Webtagr - Technology News Summarizer

Turning Urine into Bone: A Biotech Breakthrough

2025-06-28

Researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, UC Irvine, and UIUC have engineered yeast to convert human urine into hydroxyapatite, a valuable mineral used in bone and tooth repair. This cost-effective process not only provides a sustainable source of hydroxyapatite but also offers a solution for reducing wastewater treatment costs and creating fertilizer. The modified yeast, dubbed 'osteoyeast', efficiently extracts minerals from urine, mimicking the natural bone-building process. This 'pee-cycling' approach promises a significant environmental and economic impact.

(newscenter.lbl.gov)

Tech

Artificial Leaf Converts CO2 to Usable Fuel Using Sunlight

2025-04-24

Researchers have created a postage-stamp-sized artificial leaf that converts CO2 into C2 molecules using sunlight. Unlike previous biological approaches, this device utilizes an inorganic material, copper, for enhanced durability and stability. The device, composed of a photoanode and photocathode, facilitates an organic oxidation reaction and C2 product creation. These C2 chemicals are precursors for various industrial products, including plastics and airplane fuel. Future work focuses on increasing efficiency and scalability.

(newscenter.lbl.gov)

Tech artificial photosynthesis CO2 conversion

Unexpected Exciton Mobility at Cryogenic Temperatures: Phasons in Moiré Superlattices

2025-03-28

Researchers at Berkeley Lab have discovered that phasons, low-temperature quasiparticles in moiré superlattices, enable interlayer excitons to move even at extremely low temperatures where motion should cease. This challenges conventional understanding and opens new avenues for improving the stability of quantum technologies by leveraging excitons as qubits. The discovery, made possible by the Molecular Foundry's Imaging and Manipulation of Nanostructures facility, provides fundamental insights into materials science and offers a promising path forward for quantum information science.

(newscenter.lbl.gov)

Tech Materials Science Moiré Superlattice

Groundbreaking Discovery: First Organometallic Molecule Containing Berkelium Synthesized

2025-03-27

A team at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has successfully synthesized "berkelocene," the first characterized organometallic molecule containing the heavy element berkelium. This breakthrough challenges long-held theories about the chemistry of elements following uranium in the periodic table. The synthesis was incredibly challenging due to berkelium's high radioactivity and air sensitivity. The researchers overcame these hurdles using specialized equipment and a mere 0.3 milligrams of berkelium-249. This discovery provides new insights into the chemical behavior of berkelium and other actinides, opening doors for future research.

(newscenter.lbl.gov)

Tech organometallic chemistry actinides radioactive element

DESI Releases First Data Release, Opening Up a Universe of Possibilities

2025-03-19

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) collaboration has released its first data release (DR1), a massive dataset providing invaluable resources for scientists worldwide to explore the mysteries of dark energy and the cosmos. This release, complete with extensive documentation, empowers researchers, even those without access to large telescopes, to advance their work. Anthony Kremin of Berkeley Lab highlighted the dataset's immense potential for groundbreaking discoveries, inviting the scientific community to explore its possibilities. The DR1 paper is publicly available, and accompanying videos are on the DESI YouTube channel.

(newscenter.lbl.gov)

Tech data release