🍄 Living mushroom material could fuel batteries, China’s bullet-like satellites, tough bendable solar cell

In the search for sustainable materials, scientists often face a difficult trade-off. Natural substances like cellulose, lignin, and chitin are biodegradable in their pure form, but lack the performance needed for many applications.

Enhancing them through chemical processing can improve their strength or flexibility, but often at the cost of their environmental benefits. Researchers at Empa’s Cellulose and Wood Materials laboratory have developed a breakthrough material derived from the mycelium of the split-gill mushroom..

The new material is fully biodegradable, tear-resistant, and functionally versatile, achieved without any chemical processing. In fact, it’s so safe, you could even eat it. Dive deeper into this Must-Read.

Reading Time: 4 mins

Did a friend forward this e-mail to you? Subscribe here.

MUST-READ

🍄 Living mushroom material could fuel batteries, replace plastic waste

Mycelium—the root-like network of fungal filaments—is already a subject of interest in sustainable material research. Typically, it undergoes chemical treatment before use, which undermines its biodegradability.

The Empa team, however, uses the living mycelium as is, leveraging its naturally produced extracellular matrix—a network of proteins, polysaccharides, and other biological molecules that give the fungus structure and resilience.

“We combine the proven methods for processing fiber-based materials with the emerging field of living materials,” explained Gustav Nyström, head of the Cellulose and Wood Materials lab.

🛰️ China’s bullet-like satellites could spy on citizens from low orbit

China has completed key early tests for an experimental satellite in very low Earth orbit (VLEO). The country aims to launch a 300-satellite constellation to VLEO capable of high-resolution imaging and remote sensing.

The Chutian-001 satellite was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center a year ago. During tests, it demonstrated core capabilities, a report from the South China Morning Post reveals.

Now, China is looking toward mass deployment as soon as next year. According to its designers, the constellation could eventually provide real-time data on public populations.

☀️ Tough bendable solar cell hits 25% electricity conversion efficiency

A team of scientists in the U.S. has developed a new material that significantly boosts the durability and performance of perovskite solar cells by achieving more than 25 percent sunlight-to-electricity conversion efficiency.

To design the two-dimensional (2D), rugged, weather-resistant shield, researchers at New York’s Cornell University combined two types of perovskite materials, each engineered to support the other at the molecular level.

The hybrid structure acts as a coating that protects the fragile three-dimensional (3D) perovskite beneath it.

Love what you're reading, but too many emails? Sign up to IE+ to get Blueprint Weekly, our exclusive weekly premium newsletter that gives all the insights you love in a more digestible weekly format– plus, enjoy an Ad-Free experience on our website. Try IE+ today for just $1 in the first month. Subscribe here

HOT TOPICS OF THE DAY

SCIENCE

> Researchers have developed what’s said to be the “world’s largest-ever simulations of magnetized turbulence.” (More)

> A new Archaeopteryx fossil has the best-preserved soft tissues and skeletal details ever seen in this species. (More)

> A rogue protein just yanked the plug on cancer’s energy grid. And researchers at the Duke University School of Medicine just figured out how. (More)

ENERGY

> Prodigy Clean Energy and Serco have announced progress on a prototypical test program demonstrating the robustness of Prodigy’s Transportable Nuclear Power Plants (TNPPs) to resist accidental and threat scenarios. (More)

> Realta Fusion, a spin-off from the University of Wisconsin, is hopeful that it will crack the fusion energy puzzle with its innovative bottle-like reactor design. (More)

> US. automotive giant General Motors (GM) and Korean battery leader LG Energy Solution have made a massive breakthrough in electric vehicle (EV) performance by introducing a lithium manganese-rich (LMR) prismatic battery. (More)

INNOVATION

> As the US Air Force is expanding its air power capabilities, the service has revealed some interesting details about its sixth-generation fighter F-47. (More)

> A well-known European firm has unveiled a new system that can reportedly help detect underwater enemy vessels, including submarines, at sea. (More)

> In a groundbreaking fusion of biology and robotics, researchers at Osaka University have developed a novel method to control insect cyborgs using light, eliminating the need for invasive procedures or electrical stimulation. (More)

VIDEO

> Sidelined by flashier rivals like the F-35 and Eurofighter Typhoon, France’s Dassault Rafale spent years under the radar. But through real-world combat, cutting-edge upgrades, and a string of high-profile export wins, it has steadily proven itself as one of the most capable multirole fighters in service today. (More)

> Quantum computing promises revolutionary advances in fields like climate change, healthcare, and finance. But what is a quantum computer, how does it differ from classical computers, and when will it become practical? (More)

FROM THE WEB

> Swarms aren’t just for the sky: how undersea vehicles will help in battle

> World's first ever hydrogen-electric air cargo service is going to launch

> China uses bionic robotic fish in Yangtze River protection

> New form of dark matter could solve decades-old Milky Way mystery

> Digital reconstruction reveals 80 steps of prehistoric life

> Hotter Climate Could Fuel Spread of Dangerous Fungi, Scientists Warn