Article Highlights
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 7-Apr-2026 14:16 ET (7-Apr-2026 18:16 GMT/UTC)
From the farm to the future: Cow manure powers a new generation of carbon-capture material
Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural UniversityIn a novel approach that bridges sustainable agriculture and climate technology, scientists have successfully used cow manure as a superior, green alternative to chemical additives for creating high-performance carbon-capture materials. A collaborative team from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) and China Agricultural University has demonstrated that protein-rich cow manure is more effective than conventional urea for producing nitrogen-doped biochar, a porous material designed to adsorb CO₂ from the atmosphere. This finding presents a dual solution, tackling agricultural waste management while advancing carbon capture technology.
The research, led by Yuxuan Sun, Jixiu Jia, and Zonglu Yao, focused on developing a more environmentally friendly method for enhancing biochar. The standard process often relies on synthetic, energy-intensive nitrogen sources like urea to improve biochar’s ability to trap CO₂ molecules. The team instead explored a circular-economy model, using corn straw as the base carbon material and cow manure as a biological nitrogen source. They prepared different biochar samples through hydrothermal carbonization, a process that uses heated water under pressure, followed by a potassium hydroxide activation step to create a highly porous final product.
- Journal
- Carbon Research
- Funder
- National Key R&D Program of China
Biocarbon offers bridge to cleaner steelmaking as industry awaits hydrogen era
Higher Education PressSteelmaking produces 8% of global CO2 emissions, but going green is expensive. This study reveals a practical fix: upgrading wood waste into biocarbon lets blast furnaces cut coal use by nearly 30% right now—no hydrogen needed, no factory overhaul required.
- Journal
- Engineering
FAMU-FSU College of Engineering researchers develop new model for predicting noise feedback loops from supersonic jets
Florida State UniversityResearchers from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and the Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion, or FCAAP, are helping to solve a safety challenge in military aviation: the extreme noise generated by supersonic jets during takeoff and landing.
The research, published in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics, demonstrates a new model for understanding how supersonic jets of air collide with the ground or other structures to create a resonant feedback loop that produces extreme noise that can reach dangerous volume levels.
- Journal
- Journal of Fluid Mechanics
- Funder
- Office of Naval Research, Air Force Office of Scientific Research
[Research Article] Towards an AI Cube for EO data inference in a distributed infrastructure
Big Earth DataA new study published in Big Earth Data proposes an AI cube framework that integrates GeoAI models into geospatial data cube infrastructures to enhance large-scale Earth Observation data analytics. By introducing a model warehouse, intelligent model selection, and parallel inference pipelines on the Open Geospatial Engine platform, the approach significantly improves analytical capability and reduces inference time by over 80%. The framework advances the transition from traditional data cube processing toward AI-ready spatial data infrastructures.
- Journal
- Big Earth Data
New study explores why e-commerce platforms sometimes invite—not restrict—third-party marketplace analytics
Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences- Journal
- Marketing Science
Eco-friendly grinding method transforms invasive weed into antibiotic sponge
Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural UniversityA team of scientists from the State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, has introduced an economical and environmentally friendly approach for cleaning antibiotic-contaminated water. The work, led by authors Jingqi Wu and Jiawei Chen, focuses on enhancing a carbon material called hydrochar, derived from the noxious invasive water hyacinth plant. By applying a simple mechanical grinding process, the team was able to nearly triple the material's capacity to adsorb the common antibiotic norfloxacin, presenting a promising new avenue for water remediation.
- Journal
- Carbon Research
- Funder
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
China's forestry sector charts a course for carbon neutrality amidst ambitious climate goals
Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural UniversityChina’s ambitious “Dual Carbon” initiative, aiming for carbon dioxide emissions to peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, necessitates a profound transformation across all sectors. A recent perspective paper explores the significant role of forestry in this national endeavor, detailing its potential to enhance carbon sequestration while addressing developmental challenges. The analysis, conducted by researchers at Foshan University, University of Western Australia, and the Guangdong Academy of Sciences, offers a strategic blueprint for leveraging forest resources as a low-cost carbon sink for global climate change mitigation.
- Journal
- Carbon Research
- Funder
- Higher Education Department of Guangdong Province, Science and Technology Department of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Foundation for Program of Science and Technology Research, China
Unlocking microbial secrets: New insights into carbon and nitrogen cycling by wetland bacteria
Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural UniversityResearchers have unveiled crucial details about how a common freshwater bacterium, Methylobacter sp. YHQ, manages the delicate balance of carbon and nitrogen biogeochemical cycles. This investigation, published in Carbon Research, utilized dual nitrogen-oxygen (N-O) isotope analysis and kinetic modeling to illuminate the enzymatic processes of assimilatory nitrate reduction and methane oxidation, offering a novel "fingerprint" to differentiate microbial nitrogen-cycling enzymes and providing a powerful quantitative tool for environmental management.
- Journal
- Carbon Research
- Funder
- National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Key R&D Program of China, Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation, Young Talent Project of GDAS, GDAS' Project of Science and Technology Development, Guangdong Foundation for Program of Science and Technology Research, DFG
Life Medicine | Proffessor Feng Liu’s team proposes adipose tissue as an early driver of systemic aging
Higher Education PressAs population aging accelerates worldwide, aging-related diseases have become a major challenge in both life science and medicine. Aging is now widely recognized not as the failure of a single organ or pathway, but as a progressive, system-level process shaped by long-term interactions among genetic background, metabolic state, immune regulation, and environmental exposure.
- Journal
- Life Medicine