As stated by the International Energy Agency (IEA), approximately 50 percent of global final energy consumption is dedicated to heating. Yet, the utilization of solar power in this sector remains relatively low compared to fossil energy sources. An inherent problem limiting the widespread usage of solar energy is the intermittency of its direct availability. A promising solution comes in the form of molecular solar energy storage systems. Conventional thermal energy storage strategies store the energy for short periods, e.g., in the form of hot water. In contrast, molecular solar energy storage systems store solar energy in the form of chemical bonds, allowing it to be preserved for several weeks or even months. These specialized molecules – or photoswitches – absorb solar energy and release it later as heat, on demand. However, a key challenge for current photoswitches is the trade-off between energy storage capacity and efficient absorption of solar light, limiting the overall performance. To overcome this issue, research teams at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and the University of Siegen present a novel approach in a collaborative study.

University of Texas at Dallas mechanical engineers have designed a 3D-printed femur that could help doctors prepare for surgeries to repair bones and develop treatments for bone tumors.

The engineers, who worked in collaboration with UT Southwestern Medical Center orthopedic surgeons, published their first study on the 3D-printed thigh bone online Aug. 5 in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research.

The study, which focused on the middle section of the bone, establishes 3D-printing parameters for a femur for use in biomechanical testing. Researchers said more studies will be needed before the technology could be available for widespread use.

Earlier this year, researchers at the Flatiron Institute announced that they had successfully used a classical computer and sophisticated mathematical models to outperform a quantum computer at a task that some thought only quantum computers could solve. Now, those researchers have determined why they were able to trounce the quantum computer at its own game.

MIT researchers designed tiny particles that can be implanted at a cancer tumor site, where they deliver two types of therapy: heat and chemotherapy.

By applying an electric field, the movement of microswimmers can be manipulated. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPI-DS), the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad and the University of Twente, Netherlands, describe the underlying physical principles by comparing experiments and theoretical modeling predictions.  They are able to tune the direction and mode of motion through a microchannel between oscillation, wall adherence and centerline orientation, enabling different interactions with the environment.

With $5 million in support from the U.S. Department of Energy, the University of Kansas and Avium — a startup firm founded by researchers from KU’s School of Engineering — aim to make clean hydrogen more affordable.

The researchers will explore non-viral options for delivering gene therapy to potential DMD patients, specifically “self-delivering” gene editors. They are self-delivering in that they would move through the bloodstream into muscle tissues through a process called endothelial transcytosis, rather than using a viral delivery system.