Researchers in Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Department of Chemical Engineering and at The University of Akron have published research in Chemical Engineering Journal about a new technology that seeks to solve long-standing challenges in plastic recycling that limit the overwhelming majority of plastics to a single use and contribute to the accumulation of plastic waste.

A team of researchers at Penn State including Joseph Najem, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, Dor Tillinger, doctoral candidate of mechanical engineering and Wonbae Lee, doctoral candidate of engineering science and mechanics, used a state-of-the-art fabrication method to layer multiple types of hydrogels in a specific pattern that mimics the ionic processes electric eels use to generate electrical bursts. Their approach produces power sources with higher power densities than other hydrogel-based designs, while remaining flexible, support-free, environmentally stable and biologically compatible.

A LIST patented technology that is at the heart of a collaborative project has won what is known to be the “Oscars” of the composites world: the JEC Composites Innovation Awards 2026. 

 

The recognized project, the Highly Loaded Thermoplastic Wing Rib demonstrator, was initiated by Daher, an industry leader in composite manufacturing for aerospace and aeronautics, in close collaboration with partners including Victrex, CETIM and AniForm. Within the project, the Structural Composites Unit at LIST played a key technological role by developing and applying its patented infrared welding process, which enables the rapid and lightweight assembly of thick carbon-fibre-reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) components. This welding solution makes it possible to assemble two elementary parts into a T-shaped wing rib without mechanical fasteners. This contributes to weight reduction, cost efficiency and recyclability.

Being recognized with a JEC Innovation Award, selected from a competitive global pool of roughly 154 submissions, with only 33 finalists chosen across all categories, not only highlights LIST’s technical and industrial impact, but also places Luxembourg firmly on the global composites innovation map. This prestigious international accolade reinforces that Luxembourg’s strategic investments in research, industrial partnerships, and advanced material technologies are producing globally competitive outcomes.

For quantum computers to function, they must be kept at extremely low temperatures. However, today’s cooling systems also generate noise that interferes with the fragile quantum information they are meant to protect. Now, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed an entirely new type of minimal quantum "refrigerator", which is partly driven by the noise itself. This refrigerator enables very precise control over heat and energy flows and could play an important role in scaling up quantum technology.

A surface capable of responding to chemical signals generated by microorganisms and automatically producing biocidal substances – this is not a futuristic vision, but a description of how the B-STING silica nanocomposite works. The new material, developed at the Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences in Cracow, acts as a nanofactory of reactive oxygen species, activating itself only when necessary.

RNA viruses' rapid evolution challenges conventional diagnostics like reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction, as mutations can cause detection failures. Researchers from the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology prospected a dual-strategy for RNA virus detection in Medicine Plus: mutation-tolerant broad screening and precise variant discrimination. Integrating these into portable, multiplex devices using real-time genomic data is key for effective public health responses.