New research led by University of Utah atmospheric scientists modeled smoke produced in the West’s epic 2020 wildfire season to demonstrate how it drives ozone formation and further degrades air quality, even in places far from cities.

During the January 2025 LA Fires, researchers compared Los Angeles air quality data from EPA regulatory monitors, low-cost PurpleAir sensors, and satellites. The team found that while regulatory monitors are essential, they often miss local variability due to limited spatial coverage. Integrating low-cost sensors and satellite data on public risk communication platforms can help fill critical gaps. This growing network of sensors can work with regulatory systems, to strengthen them, offering more responsive public health strategies and better community protection.

Sapkota received a 2025 Emerging Scientist Award from the Western Society of Crop Science.

Organic molecules that combine efficient light emission for displays and strong light absorption for bioimaging are difficult to design due to conflicting structural requirements. Researchers from Japan addressed this challenge by developing CzTRZCN, a single molecule that switches structure depending on light interaction, enabling both two-photon absorption and thermally activated delayed fluorescence. These dual functions are useful in OLEDs and biomedical imaging, paving the way for versatile organic materials in electronics, medicine, and life sciences.

Seoul National University College of Engineering announced that a research team led by Professor Seung Hwan Ko of the Wearable Soft Electronics Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, has developed a wearable electronic device that attaches to the skin like a bandage and enables real-time, continuous monitoring of blood pressure over extended periods.

 

Unlike conventional cuff-based blood pressure monitors that use an inflatable air bladder to apply pressure to the arm, this new technology continuously measures blood pressure with a compact, flexible electronic patch, garnering global attention for its convenience and innovative design.

 

Supported by SNU-Global Excellence Research Center establishment project, this collaborative study was conducted jointly with Carnegie Mellon University (U.S.) and has been published in the online edition of Advanced Functional Materials (Impact Factor 19.0, top 4.9% in JCR for Materials Science).

How can quantum technologies be developed responsibly? In the journal Science, researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), the University of Cambridge, Harvard University and Stanford University argue that international standards should be established before laws are enacted. Prof. Urs Gasser explains why the authors propose a quality management system for quantum technologies, how standards create trust and where even competing countries such as China and the US can cooperate.