The successful development of sustainable georesources for the energy transition is a key challenge for humankind in the 21st century. Hydrogen gas (H₂) has great potential to replace current fossil fuels while simultaneously eliminating the associated emission of CO₂ and other pollutants. However, a major obstacle is that H₂ must be produced first. Current synthetic hydrogen production is at best based on renewable energies but it can also be polluting if fossil energy is used.

The solution may be found in nature, since various geological processes can generate hydrogen. Yet, until now it has remained unclear where we should be looking for potentially large-scale natural H₂ accumulations.

A team of researchers led by Dr Frank Zwaan, a scientist in the Geodynamic Modelling section at GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, present an answer to this question: using plate tectonic modelling, they found that mountain ranges in which originally deep mantle rocks are found near the surface represent potential natural hydrogen hotspots. Such mountain ranges may not only be ideal geological environments for large-scale natural H₂ generation, but also for forming large-scale H₂ accumulations that can be drilled for H₂ production. The results of this research have now been published in the journal Science Advances.

A new publication by researchers from the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Oxford shows that the relationship between water temperature and the main biological mechanism by which the ocean captures atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) is far more complicated than previously thought.

Drawing on long-term time-series data from oceanographic stations such as the Bermuda Atlantic Time-Series, the research highlights how the quality of currently available data limits our understanding of this critical mechanism in the carbon cycle.

International researchers with the participation of Graz University of Technology present a global assessment of ice loss since the beginning of the millennium. In a global comparison, the glaciers in the Alps and Pyrenees are melting the fastest.

Arctic glaciers are leaking significant amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Gacial melt rivers and groundwater springs are transporting large volumes of methane from beneath the ice to the atmosphere. This previously unrecognised process could contribute to Arctic climate feedbacks, accelerating global warming.

The 2025 Finalists of the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in the United Kingdom were announced today. They include:

­­­Life Sciences Finalists

Nicholas R. Casewell, PhD - Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine – a toxinologist, uses molecular and biochemical approaches to understand variations in snake venom toxins to identify new treatment strategies for snakebite envenoming, a neglected tropical disease.

Andrew M. Saxe, PhD - University College London – a neuroscientist, has developed mathematical analyses illuminating learning mechanisms in artificial and biological systems, advancing AI understanding and insights into memory-related neurological diseases.

Christopher Stewart, PhD - Newcastle University – a microbiologist, has developed novel microbiome-based approaches to prevent necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), the leading cause of death in preterm infants around the world.

Chemical Sciences Finalists

Liam T. Ball, PhD - University of Nottingham – an organic chemist, is developing efficient methods for the safe and sustainable synthesis of molecules vital to healthcare and agriculture.

Brianna R. Heazlewood, PhD - University of Liverpool – a physical chemist, has developed instruments that characterise complex chemical reactions at extremely cold temperatures, providing new insights into the chemistry of space and other challenging environments.

Chunxiao Song, PhD - University of Oxford – a chemical biologist, is developing a state-of-the-art sequencing method to detect DNA and RNA modifications, enabling early cancer detection and leading to the founding of a $410 million biotech company.

Physical Sciences & Engineering Finalists

Benjamin J.W. Mills, PhD - University of Leeds – a biogeochemist, is developing long-timescale models of the Earth, linking geology and biology and giving insight into our planet's connected atmospheric and geologic history, co-evolution of life and the Earth, the future of our planet, and the habitability of other worlds.

Hannah Price, PhD, University of Birmingham – a theoretical physicist, has authored groundbreaking theories and innovative experimental collaborations employing synthetic analogues to simulate higher dimensions, giving insight into physics with more than three spatial dimensions, including the fourth dimension.

Filip Rindler, DPhil – The University of Warwick – a mathematician, has developed the first rigorous theory describing how crystalline materials, like metals, deform through microscopic defects called dislocations. This theory advances foundational mathematics and opens new research avenues in materials science.

Researchers from Beijing Normal University have analyzed how China's land system may change in 2100 under a 1.5°C global warming scenario and a reference scenario without updated emission reduction measures. Their findings reveal that the 1.5°C climate pledges will drive greater changes in future land systems. Under this scenario, areas of shrubland, wetland, and forest are projected to increase by 185%, 79%, and 33%, respectively. 35% of the existing cropland (as of 2020) are estimated to be converted to other types by 2100 (or earlier) under the 1.5°C scenario, with high-density cropland decreasing by nearly 50%. This shift could pose a substantial challenge to food security.