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Feature Stories

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 4-Jan-2026 22:11 ET (5-Jan-2026 03:11 GMT/UTC)

From leftovers to energy: Biochar offers a sustainable recipe for food waste management

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University

In a recent academic forum, Professor Yen Wah Tong from the National University of Singapore (NUS) presented compelling findings on how biochar can significantly enhance the process of anaerobic digestion, a natural method where microorganisms break down food waste to produce biogas, a renewable energy source.

State-of-the-art AI and robotics device arrives at UCLA, creating major opportunities for biomedical researchers

California NanoSystems Institute

UCLA is the first public research institution on the West Coast with the CellXpress.AI, a research instrument that automates the steps for growing cells and tissue in culture.

Using the new device to grow stem cells into organoids, which mimic organs from the body, enables investigators in both drug development and the basic life sciences to conduct experiments with cellular systems that resemble human biology more closely than animal models do.

The device offers gains in speed, flexibility, efficiency and reproducibility, while reducing tedious manual labor, supercharging UCLA research, as well as research from other academic and industrial collaborators.

Laser trial at ESO kickstarts new era of interferometry

UCD Research & Innovation

The recent test, announced by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) today, mark a significant milestone of the GRAVITY+ project, a complex upgrade to ESO’s Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI), unlocking greater observing power and much wider sky coverage.

Thanks to the work of UIC researchers, five Vietnam War MIAs come home

University of Illinois Chicago

Center for the Recovery and Identification of the Missing helps recover servicemen missing in Laos.

The reticular revolution: UChicago chemists move from discovery to design with metal-organic frameworks

University of Chicago

Following the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry recognizing the monumental impact of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs), the spotlight has officially shifted to mastering the rational design and engineering of these revolutionary materials. The University of Chicago Department of Chemistry is answering this call, leading the effort to custom-build materials atom by atom, fundamentally defining the future of the New Energy Economy.

Fraser Estuary pilot uses river sediment to fight rising seas

University of British Columbia

British Columbia-based experiment to restore tidal wetlands and protect coastal communities has successfully completed another phase.

Mayo Clinic researchers use AI and genetics to identify early signs of a rare, life-threatening heart condition

At Mayo Clinic, cardiologists are uncovering the earliest signs of a genetic heart condition that often strikes without warning. Their work shows that early detection, and even prevention, may be possible long before symptoms appear.

Food after a flood

University of Texas at Austin

A new dataset that found key factors affecting post-Harvey retail and charitable food supply was awarded a 2025 NHERI DesignSafe Dataset Award.

Journal: Journal of the American Planning Association
Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation

Online map reveals link between deforestation and rises in tropical temperatures

University of Leeds

Deforestation is leading to temperature increases of up to 5°C in some tropical regions, according to data revealed in a new interactive map created by researchers at the University of Leeds.

Biomaterials reduce the chance of medical implant failure

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Technology created by a startup supported by FAPESP accelerates patient recovery and improves biological integration.

Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

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