Science

A researcher in a lab coat standing next to a large silver vacuum chamber with control panels and equipment.

University of Glasgow Space Testing Facility Wins Manufacturing Award

The University of Glasgow’s NextSpace TestRig, the world’s first system for testing 3D-printed materials manufactured in space, has won a national manufacturing award. Built with Dr Gilles Bailet and the Manufacturing Technology Centre, the facility uses a vacuum chamber that creates temperatures from -150°C to +250°C to simulate orbit conditions. The £253,000 project helps ensure space-printed materials can withstand extreme physical strains.

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UK’s Southampton University Creates Shape-Shifting Robotic Wing for Drones

Engineers at the University of Southampton created a shape-shifting robotic wing inspired by birds and fish. The soft wing senses underwater currents and adapts automatically, reducing sudden jolts by 87 percent compared to rigid drone wings. It uses less energy and responds faster than existing designs, bringing underwater robots closer to the agility of living animals.

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Scientist in lab coat examining petri dishes containing green plant cell cultures under bright laboratory lighting

MIT-Alumni Startup Foray Bioscience Grows Plant Products from Single Cells

MIT alum Ashley Beckwith founded Foray Bioscience to grow plant products from single cells using AI-powered biomanufacturing. The company addresses the fragility of natural supply chains as 45 percent of plant species face extinction. Foray has already developed molecules, materials, and fabricated seeds with partners, including disease-resistant chestnut trees, aiming to shorten plant development timelines from decades to months.

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UK’s University of Oxford Solves Moon Magnetic Field Mystery

University of Oxford scientists have solved a long-standing mystery about the moon’s magnetic field. By re-examining Apollo mission rocks, they found the moon experienced short, intense magnetic bursts lasting only thousands of years, not the half-billion years previously thought. The study explains why some samples showed strong magnetism while theory suggested a weak field. The discovery helps scientists understand how planetary cores evolve.

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Side-by-side microscope images showing metal grain structures without and with pulsed-laser excitation, demonstrating finer grains in the treated sample

Germany’s Fraunhofer and Australia’s RMIT Control 3D-Printed Metal Grain Structure

German and Australian researchers have demonstrated a new method to control the internal grain structure of 3D-printed metal parts during printing. The UltraGRAIN project uses pulsed-laser excitation to reduce grain size by up to 75 percent in targeted areas. This allows manufacturers to print stronger zones exactly where loads are highest, improving part performance and extending service life.

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China’s Wuhan University Builds Ultra-Stable Polymer Solar Cell with 19.1% Efficiency

Scientists at Wuhan University of Technology built a polymer solar cell that achieves 19.1% efficiency while retaining 97% of its performance after 2,000 hours in air. The team solved polymer chain entanglement by adding a small-molecule acceptor that improves molecular packing and charge transport. The estimated lifetime exceeds 100,000 hours, moving flexible organic solar cells closer to commercialization.

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