Showing 20 articles starting at article 2021
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Categories: Engineering: Nanotechnology, Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published Bioengineered yeast feed on agricultural waste
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have created a bioengineered yeast that can grow efficiently on a wide range of sugars from agricultural waste biomass, closing a carbon cycle for the biosynthesis of fuels, pharmaceuticals and plastics.
Published Dry manufacturing process offers path to cleaner, more affordable high-energy EV batteries
(via sciencedaily.com) Early experiments have revealed significant benefits to a dry battery manufacturing process. This eliminates the use of toxic solvents while showing promise for delivering a battery that is durable, less weighed down by inactive elements and able to maintain high energy storage capacity after use. Such improvements could boost wider EV adoption, helping to reduce carbon emissions and achieve U.S. climate goals.
Published Researchers achieve historic milestone in energy capacity of supercapacitors
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In a new landmark chemistry study, researchers describe how they have achieved the highest level of energy storage -- also known as capacitance -- in a supercapacitor ever recorded.
Published It's sewage, not fertilizer fueling nitrogen surge in Florida's Indian River Lagoon
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Fertilizer restrictions along Florida's 156-mile-long Indian River Lagoon were intended to reduce nutrient inputs from urban and agricultural land uses. The hope was that water quality would improve by reducing the nitrogen load. While these restrictions were well-intended, a study finds fertilizer use is not the root cause of the lagoon's environmental issues. It's sewage. For decades, fertilizer use was implicated for about 71 percent of the lagoon's environmental impairments. In fact, current estimates show 79 percent of nitrogen loading is from septic systems; 21 percent is from residential fertilizer use.
Published How do microbes spread globally? A study clarifies how they travel from end to end of the world
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study compiles the scope of the problem of the global dispersal of harmful microorganisms through the upper layers of the atmosphere.
Published Engineers' storage technology keeps nanosurfaces clean
(via sciencedaily.com) Engineers have created containers that can keep volatile organic compounds from accumulating on the surfaces of stored nanomaterials. Their portable and inexpensive technology improves on a 50-year-old idea to address a ubiquitous problem in nanomanufacturing and materials science.
Published What causes mudslides and floods after wildfires? Hint: It's not what scientists thought
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists once assumed that flooding and mudslides after wildfires were linked to the waxy coating that builds up on charred soil, preventing water absorption. Researchers found that water flow came from absorbed water in both burnt and unburnt areas, suggesting that water was, in fact, being absorbed into burnt ground. The discovery provides valuable insights into where and when potential flooding and mudslides may occur and how landscapes recover after a wildfire.
Published Our favorite vintages and their precarious mountainside homes are at risk due to climate change, environmental scientists warn
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Tucked into the hillsides of Italy, Portugal, and Spain, some of the world's most famous -- and most difficult to maintain -- vineyards are heralded for their unique flavor profiles and centuries of tradition. But as extreme weather and changing socioeconomic conditions make this so-called 'heroic viticulture' even more challenging, scientists worry these grapes and their cultural histories are at risk. Researchers argue that farmers and scientists must work together to protect some of the world's most celebrated wines.
Published Analogous to algae: Scientists move toward engineering living matter by manipulating movement of microparticles
(via sciencedaily.com) A team of scientists has devised a system that replicates the movement of naturally occurring phenomena, such as hurricanes and algae, using laser beams and the spinning of microscopic rotors.
Published New material could hold key to reducing energy consumption in computers and electronics
(via sciencedaily.com) A University of Minnesota Twin Cities team has, for the first time, synthesized a thin film of a unique topological semimetal material that has the potential to generate more computing power and memory storage while using significantly less energy.
Published Fungi blaze a trail to fireproof cladding
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have shown it's possible to grow fungi in thin sheets that could be used for fire-retardant cladding or even a new kind of fungal fashion.
Published Salinity changes threatening marine ecosystems
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A groundbreaking study reveals the critical yet severely understudied factor of salinity changes in ocean and coastlines caused by climate change.
Published Air pollution particles may be cause of dramatic drop in global insect numbers
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers report that an insect's ability to find food and a mate is reduced when their antennae are contaminated by particulate matter from industry, transport, bushfires, and other sources of air pollution.
Published Researchers visualize activity of CRISPR genetic scissors
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have developed a new method to measure the smallest twists and torques of molecules within milliseconds. The method makes it possible to track the gene recognition of CRISPR-Cas protein complexes, also known as 'genetic scissors', in real time and with the highest resolution. With the data obtained, the recognition process can be accurately characterized and modeled to improve the precision of the genetic scissors.
Published Ohio train derailment, clean-up resulted in high levels of some gases, study shows
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A freight train carrying industrial chemicals derailed near East Palestine, Ohio, in February 2023, and to avoid explosions, authorities conducted a controlled release and burned the cars' contents. Residents were worried about their health and the environment, so researchers have been assessing the local air quality with stationary and mobile sampling methods. Now they report that some gases, including acrolein, reached levels that could be hazardous.
Published Towards crack-resistant nanoparticle-based latex films
(via sciencedaily.com) Synthetic latex films are widely used across many fields, but they usually contain harmful additives to enhance their strength. In a recent study, researchers have developed a new class of latex films composed of rotaxane-crosslinked acrylic nanoparticles. These films exhibit remarkable mechanical properties, including excellent crack-propagation resistance without any additives, and are easily recyclable, paving the way for more environmentally friendly materials.
Published New radar technique lets scientists probe invisible ice sheet region on Earth and icy worlds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new radar technique developed by a graduate student allows imaging of the upper few feet of ice sheets on Earth and icy worlds. The technique uses instruments on airplanes or satellites to survey large regions quickly. The upper few feet of ice sheets are important for measuring melt on Earth or looking for habitable environments on icy worlds. Previous airborne or satellite techniques could not image this narrow region in detail.
Published Bound states in the continuum is possible in the acoustoelastic coupling
(via sciencedaily.com) Professor Junsuk Rho's research team at POSTECH reveals a physical phenomenon for vibration focusing and energy storage
Published Paths for reducing harmful air pollution in South Asia identified
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study has evaluated the contribution of various emission sectors and fuels to PM2.5 mass for 29 states in India and six surrounding countries: Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.
Published Crawford Lake, Canada, chosen as the primary marker to identify the start of the Anthropocene epoch
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international team of researchers has chosen the location which best represents the beginnings of what could be a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene. The Anthropocene Working Group have put forward Crawford Lake, in Canada, as a Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the Anthropocene. A GSSP is an internationally agreed-upon reference point to show the start of a new geological period or epoch in layers of rock that have built up through the ages.