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Tech & Engineering

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 30-Oct-2026 11:16 ET (30-Oct-2026 15:16 GMT/UTC)

Asteroid assault made ancient Earth too hot and chaotic for continents to form

Curtin University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New research led by Curtin University and QUT (Queensland University of Technology) has revealed repeated asteroid impacts may have been the dominant force shaping the early Earth, delivering vast amounts of heat into the planet’s interior and delaying the formation of stable continents.

Journal: Science

Researchers outline strategy to prevent toxic metals from tainting rice

Colorado State University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In a perspective published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, Colorado State University researchers describe a management approach to prevent the uptake of toxic metals in rice grains to protect human health.

Journal: Nature Reviews Earth & Environment

Roschli named to ASME Mechanical Engineering Watch List

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Grant and Award Announcement

Alex Roschli, a researcher at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been named to the 2026 Mechanical Engineering Watch List by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

UNF IERE conducting aquatic barrier study supported by National Fish and Wildlife grant

University of North Florida
Grant and Award Announcement

The University of North Florida Institute of Environmental Research and Education (IERE) is collaborating with the Northeast Florida Regional Council and other partners on a study that will assess aquatic connectivity in Northeast Florida.

Improving the speed and energy-efficiency of AI agents

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Reports and Proceedings

“Murakkab” is a new automated system that streamlines the design of agentic workloads for AI applications and optimizes their deployment for customers, reducing computation and cost while boosting energy efficiency.

Funder: Semiconductor Research Corporation, U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

Rice researchers automate defect detection in diamond, other advanced semiconductors

Rice University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Rice researchers have developed a high-throughput method to measure the quality of diamond and other wide-bandgap semiconductor materials, providing rapid feedback for improving crystal growth and device reliability.

Journal: Advanced Materials
Funder: Army Research Office, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

First use of precision editing to study human embryo development reveals role of master gene

University of Cambridge
Peer-Reviewed Publication

- Scientists have, for the first time, used an extremely precise genome editing technique called base editing to study gene function in human embryos.

- Using the technique, they found that a gene called NANOG is essential for forming the future body from an embryo. Without it, the embryo loses its ability to differentiate into different body tissues.

- This reveals fundamental differences between early development in human and mouse embryos, underscoring the importance of directly investigating human embryonic development.

Journal: Nature
Funder: Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK

AI framework aids target discovery for CAR T cell therapy

University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Leading CAR T cell therapy researchers from Penn Medicine have developed a human-in-the-loop artificial intelligence (AI) framework that firmly centers scientists’ expertise to find viable target antigens for CAR T cell therapy.

Journal: Cell

Oncology drug resistance prediction tools: Database infrastructure, algorithmic innovation, and clinical translation

FAR Publishing Limited
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A review published in Current Molecular Pharmacology highlights how artificial intelligence and multi‑omics databases are transforming the prediction of tumour drug resistance. The authors discuss integrative data strategies, emerging biomarkers such as coagulation‑related signatures, and the need for interpretable, clinically validated tools to enable personalised therapy.

Journal: Current Molecular Pharmacology