The Danforth Technology Company (DTC) today announced the launch of Spearhead Bio, a startup pioneering a breakthrough platform to enhance the efficiency of crop genome engineering by harnessing the plant’s own natural DNA. Spearhead’s Transposase Assisted Homology Independent Targeted Insertion (TAHITI) technology allows the seamless integration of genes into both transgenic and non-transgenic crops. 

A study published in Engineering offers a practical risk-aware optimal dispatch strategy for resource aggregators. It aims to tackle the uncertainty of renewable energy and make use of building energy flexibility. The strategy combines probabilistic renewable energy prediction and a bi-level building flexibility engagement scheme, bringing economic and environmental benefits as shown by case studies.

A study in Engineering has developed a tin-modified Ce–Nb mixed-oxide catalyst. This catalyst shows enhanced performance in selective catalytic reduction of NO_x with NH₃, a key process for diesel vehicle emission control. It offers improved activity and hydrothermal stability, providing a potential solution for reducing nitrogen oxide emissions.

A research paper by scientists at Kyushu University presented a novel needle-free reagent injection method that improves the depth of reagent injection by reflecting shock waves through microbubble dynamics.

AI is advancing at such speed that speculative moral questions, once the province of science fiction, are suddenly real and pressing, says Finnish philosopher and psychology researcher Frank Martela. Martela’s latest study finds that generative AI meets all three of the philosophical conditions of free will —  the ability to have goal-directed agency, make genuine choices and to have control over its actions. This development brings us to a critical point in human history, as we give AI more power and freedom, potentially in life or death situations.

Biochar, once limited to soil and environmental management, now offers a breakthrough opportunity for advancing ESG goals at both local and global levels. In a recent study, Prof. Yong Sik Ok presents a strategic analysis of biochar’s market potential, scalability, and reliability as a carbon-negative solution. The study outlines clear pathways to drive innovation, enabling institutions and industries to leverage biochar to meet UN Sustainable Development Goals and align corporate climate strategies with major global initiatives.

A first-of-its-kind 256-element Ka-band phased-array receiver, designed at Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan, can control two circular polarization beams independently, revolutionizing satellite communications with greater energy efficiency and better performance. Introduction of a novel switch-type quadrature-hybrid in the CMOS chip of the receiver effectively doubles the number of controllable beams, paving the way for enhanced data throughput and broader satellite coverage.