A new, more life-like physical model of microscopic nerve fibres called axons could speed up the discovery of medicines for multiple sclerosis and other degenerative brain diseases, suggests a new study led by University College London (UCL) researchers.

When donning an augmented or mixed reality headset, typing via air gestures can be tiring. To remedy this, researchers at Tohoku University developed an approach that turns everyday surfaces into keyboards.

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) and Gobi Partners held the “HKU Entrepreneurship Engine Fund × Gobi Partners” joint fund first close and first batch of investment ceremony, jointly announcing the launch of the Gobi–HKU Fund I. The fund is structured under HKU’s Entrepreneurship Engine Fund (EEF) as a joint fund operated in a fund-of-funds format, aiming to support the development of startups and foster Hong Kong’s innovation and technology ecosystem. The fund will focus on investing in high-potential HKU spin-off startups, providing capital, talent, and strategic support to transform cutting-edge research into globally impactful application solutions.  

Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) is a highly promising large-area, high-throughput manufacturing technique that transfers nanoscale patterns through a mold replication-imprint-demolding process. Yet defects introduced during demolding are often unavoidable and can compromise device reliability. Now, teams from China and Singapore report a strategy in Science Bulletin that integrates NIL with topological protection to realize visible‑band nanolaser devices that remain stable even in the presence of defects or disorder.

Harbin Institute of Technology researchers propose a new terrain-aware framework for jointly optimising coverage, connectivity, and cost, enabling the first system-level design of laser power-beaming networks for extreme exploration tasks in the Moon’s permanently shadowed regions

Six partners from research and industry, including Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), the Fritz-Haber-Institute of the Max Planck Society (FHI), BASF, Dunia Innovations, Siemens Energy, and the Technical University Berlin are launching a joint project to accelerate the catalyst discovery. The German Federal Ministry for Science, Technology and Space (BMFTR) is providing €30 million in funding for ASCEND (Accelerated Solutions for Catalysis using Emerging Nanotechnology and Digital Innovation). The research initiative targets the defossilisation of energy-intensive industries while safeguarding industrial competitiveness, with a focus on the chemical sector. The five-year project will start on 1^st April 2026.

Assessing the health impacts of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in cetaceans is challenging due to ethical constraints on live animal testing. This study developed a predictive "QIVIVE" model for finless porpoises. By calculating the "freely dissolved concentration" of POPs using a mass distribution model, we discovered that current environmental exposure levels pose a low risk to cell viability. This novel framework enables precise, ethical chemical risk assessments for marine mammals.