Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University have developed SORA-DET, a lightweight and high-performance deep learning model for UAV-based remote sensing. By introducing innovative feature extraction and fusion techniques, SORA-DET achieves state-of-the-art detection accuracy while being up to 88% smaller and faster than conventional models. Its compact design enables real-time deployment directly on UAVs, making it highly effective for applications such as disaster response, search-and-rescue, and environmental monitoring.

A new molecular switch, created through protein design, may be a potential way to control when drugs are active or inactive in the body. Researchers hope this approach is a starting point for further developments to reduce side effects from cancer drugs or antibody therapies. This type of designed molecular switch has already been shown to increase the speed of a COVID test. The scientists have also created a switchable version of interleukin-2 in a effort to manage the side effects of this potentially powerful cancer drug. 

Solid-state phosphorescent materials with stimulus-responsive properties have been widely developed for diverse applications. However, the task of generating excited states with long lifetimes in aqueous solution remains challenging due to the ultrafast deactivation of the triplet excitons and the difficulty in regulating stimulation sites in an aqueous environment.  Here, we present a microscale rigid framework engineering strategy that can be used to modulate the phosphorescence properties of carbon nanodots (CNDs). Ultrasound-responsive phosphorescent CNDs with a lifetime of 1.25 seconds in an aqueous solution were achieved. 

What if we told you that one of nature’s simplest materials—biochar, the black gold of sustainable tech—can do more than just soak up pollution? Spoiler: it can actually destroy it directly, like a microscopic superhero with an electric punch. And the best part? This isn’t sci-fi. It’s real science, just published on July 10, 2025, in Carbon Research—led by Dr. Yuan Gao from the Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), School of Environmental Science and Technology at Dalian University of Technology, China. This team didn’t just study biochar—they redefined it.