In the world of soft robotics and wearable technology, sheet-based fluidic devices are revolutionizing how lightweight, flexible and multifunctional systems are designed. But with innovation comes challenges, particularly in understanding and controlling failure in these devices. A new study by mechanical engineers at Rice University’s George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing explores how programmed failure in heat-sealable, sheet-based systems can be used to protect devices, enable complex sequencing of actions and even streamline control mechanisms.

Nine U.S. grain dust explosions in 2024 caused two injuries and no fatalities, according to a nationwide annual summary.

These numbers are similar to last year’s (nine explosions, 12 injuries and no fatalities) and on-par with the 10-year national average of 8.6 explosions. 

“Considering the reduced number of injuries, the grain dust explosions are of low magnitude. But look at the damage it can cause to the facility in terms of downtime, repair costs and litigations,” said Kingsly Ambrose, Purdue University professor of agricultural and biological engineering and the report’s author. 

The explosions occurred in four feed mills, three grain elevators, one ethanol plant and one corn processing plant.  

Understanding where farm animals are raised is crucial for managing their environmental impacts and developing technological solutions, but gaps in data often make it challenging to get the full picture. Becca Muenich, biological and agricultural engineering researcher, set out to fill the gap with a new technique for mapping animal feeding operations.

University of Queensland researchers have for the first time introduced genetic material into plants via their roots, opening a potential pathway for rapid crop improvement.

Professor Fabio Boschini is among the 126 recipients announced today by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in seven fields. Sloan Fellowships support outstanding early-career scientists who demonstrate creativity, ambition, and dedication to advance discovery. These rising stars of research come from American and Canadian schools and are definitely names to watch. Many Sloan Fellows have gone on to become Nobel prize winners.

 

INRS Professor Fabio Boschini has just received a prestigious 2025 Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship in physics for his groundbreaking research on quantum materials. Crédit : INRS (CNW Group/Institut National de la recherche scientifique (INRS))

"I am truly honoured to be the first Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellow at INRS," said Professor Fabio Boschini, a researcher specializing in quantum materials at INRS and a 2025 Alfred P. Sloan award recipient. "The Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship is an exciting recognition of my team's hard work. It pushes us to aim even higher, dream even bigger, and step out of our comfort zone to dive into the depths of exploratory research and the unknown."

The designation of 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ) by the United Nations highlights the growing importance of quantum research, exemplified by the prestigious Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship in Physics awarded to Professor Boschini for his groundbreaking work on quantum materials at INRS.