A new type of material can absorb carbon dioxide from the air using a charged sorbent. This relies on battery-like charging to accumulate ions in the pores of low-cost charcoal.
A biologically inspired sieve for extracting lithium from brines has been developed by researchers in China. The design, mimicking biological ion channels, displayed impressive efficiency in separating lithium from magnesium ions.
Researchers from Finland and the US have created miniature robots inspired by the graceful twirling of falling maple seeds. These light-controlled robots could hold promise for environmental monitoring and reaching difficult-to-access areas.
A group in the US have yellowed seeds of camelina (Camelina sativa) to boost their oil content. The researchers wielded Crispr-Cas9 to knock out copies of a key gene that helps determine how much oil goes in.
The first EU rules to curb methane emissions from the energy sector have now become law. As well as requiring emitters in Europe to measure and monitor emissions, from 2030, the EU will impose maximum methane limits on fossil fuels placed on the European market.
Patients’ own stem cells could be used to treat their osteoarthritis – a chronic joint disease that restricts mobility and impacts most elderly people – as researchers have come up with a formula to help stem cells survive after injection into joint tissue.
A microrobot has been designed to rove around lungs and disperse life-saving drugs. The tiny robots were made by bolting together green microalgae (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) and PLGA polymer nanoparticles coated with red blood cell membranes, which were loaded with an anti-cancer drug.
Nitrous oxide emissions from human sources have jumped by 40% in the past four decades, according to a new report. This is due mainly to farming and agriculture, with industry having reduced its emissions.
New polling from the Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) has found that the UK public wants to see medical and environmental research breakthroughs, but doesn’t expect the UK to make them.
Researchers have added nitrogen-hungry bacteria to farm soils, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.