What if instead of taking a water or soil sample to the lab, you could take the lab to the sample? That’s what a team of researchers reporting in ACS Sensors did with a new nitrate-monitoring “lab-on-a-drone” system. The drone allows for easy, real-time water sampling and analysis in hard-to-reach areas like steep ditches or swampy lowlands. The technology could help farmers optimize their fertilizer use and prevent waterway pollution from excess nitrate runoff.

As global populations continue to grow, so does the need for nutritious food and efficient manufacturing processes. Current food production practices generate side streams that could be recycled. Researchers reporting in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry fed the side streams of carrot production to fungi, generating a sustainable source of protein. They incorporated the new protein into proof-of-concept vegan patties and sausages that testers ranked as tastier than food made from plant-based proteins.

Snow and ice can damage paved surfaces, leading to frost heaves and potholes. These become potential hazards for drivers and pedestrians and are expensive to fix. Now, researchers propose in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering a figurative and literal green solution to improve the durability of roads and sidewalks: an algae-derived asphalt binder. For temperatures below freezing, results indicated that the algae binder reduced asphalt cracks when compared to a conventional, petroleum-based binder.