Researchers review how hydrogel-based wearable devices can collect and analyze sweat to monitor health biomarkers like glucose, lactate, and electrolytes. These flexible, biocompatible sensors offer a non-invasive alternative to blood tests for real-time health tracking.

Scientists have designed a new type of gas sensor that can tell apart “mirror image” versions of the same smell molecule, even at very low concentrations. By coating carbon nanotubes with custom-built sugar-based receptors, the sensor can spot tiny structural differences in common volatile compounds like terpenes. This approach could help power future “electronic noses” for non-invasive medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and quality control in food, beverages, and fragrances.

The proliferation of rooftop solar panels and distributed batteries in residential neighborhoods has created new challenges for power grid operators. Blockchain technology is emerging as a promising solution for enabling secure energy trading among these networked communities. However, designing a blockchain system that can handle the real-time operational requirements and cybersecurity concerns of actual power systems remains a critical challenge. To address this issue, researchers at Illinois Institute of Technology developed and tested a permissioned blockchain system on networked microgrids connecting the IllinoisTech campus with the Bronzeville community in Chicago, demonstrating significant cost savings and revenue increases for participating neighborhoods.

In a study published in Nature Chemistry, Rutgers chemist Yuwei Gu and a team of Rutgers scientists have shown that by borrowing a principle from nature, they can create plastics that break down under everyday conditions without heat or harsh chemicals.

Denitrification is essential to remove toxic nitric oxide from industrial emissions and polluted water. So far, the industrial process has involved high temperatures. Professor Kitagishi’s group accidentally stumbled upon a new chemical mechanism of denitrification at room temperature and in aqueous solution. They report hemoCD-I/P supramolecules that bind nitric oxide and release nitrogen when in acidic glycine-containing solution. This pioneering finding will aid industrial denitrification and accelerate efforts to protect the environment.