From ocean pollution to carbon emissions, mixed plastics are an environmental headache. Japanese researchers have now developed a catalyst that selectively degrades polyurethane in mixed plastic waste while leaving coexisting polyester and nylon intact. Using an iridium-based catalyst with a phenolate salt additive and hydrogen gas, the method was successfully tested on blended textiles and end-of-life car seats, offering a practical route to recycling complex plastic combinations long considered too difficult to separate.

A team of researchers developed a radically gentler way to monitor baibies in the neonatal unit: a featherlight, silk-based sticker, smaller than a coin, that quietly reads four critical health signals at once just by changing color.

Rice straw is often returned directly to fields to improve soil health, but in highly saline-sodic soils, where salt, alkalinity, and poor structure slow decomposition, that strategy may not work fast enough. A new study published in Biochar reports that converting rice straw into biochar before returning it to the field can offer a more effective route for sustainable rice production in salt-affected regions.

Antibiotic residues in water are an increasing environmental concern, especially as widely used medicines can pass through human, livestock, and aquaculture systems and enter rivers, groundwater, and soils. Tetracycline, a common broad-spectrum antibiotic, is one such pollutant. Although effective for treating bacterial infections, it can persist in the environment and contribute to ecological risks.

A new study published in Biochar shows that combining green manure with biochar can help farmers reduce nitrogen fertilizer use while improving soil health, water retention, carbon storage, nutrient supply, and microbial activity.

By the time farmers see curling leaves or stunted growth in their fields, their crops may already have spent days under stress. A new innovation in plant “wearable” sensors aims to catch those distress signals earlier—before the plant visibly suffers, allowing farmers to respond and help their crops thrive.

A new materials imaging service is doing something that most microscopy centers in the world cannot: allowing examination of  physical structure, molecular and elemental composition from the macroscale down to the nanoscale—all in only one imaging session

A new analysis published in the journal Prevention Science calls for a major shift in how the United States approaches substance misuse prevention strategies and programs. The findings argue that the current strategy for providing prevention services may not be reaching enough people or providing a worthwhile return on investment. Implementation efforts should instead focus on direct integration into schools, healthcare systems and digital technologies Americans already use every day.