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Tech & Engineering

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 11-Jun-2026 07:16 ET (11-Jun-2026 11:16 GMT/UTC)

Marty Cooper, Illinois Tech Alumnus and ‘Father of the Cell Phone,’ Receives 2025 Marconi Society Lifetime Achievement Award

Illinois Institute of Technology
Grant and Award Announcement

Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech) university life trustee Marty Cooper (EE ’50, M.S. ’57)—a pioneer in the field of mobile communications who’s considered the “Father of the Cell Phone”—has been awarded the 2025 Marconi Society Lifetime Achievement Award. Cooper, an Illinois Tech alumnus and former professor, was recognized for his lifetime of leadership in wireless communications, entrepreneurship, and public service, and for inspiring others through his work, mentorship, and commitment to improving lives through technology.

Designing transparent armor

University of Pittsburgh
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Using a technique inspired by kirigami, the Japanese art of paper cutting, engineers at the University of Pittsburgh have created transparent barriers that block and absorb electromagnetic interference (EMI) while remaining flexible enough to fold. The researchers have harnessed the power of a single laser to both carbonize and cut polymer films, patterning laser-induced graphene (LIG) into intricate honeycomb designs.

Journal: ACS Applied Engineering Materials

Mayo Clinic researchers develop AI-ECG model to diagnose liver disease earlier

Mayo Clinic
Peer-Reviewed Publication

As rates of obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea increase, cases of advanced chronic liver disease and resulting liver scarring or cirrhosis also are rising. Patients often are diagnosed based on symptoms, such as gastrointestinal bleeding, fluid retention or jaundice, which happen when liver disease has progressed to a late stage. This problem led Mayo Clinic researchers to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) model that resulted in twice the number of advanced chronic liver disease diagnoses in patients without symptoms, helping physicians treat them before the disease had progressed.

Journal: Nature Medicine

mRNA revitalizes aging immune systems—the liver as a fountain of youth

German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Can the weakened immune systems of older individuals be rejuvenated? Researchers from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the HI-STEM* institute, and the Broad Institute have demonstrated that this is possible with an innovative approach. In a study now published in Nature, the team showed that mRNA technology can be used to transform the liver in mice into a temporary source of important immune regulatory factors that are naturally lost during aging. This restores the formation of new immune cells, allowing older animals to develop robust immune responses again and fight tumors effectively.

Journal: Nature

Gut bacteria have evolved rapidly to digest starches in ultra-processed foods

University of California - Los Angeles
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Species of bacteria in the gut microbiome are evolving differently in industrialized and non-industrialized parts of the world, researchers have found. One adaptation that has become prominent in industrialized regions may help the bacteria digest novel starches, such as maltodextrin, found in highly processed foods. Other adaptations appear to also be responding to lifestyle differences in industrialized vs. non-industrialized regions, suggesting that gut bacteria evolve rapidly in response to different diets.

Journal: Nature

A RNA-based molecule enhances therapies against pancreatic cancer

Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia - IIT
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A research group at the Italian Institute of Technology (Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia - IIT) has identified a candidate molecule that could improve current therapies against pancreatic cancer. The team designed the new molecule, called Apt1, using artificial intelligence tools and tested it in in vitro experiments, demonstrating its effectiveness in making tumour cells more vulnerable to chemotherapy drugs. When combined with drugs already in use, the molecule increases the effectiveness of anticancer therapies even at lower dosages than those normally given. The research study has been published in the scientific journal Nature Communications.

Journal: Nature Communications

uOttawa researchers develop AI to protect wireless networks from jamming attacks

University of Ottawa
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Summary:

• University of Ottawa researchers developed a dual-agent AI system that enables wireless networks to autonomously detect and defend against jamming attacks in real-time.

• The technology strengthens Canada's digital infrastructure by protecting critical services including emergency response, healthcare, transportation, and smart city applications.

Journal: IEEE Internet of Things Journal

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prizes 2026

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Grant and Award Announcement

Germany’s most important research funding prize is presented to ten researchers / Prize money of €2.5 million each / Award ceremony to be held in Berlin on 18 March

Soil microbes in Colombia’s páramo and tropical forests respond to seasonal shifts

Higher Education Press
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Soil-dwelling microbes play vital roles in ecosystem functioning, but little is known about how their communities respond to climatic changes in tropical regions. Now, a study by Professor Diana López-Alvarez has demonstrated that microbial communities in the soil of Colombia’s tropical forests and high-altitude páramos are significantly influenced by seasonal changes, particularly during the dry season.

Journal: Soil Ecology Letters