Steve Abel, associate professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, uses computational tools to study molecular interactions in cell biology. Through NSF’s CFIRE initiative, he collaborates on two major projects: engineering liquid phase separation for enzyme reactions and creating modular cell-free biomanufacturing networks. His work integrates mathematical modeling to optimize complex biomanufacturing processes.

With the rise of renewable energy and electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles have attracted growing interest. Prof. Molly Mengjung Li, Assistant Professor of the Department of Applied Physics at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University is dedicated to researching ammonia as a hydrogen carrier and has recently developed a highly efficient, low-cost catalyst, helping to advance the practical adoption of hydrogen vehicles. 

The future of the electricity market may depend less on big power plants and more on everyday choices made at home. Nayeem Rahman’s dissertation at the University of Vaasa, Finland, shows how consumers are gaining influence through energy flexibility, with direct implications for sustainability and costs.

According to theory, massive red supergiant stars should cause most supernovae, yet they are rarely observed. New James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observations indicate these supernovae likely can occur but are hidden in dust. Star’s dust was unusually carbon-rich, suggesting atypical chemical mixing during its death throes. Study marks first time JWST identified a supernova’s source star and first time supernova was imaged in mid-infrared wavelengths.

The CNRS, the University of Poitiers, and Orano inaugurated the M-Cube (Environments and Materials in a Mining Context) associated research laboratory on 7 October 2025 to explore solutions for more responsible operation of uranium mines across the entire cycle, from exploration to remediation. The LabCom will bolster the strong collaboration initiated over thirty years ago between academic research teams and those from Orano.