To address the fire risks of lithium batteries, as well as the bulky size and limited power capacity of lead-acid batteries, a research team from City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) has been awarded funding under the second batch of the “RAISe+ Scheme” to develop the next generation of aqueous zinc-based batteries that offer improved safety, higher power, lower cost and environmental sustainability. The team aims to establish a production line with an annual capacity of 1 GWh over three years. This breakthrough addresses large-scale energy storage challenges, providing future data centres with ideal backup power and improving the safe operation of AI facilities in Hong Kong and global markets.

This comprehensive study details Nanjing Botanical Garden Mem. Sun Yat-sen’s remarkable achievements in plant germplasm collection, endangered species protection, and industrial resource development, providing valuable insights for China’s emerging national botanical garden system.

In the first international study of wildlife values, research led by Colorado State University found a distinct difference between Latin American views toward wildlife and those in the United States and Canada – and traced the divergence in views to European colonization centuries ago. The difference in values has important implications for wildlife management policies.

Even large and conspicuous insects remain unknown to science. This is highlighted by a new study from the Natural History Museum Denmark, where researchers have discovered and described 61 new species within the rove beetle genus Platydracus.

For Emilio Pedroza Lopez, studying the social dynamics of degus — a small rodent native to Chile — offers clues to one of biology’s enduring questions: why animals choose to live together. Pedroza Lopez has been awarded funding through a highly competitive NSF Graduate Research Fellowship to help support his research.

A research partnership between Cal Poly and Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego used statistical data analysis of microbes and plankton to help determine presence of some of the giants from the sea.

Burrowing shrimp, native to Washington, create problems for shellfish farmers. As their name suggests, these creatures burrow in marine sediments, and the excavated material piles up on the surface, which can smother oysters and clams growing there. State-funded research led by the University of Washington offers a new, non-chemical approach to controlling shrimp populations in shellfish-growing areas.

New research by William & Mary's Batten School & VIMS shows that lobster eggs host surprisingly diverse microbiomes that change as the embryos develop, potentially providing a source of resilience against future environmental changes for one of North America's most valuable fisheries.