At first glance, a river without water appears to be a lifeless ecosystem: the riverbed is dry and only a few isolated pools remain. However, beneath the stones, among the sediments or in these pools that retain water, there is intense biological activity. Understanding this hidden biodiversity in dry rivers and disconnected pools is the aim of DRY-Guadalmed, a project that seeks to transform the way in which the ecological status of Mediterranean temporary rivers is assessed during the dry season.

SAN ANTONIO — September 17, 2026 — Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has developed a new method to determine when sodium-ion (Na-ion) and lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery technologies can provide comparable electrical performance for defined applications.

Fabricating Photonics Structure Conductive Pathways is a photonics manufacturing technology that improves photodetector performance in photonic integrated circuits (PICs) through advanced germanium deposition and annealing processes. By precisely growing germanium within engineered trenches, the method reduces defects commonly associated with buffer layers, lowering reverse leakage current and improving light absorption efficiency. The approach enables higher-quality integration of germanium directly onto silicon substrates, enhancing device performance, reliability, and overall optical signal detection. Applications include telecommunications, data communications, optical sensing, and high-performance computing systems that rely on PIC technology. The patent-pending technology is at TRL 6 and available for licensing.

The story draws on the perspectives of Oregon Health & Science University experts with some take-home advice for healthcare professionals and patients navigating the evolving online landscape in health information, which is now shaped by artificial intelligence, social media influencers and misinformation.

AI Interactive Quiz Pedagogy is an AI-powered educational platform developed at SUNY Oswego that transforms traditional quizzes into adaptive learning experiences. The system automatically generates quiz questions from multiple content sources, including documents, PDFs, and web pages, and uses a Socratic teaching approach to provide personalized hints and guidance when students struggle. Rather than simply assessing knowledge, the platform promotes critical thinking, engagement, and deeper understanding through interactive feedback tailored to individual learning needs. Suitable for classroom instruction, homework, and self-paced study, the copyright-protected technology is at TRL 4 and available for licensing.

Use of Probenecid as an Anti-Virulence Agent Against Listeria monocytogenes is a drug-repurposing technology that uses the FDA-approved drug probenecid to reduce the disease-causing ability of Listeria monocytogenes without significantly affecting bacterial growth under tested laboratory conditions. Rather than killing the bacteria, the approach targets virulence mechanisms, including hemolytic activity and intracellular persistence, potentially reducing infection severity while limiting the selective pressure associated with traditional antibiotics. The technology may be developed as a standalone or adjunctive therapy for listeriosis in human and veterinary settings. The patent-pending technology is at TRL 3 (early proof of concept) and available for licensing.

Method and Device for Fabricating Step-Index Hydrogel Optical Fibers Using Hydrodynamic Microfluidic Focusing is a novel microfluidic manufacturing technology that enables the continuous production of ultra-thin hydrogel fibers and multilayered structures with diameters as small as 100 micrometers. Using hydrodynamic flow focusing rather than conventional coaxial extrusion, the platform reduces clogging while providing precise control over fiber architecture, including solid, hollow, core-shell, and step-index optical fiber designs. The customizable, 3D-printed system supports scalable fabrication for biomedical engineering, tissue engineering, drug delivery, optical sensing, and biohybrid devices. The patent-pending technology is currently at TRL 4 and available for licensing.

Intestinal apoM Inhibition as a Specific Approach to Reduce Plasma Chylomicron and Triglyceride Levels is a novel therapeutic strategy that targets apolipoprotein M (apoM) in the intestine to reduce the production of chylomicrons, a highly atherogenic class of lipid particles linked to cardiovascular disease. By acting at the source of post-meal lipid absorption, the technology lowers plasma triglyceride levels through a mechanism not addressed by current lipid-lowering therapies. Its intestine-specific approach may minimize systemic side effects while offering new treatment options for cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and hypertriglyceridemia. The patent-pending technology is at TRL 3, with proof of concept demonstrated in preclinical models, and is available for licensing.