A recent study published in National Science Review has introduced a policy-specific assessment framework featuring a novel Synergy Index, designed to uncover how air pollution control and carbon mitigation can move in harmony or fall out of step. Drawing on China’s on-road transportation sector as a case study, the research quantifies both the realized and untapped synergies in reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs) and improving air quality. The findings paint a compelling picture: from 2010 to 2020, China’s on-road transportation emission control policies achieved lower GHG emissions, cleaner air, and substantial public health benefits. However, behind this progress lies an unexpected finding showing that policy synergies have been weakening, highlighting the urgency of robust structural transitions to maintain long-term carbon and air-pollution co-control, to advance a sustainable pathway toward the Sustainable Development Goals, and to fullfil the newly announced NDC target.

An international team of scientists reports producing a form of germanium that is superconducting—able to conduct electricity with zero resistance, which allows currents to flow indefinitely without energy loss, resulting in greater operational speed that requires less energy. 

Airplane travel is more popular than ever, and our desire for fast transportation means jet fuel has become a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Now, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have discovered a novel way to address that problem—by converting food waste into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) that meets industry standards without relying on fossil fuel blends. Their process, described in a new Nature Communications study, could help the aviation industry meet its ambitious goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Writing in the journal National Science Review, researchers present a multichamber magnetic capsule robot for performing multiple tasks in the digestive tract. By applying external programming magnetic fields, its four independent chambers can be selectively opened, allowing for sampling bodily fluid or releasing drug at multiple sites or times via one-time oral intake. This design significantly improves patient comfort and procedural efficiency, demonstrating promising potential for clinical application.

A project led by the Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital and Research Institute has developed an AI-based facial recognition system, AcroFace, capable of detecting early signs of acromegaly with 93% accuracy. The researchers are now conducting a larger pilot study with 4,000 images from the general population to confirm these promising results and improve early diagnosis of this rare disease.

A new review highlights major advances in bio-hydrovoltaic technology, marking a shift from traditional non-living materials to living biological systems that generate electricity through metabolic processes. This revolutionary energy approach offers self-regulation, environmental adaptability, and biodegradability, with strong potential in wearables, environmental monitoring, and distributed energy networks. Future directions include a “hydrovoltaic internet,” “hydrovoltaic intelligence,” and “hydrovoltaic ecology,” while key challenges remain in material stability, scalable manufacturing, and biosafety.