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Solar panels, windturbines and a nuclear plant, Borssele, The Netherlands

Can nuclear power work with renewables to achieve net zero?

By Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

Decarbonising electricity in the UK is far from straightforward. Government plans for the nation’s future electricity supply rely heavily on renewables, supported by gas power during periods of low renewable output. In this article, Professor Juan Matthews considers how nuclear energy can provide an alternative to gas power and support a future renewables-heavy grid, and […]

Scientist with clipboard in a biotechnology lab.

Regional policy for biomanufacturing in the North-West chemical sector

Dr Neil Dixon By Filed Under: Environment, Research and development, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

There is an urgent need for the chemical manufacturing sector to transition to alternative, sustainable carbon-based feedstocks, moving away from reliance on petrochemical sources. Large urban areas, such as the north-west of England, generate substantial amounts of waste rich in carbon, which are processed for energy generation via direct incineration or biogas production. Here, Dr […]

A scientist working with a bioreactor.

Building the bioeconomy

A profile picture of Professor Aline Miller By Filed Under: Research and development, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology, UK economy Posted:

Current manufacturing processes across all industrial sectors rely on petrochemicals, either to power them, or as starting points for their product. This over reliance on finite fossil resources is having a detrimental impact on the health of the world and its population. Professor Aline Miller explains how industrial biotechnology can break this addiction to petrochemicals […]

Battery storage compound within an arid environment in the foreground with an orange sunset in the background.

Energy consumption: solving the storage problem

Robert Dryfe Photograph By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

To combat climate change, all developed economies have set the goal of carbon-neutrality by 2050. This means securing more energy from renewable sources. Achieving a high proportion of renewable energy production in the UK and other developed countries is only possible with suitable energy storage infrastructure, to bridge periods of low or no power generation from […]

3d rendered image of stem cells

Regulation of human embryo models is urgent

By and Filed Under: Health and Care, Research and development, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

Human embryo models are created from stem cells and provide opportunities to study early embryo development in ways that would generally be impermissible if real human embryos were used. Here, Dr Jonathan Lewis and Professor Soren Holm argue that with human embryo models becoming more advanced, regulations governing human embryo research need to be established […]

Image of microfibres under a microscope.

Untangling the threads: addressing microfibre pollution

Headshot of Libby Allen. Libby pictured smiling in to camera, wearing black top.Headshot of Jingyi Li, pictured smiling into camera. By , and Filed Under: All posts, Environment, Science and Engineering Posted:

As clothes are washed and worn, tiny fibres below 5mm in length are broken off or released from the fabric itself, which are called microfibres. With increasing concerns over the persistence of this pollution, Libby Allen, Dr Claudia Henninger and Jingyi Li are exploring preventative solutions to reduce pollution released from the laundering of clothes. […]

A lead-acid solar home system battery being refurbished

Electricity access vs toxic lead pollution: tackling waste from solar power in sub-Saharan Africa

Dr Christopher KinallyDr Alejandro Gallego Schmid By and Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Science and Engineering Posted:

Millions of short-lived solar energy devices are being sold to households across sub-Saharan Africa each year as a strategy to increase access to electricity. However, the current lack of infrastructure to safely manage the resulting toxic waste flow raises significant environmental, human health, and social justice concerns. Here, Dr Christopher Kinally and Dr Alejandro Gallego […]

Unjamming the (bio)printer: how can regulatory reform unleash new and advanced biomaterials?

By Filed Under: Health and Care, Research and development, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

3D bioprinting technologies hold huge potential to transform patient care and treatment, delivering the next generation of personalised medicine. But current legislative boundaries are poorly defined, and the pathways to approval are unclear, creating unnecessary delays and costs in getting these new technologies to patients. Here, Dr Marco Domingos from the Bioprinting Technology Platform argues […]

An Asian female agronomist works in a watermelon greenhouse

A silicon revolution for sustainable farming

Professor Bruce Grieve headshot By Filed Under: All posts, Environment, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

An increasing population, political pressures, and severe weather events are all putting global food production at risk. The use of AI in agriculture could help farmers and agricultural decision makers to access more accurate data to improve productivity and sustainability. In this article, from our publication On Resilience, Professor Bruce Grieve explores the future of […]

Sparking change: the rush to electrify

By , and Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering Posted:

The environmental threats of climate change and extreme weather are forcing us to rethink our energy production and usage. As a society, we know how to produce clean low-carbon electricity and deliver it to customers in a reliable, efficient and economical manner. In this article, from our publication On Resilience, Dr Robin Preece, Dr Eduardo […]

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