In Applied Physics Letters, researchers in China created a machine vision sensor that uses quantum dots to adapt to extreme changes in light far faster than the human eye can — in about 40 seconds — by mimicking eyes’ key behaviors. The sensor’s fast adaptive speed stems from its unique design: lead sulfide quantum dots embedded in polymer and zinc oxide layers. The device responds dynamically by either trapping or releasing electric charges depending on the lighting, similar to how eyes store energy for adapting to darkness.

Cucumbers, a summer staple of salads and sandwiches, are a valuable commercial crop. They also have a less well-known role as valuable model plants which are helping researchers to extend the boundaries of genomic discovery. 

A scientific team has just developed an innovative polymer, PHOx, which could significantly improve the safety of implantable medical devices, while being more environmentally friendly. This invention is the subject of an international patent application.

MIT researchers developed a new system that enables a robot to use reflected Wi-Fi signals to identify the shape of a 3D object that is hidden from view, which could be especially useful in warehouse and factory settings. 

GABA, or gamma-aminobutyric acid, is an amino acid functioning as the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter that can act on the brain to slow or stop the reception of certain signals to the brain, leading to a calmer and more relaxed state. Low GABA levels in the brain have been associated with neurological disorders and diseases like depression, Alzheimer's or epilepsy. Recently, there has been a push towards understanding more about the gut’s influence on mood, behavior and mental health, as well as what foods might fuel or hinder a healthy mind. Researchers set to work on determining whether brain GABA levels can be increased through dietary additions with the aim of modulating the gut bacteria present in an individual to bypass the blood-brain barrier, a barrier in which it is not proven yet GABA can pass through.

SAN ANTONIO — July 1, 2025 —Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) will receive a $500,000 award from NASA’s TechLeap Prize program to flight test novel electrolyzer technology designed to improve the production of propellants and life-support compounds on the Moon, Mars or near-Earth asteroids. The project, known as the Mars Atmospheric Reactor for Synthesis of Consumables (MARS-C), is led by SwRI’s Kevin Supak and Dr. Eugene Hoffman and UTSA’s Dr. Shrihari “Shri” Sankarasubramanian.