiC-based ceramics can be achieved by introducing a high content of polysiloxane (PSO) solution (75% by weight). At the same time, the introduction of silicon oxidized carbon (SiOC) phase greatly reduces the anisotropy in the mechanical properties of SiC ceramics. This method provides insights for forming SiC-based ceramics by low-temperature primary sintering and provides a new reference for controlling the anisotropy of vat polymerization ceramic parts.