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Tech & Engineering

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 9-Jun-2026 19:15 ET (9-Jun-2026 23:15 GMT/UTC)

With help from AI, eye images offer window into cardiovascular risk

American College of Cardiology
Reports and Proceedings

A new system that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to assess cardiovascular risk based on images of the eye captured during eye exams demonstrated strong correlation with a standard cardiovascular risk assessment, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session (ACC.26). Researchers said using AI to screen for heart disease risk during routine eye exams could help more people become aware of their risk and facilitate referrals for preventative care.

Meeting: American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session

Researchers demonstrate integrated stabilized laser chips performing clock and quantum operations on a room temperature trapped ion qubit

University of California - Santa Barbara
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In an ongoing effort to bring quantum science out of the tightly controlled lab environment and into the field, researchers from UC Santa Barbara and the University of Massachusetts Amherst have, for the first time, demonstrated a chip-scale, stabilized, visible light laser that drives a trapped ion atomic optical clock and quantum qubit, paving the way toward compact, portable and scalable trapped-ion quantum information systems.

Journal: Nature Communications

Nanoparticles genetically modify several human cell types

University of Michigan
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In a demonstration that helps pave the way for gene therapies with fewer side effects, several human cell types were genetically modified with protein nanoparticles designed at University of Michigan Engineering and Michigan Medicine.

Journal: Advanced Materials
Funder: National Institutes of Health

Photonic chip packaging for extreme environments

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)have just published an article in Photonics Research about a new process for packaging photonic integrated circuits so that they can survive and operate in some of the most extreme environments imaginable.

Here's a link to the press release. https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2026/03/nist-researchers-develop-photonic-chip-packaging-can-withstand-extreme

The advance could allow photonic chip-based technologies to operate in deep-space probes, inside nuclear reactors, in ultrahigh vacuum systems, and at temperatures both near absolute zero and in scorchingly hot industrial settings. Although the new packaging process now requires several days to complete, engineers could shorten the time dramatically, making the technique suitable for large-scale manufacturing.

Collaboration between ORNL, General Atomics to advance manufacturing for energy and security

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Business Announcement

The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore advanced manufacturing for extreme environment materials with energy and national security applications.

UMass Amherst research demonstrates new technology for shrinking quantum computers

University of Massachusetts Amherst
Peer-Reviewed Publication

AMHERST, Mass. — Scientists in the Riccio College of Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of California Santa Barbara have demonstrated key laser and ion trap components necessary to help drastically shrink the size of quantum computers, an achievement aligned with the shrinking of integrated microprocessors in the 1970s, 80s and 90s that allowed computers to move from room-sized behemoths to today’s ultrathin smartphones.

Journal: Nature Communications
Funder: Army Research Office, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

Emotions in motion: How movement may signal mental health issues

University of Texas at Dallas
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Using 3D motion capture and machine-learning models, researchers were able to identify elevated depression and anxiety symptoms in subjects from the way they walked and got up from a chair. The findings, published online in the May issue of Gait & Posture, demonstrate the potential for developing wearable devices that one day could give users early warnings about their mental health.

Journal: Gait & Posture

SwRI supports novel industrial heat production system

Southwest Research Institute
Grant and Award Announcement

SAN ANTONIO — March 30, 2026 — Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is home to the first full-scale system showcasing a novel and commercially scaled method of industrial heat production, the Joule Hive™ Thermal Battery. The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and led by Electrified Thermal Solutions. SwRI designed key support systems and oversaw construction of the system on its San Antonio campus.

Drone imaging provides new insights into how grazing shapes grassland ecosystems

Journal of Remote Sensing
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Grasslands play a key role in supporting livestock, storing carbon, and maintaining biodiversity.

Journal: Journal of Remote Sensing