EurekAlert! News by Subject: Tech & Engineering

Tech & Engineering

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 10-Jun-2026 19:15 ET (10-Jun-2026 23:15 GMT/UTC)

26-Jan-2026

Shrubs curb carbon emissions in China’s largest desert

University of California - Riverside
Peer-Reviewed Publication

An experiment in western China over the past four decades shows that it is possible to tame the expansion of desert lands with greenery, and, in the process, pull excess carbon dioxide out of the sky.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

26-Jan-2026

Scientists use AI to develop a precise, safe and fast way to keep CRISPR technology in-check

Monash University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Last year a ten-month old baby in the US was the first person in the world to have their rare genetic disease effectively cured through the use of CRISPR gene editing technology. But the roll out of CRISPR across a wide range of genetic conditions has been hampered by its inconsistency, and its potential to cause harm to healthy genes. Now a team of Melbourne scientists have used AI to develop a fast and accurate way to keep CRISPR in line.

Journal: Nature Chemical Biology

26-Jan-2026

Reducing sodium in everyday foods may yield heart-health benefits across populations

American Heart Association
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Lowering sodium in packaged and prepared foods could significantly improve cardiovascular health and prevent many cases of heart disease, stroke and deaths in the general population in France and the U.K., according to two new research studies published today in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal.

Journal: Hypertension

26-Jan-2026

First-of-its-kind probe monitors fetal health in utero during surgery

Northwestern University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Surgeons operate on fetuses in the womb to repair congenital conditions like spina bifida before birth. Current tools only allow for continuous monitoring of the fetus’s heartbeat but not other vital signs. New soft, flexible device fits through an operative port already used for fetoscopic surgery to track heart rate, blood oxygen levels and temperature. In large animal model, the device accurately and precisely tracked vital signs even as the uterus and fetus were moved during surgery. Device could sense fetal distress sooner, enabling earlier interventions to prevent complications.

Journal: Nature Biomedical Engineering

26-Jan-2026

Citizen science and the challenge of measuring urban sustainability

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Cities are expected to track sustainability progress with data that are often incomplete, outdated, or available only at national level. New research led by IIASA in collaboration with UN-Habitat finds that citizen science could address these gaps and support nearly 70% of global sustainability indicators, yet is currently used in only 4% of cases.