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Tech & Engineering

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 21-Apr-2026 09:16 ET (21-Apr-2026 13:16 GMT/UTC)

Fast AI for satellite learns to quantify uncertainty

Journal of Remote Sensing
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Accurately tracking atmospheric greenhouse gases requires not only fast predictions but also reliable estimates of uncertainty.

Journal: Journal of Remote Sensing

Battery-free nano-sensors could pave the way for next-generation wearables

University of Surrey
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Nano-sensors that work without batteries or wires could pave the way for more comfortable, less obtrusive sleep and healthcare monitoring at home, according to scientists at the University of Surrey.

Journal: Advanced Materials

Living walls boost biodiversity by providing safe spaces for urban wildlife

University of Plymouth
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study by researchers and students at the University of Plymouth has shown that living walls – structures housing flowers and plants fitted to the outside of new and old buildings – can significantly enhance the biodiversity within urban environments

Journal: Urban Science
Funder: European Regional Development Fund

Biosynthesis of medicarpin in engineered yeast

Nanjing Agricultural University The Academy of Science
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Scientists in China have developed a way to synthesize medicarpin in yeast—specifically, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, also known as baker’s yeast. Like paclitaxel in the 1990s, this tumor-attacking substance has only limited natural quantities and is considered difficult to synthesize.

Journal: BioDesign Research

A new dataset exposes biodiversity loss hidden in global staple food trade

Pensoft Publishers
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new data paper in One Ecosystem introduces a long-term dataset (1995-2022) which quantifies how international trade in wheat, soybean, rice, and maize redistributes environmental pressures. By integrating UN Comtrade and FAOSTAT data with biodiversity loss intensity factors, researchers Dr Zhuofan Huang and Dr Zhenglei He have mapped over 91,000 trade relationships across 157 countries. This open-access resource identifies high-risk trade pathways and central players like the US, Brazil, and China, providing a critical tool for developing sustainable food policies and achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Journal: One Ecosystem

New AI method revolutionizes the design of enzymes

Graz University of Technology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at Graz University of Technology and the University of Graz can use the technology to construct artificial biocatalysts. These new enzymes are significantly faster, more stable and more versatile than previous artificial biocatalysts.

Journal: Nature
Funder: Austrian Science Fund, European Research Council, TU Graz

Computing using real life traffic, novel approach to AI cuts its energy usage

Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR), Tohoku University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

What if that traffic associated with the daily commute could be put towards computing? It may sound like a stretch, but that is what researchers from Tohoku University have recently proposed, developing a new artificial intelligence framework that harnesses road traffic as a computing resource. The framework would lessen AI’s reliance on power-hungry hardware, making it more sustainable.

Journal: Scientific Reports

Increased soil salinity alters global inorganic carbon storage

Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new global study ed by Prof. XUE Xian from the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources of the Chinese Academy of Sciences shows that increasing soil salinity is systematically reshaping the storage and distribution of soil inorganic carbon (SIC), providing the first comprehensive global assessment of how soil salinization influences inorganic carbon storage and highlight its implications for the global carbon cycle.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Smartwatch use enhances the detection of heart arrythmias, increasing the quality of care.

Amsterdam University Medical Center
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Smartwatches with both PPG and ECG functionality improve the detection of atrial fibrillation in comparison with standard care. Researchers from Amsterdam UMC analysed the data from 437 patients and detected heart arrythmia four times more often in those who wore an Apple Watch. These results are published today in JACC (Journal of the American College of Cardiology).

Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology