Tag: #62

There are ‘sweet solutions’ for rare earths. Bacteria, meanwhile, can be used to break down metals. Now, a research team at Northwestern University is investigating how the tiny organisms can help rationalise chemical processes in an environmentally-friendly way. The team reprogrammed an anaerobic bacteria so that it could convert CO2 into two widely-used chemicals. Acetone is mainly used in...

Lang may yer lum leek. A common enough expression in Scots, but good luck working out what it means. An Inuk woman from Canada is offering online language courses in Inuktitut, her mother tongue. The goal? To help people reconnect with Inuit culture, and ensure that Inuktutit is kept alive. The dialect was banned during colonisation, meaning it is...

Banana and orange peel can be made into hydrogen and biochar in the blink of an eye. Now, thanks to an Irish startup’s innovation, organic food waste can be turned into biogas and liquid fertiliser in backyards or on company grounds. Come rain or shine. Waste is mixed with water and put through the system’s macerator. The resulting pulp...

Small EVs can squeeze into tight spaces. But not with an empty battery. Cue an Indian startup and its unique swapping system. It allows electric rickshaws to get back on the road in record time. Using wireless technology, charging stations only dispense batteries if they detect their own kind in nearby parked vehicles. A quick authentication process, and any...

Plasters can heal chronic wounds and magnets strengthen weak muscles. But bones can’t regrow by themselves. Typically, new bone cells are made using stem cells extracted from bone marrow, a complex and expensive procedure that is also painful for patients. Now an Australian research team has found a better solution. In their method, stem cells extracted from fat tissue, for...

Fish have benefited from tropical plants, pallets too. Now, a Swiss rucksack company has joined forces with a Taiwanese yarn manufacturer to create a durable material from banana trees. The Abacà plant, native to the Philippines, is rich in fibres and doesn’t need pesticides or water to grow. Harvesting occurs once a year, allowing the plant to regenerate fully....