Genetic colouring could unlock robotic weeding
Crops could be genetically engineered with colour to distinguish them from wild and weedy relatives, plant geneticists at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, propose. This would enable weeding robots to combine a camera with AI to learn how to identify and destroy weeds, while sparing nearby crops.
New catalyst simplifies carbon bond formation
A new mild and simple route to making carbon atoms bind together with iron-based catalysts has been marked out by scientists in the US.
Antibiotics overprescribed in pandemic, says WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that there was widespread overuse of antibiotics in patients hospitalised by Covid-19.
Quantum of solar: new material's efficiency promise
A new material made computationally could spark a leap forward in solar energy harvesting. This taps into the concept of intermediate band solar cells – a technology that could revolutionise clean energy by boosting the conversion of sunlight to electrical energy.