Climate Change

With the use of electric vehicles and grid-scale energy storage systems on the rise, the need to explore alternatives to lithium-ion batteries has never been greater. Tohoku University researchers have recently developed a prototype calcium metal rechargeable battery capable of 500 cycles of repeated charge-discharge - the benchmark for practical use. The breakthrough was made thanks to the development of a copper sulfide nanoparticle/carbon composite cathode and a hydride-based electrolyte.

Mushrooms 🍄get chattier after rainfall 🌧️, Two-organ chip answers fatty liver questions, History maps 🗺️vs future simulations, Restoring vision in blindness. Plus in our blog: Myanmar: Through eyes of leadership. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.

Prioritising climate change, ITEX is encouraging inventors to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation to drive new climate technology

Zinc-air batteries may power the future thanks to their high density, low cost, and nature-friendly makeup. Yet, their low voltage has stymied their widespread application. Now, a research group has realized a zinc-air battery with an open circuit voltage of over 2 V.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are a natural glue to hold stem cells in place, how cancer manipulates our immune cells, and the answer to Everest’s spooky nighttime noises.

Cambodia is leading Southeast Asia's transition to cleaner energy. After submitting its long-term strategy for carbon neutrality to the United Nations, it is now currently working with Singapore to become a major exporter of clean energy in the region.

Marine predators have expanded their ranges into the Arctic waters over the last twenty years, driven by climate change and associated increases in productivity.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are glowing worms named after ghosts, bacteria that can create plastic from thin air, and a water source on the moon.

Scientists from Alliance University, Bangalore, Birla Institute of Technology Mesra, Inha University, Hanyang University, South Korea, and Newcastle University in Singapore have developed a new and straightforward approach to turn used COVID-19 facemasks into potential absorbent materials that can be employed for carbon capture from atmosphere.

Scientists restore impaired kidney for the first time, How fibre composite fails when wet, Cleaner fish recognize themselves in pictures 🖼️🐟& The source of black carbon in the sea. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice. Plus our magazine Asia Research News 2023 is out now 🎉!

Tree rings forecast extreme weather in central Asia, Squid 🦑and chemistry make versatile hydrogels, James Webb telescope reveals the earliest galaxies & Reducing negative effects of screen time. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice. Plus our latest journalist resource "Experts for Media: Antimicrobial Resistance "🦠.

Hydrothermal vents have been identified as a previously undiscovered source of dissolved black carbon in the oceans, furthering the understanding of the role of oceans as a carbon sink.

Traditional hydrogen peroxide production is energy and emission intensive, and so scientists have sought to synthesize it electrochemically. But tailoring the cobalt-nitrogen-carbon (Co-N-C) catalyst has been challenging. Using a theoretical prediction, which was then experimentally verified, an international research group has designed a Co-N-C catalyst that alleviates this problem.

The study is an important step towards the understanding of long-term changes in the water cycle and will aid in more informed decisions when assessing and managing regional water systems.

Data stored in ice cores dating back 55 years bring new insight into atmospheric levels of a molecule that can significantly affect weather and climate.

Overeating mechanism: why "eating just one chip"🍟 is impossible, Measuring hidden energy of gamma-ray bursts, Marine species that can adapt to ocean acidification & A rough start can lead to a strong bond, Read all in our first Editor's Choice of 2023. Plus our interview on what dengue vaccine approval in EU💉means for global dengue protection.

Magnesium hydride has long been touted for its potential to store large amounts of hydrogen, something essential if hydrogen is to play a role in powering a sustainable future. Yet, sluggish dehydrogenation kinetics and the high temperature required to decompose and produce hydrogen from the material have stymied its use. Now, researchers have identified why this is so, paving the way for future design guidelines and widespread commercial use.

International research co-authored by The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) found that a major type of marine species can adapt to ocean acidification. Considered a major breakthrough in marine biology research, the findings were recently published in the prestigious academic journal Nature Climate Change.

Reef corals provide an accurate, high-resolution record of the influence of the El Niño Southern Oscillation on rainfall, flooding and droughts in the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam.

Tin sulfide (SnS) solar cells have shown immense promise in the rush to develop more environmentally friendly thin-film solar cells. Yet for years SnS solar cells have struggled to achieve a high conversion efficiency. To overcome this, a SnS interface exhibiting large band bending was necessary, something a research group has recently achieved.

A new model explains that water evaporating from the Arctic Ocean due to a warming climate is transported south and can lead to increased snowfall in northern Eurasia in late autumn and early winter. This information will allow for more accurate predictions of severe weather events.

With the shift to electric cars a cumbersome process, improvements to exhaust gas purification in petrol or diesel cars are crucial in the fight to reduce emissions. A research group at Tohoku University’s Graduate School of Engineering has developed a Cerium-Zirconium-based oxide that boosts the purifying qualities of ceramics inside catalytic converters - a device attached to conventional cars that converts harmful gases to less-toxic pollutants.

Scientists in Singapore show that restoring natural water availability to the Mekong’s floodplains is possible

Osaka Metropolitan University scientists conducted a 7-year study on seedling recruitment and mortality in a national park in Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand. During the study period, an extremely strong El Niño event occurred, leading to a stronger and longer drought than normal. Seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTFs), which experience an annual dry season, are considered drought-tolerant. Nevertheless, the study found that seedling mortality increased in SDTFs when severe and prolonged drought occurred. The mortality rate was greater in evergreen forests at higher elevations that usually experience less severe drought than in deciduous forests at lower elevations where severe drought is more common. The study results advance the understanding of the effects of El Niño on seedling dynamics in SDTFs.

The Natural Disasters Expo will be held in Asia this year on the 7th & 8th December at the Singapore Expo, welcoming experts from around the globe to showcase the latest revolutionary solutions to natural disaster management and mitigation.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are scaling up production of a zombie fungus, the critical eye of female dogs, and enlightenment available on your smartphone.

Scientists have uncovered new details of how ice forming below the ocean surface in Antarctica provides cold dense water that sinks to the seabed in an important aspect of global water circulation.

The project will apply Indonesia’s Institut Teknologi Bandung's (ITB) specialized expertise in chemical reaction engineering to probe optimization of ammonia firing. Target set on achieving cleaner power generation in Indonesia, based on demonstration testing with H-25 gas turbine.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are what happens when the sun goes to sleep, creating a silk stronger than a spider, and a robot that can laugh with you.

Only satellites were watching when the world's fourth-largest proglacial lake suddenly drained in 2020. Hokkaido University researchers now uncovered the event and analysed the cause—the collapse of a sediment bump at the outlet of the lake.