Category: 7. Science

In a new study published in Nature, researchers from the University of Oxford have unveiled an engineered food supplement designed to address critical nutrient deficiencies in honeybee colonies.

This new product, developed through advanced synthetic biology techniques, could significantly enhance colony reproduction rates and provide a sustainable solution to the alarming decline of honeybee populations.

As agricultural practices and climate change continue to diminish floral diversity, honeybees are increasingly deprived of the essential nutrients found in natural pollen.

Traditional artificial pollen substitutes, primarily composed of protein flour, sugars and oils, fail to deliver the necessary sterols vital for bee health.

Recognising this gap, the research team collaborated with institutions including the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and the Technical University of Denmark to engineer a yeast, Yarrowia lipolytica, capable of producing a precise blend of six key sterols.

Lead author Dr Elynor Moore (Department of Biology, University of Oxford at the time of the study, now Delft University of Technology) said: “For bees, the difference between the sterol-enriched diet and conventional bee feeds would be comparable to the difference for humans between eating balanced, nutritionally complete meals and eating meals missing essential nutrients like essential fatty acids”.

She continued: “Using precision fermentation, we are now able to provide bees with a tailor-made feed that is nutritionally complete at the molecular level”.

The three-month feeding trials conducted in controlled environments demonstrated compelling results. Colonies that received the sterol-enriched diet reared up to 15 times more larvae to the viable pupal stage compared to those on conventional diets.

Furthermore, colonies on the engineered diet maintained brood production throughout the study, while those on sterol-deficient diets ceased after 90 days.

This breakthrough suggests that the engineered supplement not only matches the nutritional profile of naturally foraged pollen but also enhances the overall health and productivity of honeybee colonies.

The implications of this engineered supplement extend beyond bee health; they resonate deeply within the F&B sector, where honeybees play a crucial role in pollinating over 70% of leading global crops.

With commercial honeybee colony losses in the US ranging from 40% to 50% annually, and projections suggesting even higher rates in the coming years, this innovation offers a promising avenue for mitigating risks to food security and biodiversity.

Danielle Downey, executive director of the non-profit Project Apis m, said: “We rely on honey bees to pollinate one in three bites of our food, yet bees face many stressors. Good nutrition is one way to improve their resilience to these threats, and in landscapes with dwindling natural forage for bees, a more complete diet supplement could be a game changer”.

While initial results are promising, further large-scale field trials are necessary to assess long-term impacts on colony health and pollination efficiency. If successful, the supplement could be commercially available to farmers within two years.

Additionally, the technology behind this product may pave the way for dietary supplements tailored for other pollinators and farmed insects, further enhancing sustainable agricultural practices.

Researchers have developed glowing plants that shine in vivid shades of green, red, and blue, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional lighting systems. The study, published in the journal Matter, reveals how succulents infused with afterglow phosphor particles can naturally absorb sunlight or LED light and gradually release it, creating a soft glow lasting up to two hours. Unlike earlier attempts that struggled with dim or uneven results, this breakthrough allows plants to emit multicolour luminescence bright enough to rival small night lights. Inspired by the glowing forests of Avatar, scientists envision plant-based lighting transforming urban spaces, gardens, and homes into eco-friendly, bioluminescent environments that reduce energy consumption while blending nature with futuristic design.

South China Agricultural University develops sustainable glow-in-the-dark succulent plants

Scientists from South China Agricultural University, led by first author Shuting Liu as reported in CellPress (Matter), created glow-in-the-dark succulents that recharge naturally under sunlight or LED light. These plants shine with enough brightness to rival small night lamps, offering a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to artificial lighting.The research team used afterglow phosphor particles—materials capable of absorbing and slowly releasing light—giving the plants a vibrant glow that lasts up to two hours after exposure. “Picture the glowing forests from Avatar, where luminescent plants light up entire landscapes,” Liu explains. “Our goal was to make this vision a reality with materials already available in the lab. Imagine glowing trees replacing conventional streetlights.”Beyond aesthetics, this discovery holds immense potential in urban planning, architecture, and sustainable design, where plant-based illumination could reduce energy consumption while creating futuristic landscapes.

Micron-sized phosphor particles enable bright multicolour glowing succulents

For years, scientists struggled with plant luminescence due to technical limitations:

To overcome this, the team introduced micron-sized afterglow particles (>5 μm) into Echeveria ‘Mebina’, a succulent with a unique leaf microstructure. Its narrow, evenly distributed internal channels allowed particles to diffuse uniformly, resulting in bright, multicolour luminescence without compromising plant health.

Succulents power low-cost glowing plant wall with bright, sustained luminescence

Unlike earlier attempts, this technique bypasses the traditional trade-off between particle size and brightness. The succulents demonstrated a bright, sustained glow after just minutes of light exposure—either from natural sunlight or indoor LEDs.While non-succulent plants like golden pothos and bok choy were also tested, only succulents produced strong luminescence due to their structural efficiency in dispersing particles.Liu admitted the results were surprising: “We expected plants with airy tissue structures to perform better, but succulents diffused particles within seconds, lighting up their entire leaves.” To showcase real-world applications, the researchers constructed a glowing succulent wall with 56 plants arranged together. This wall produced enough brightness to illuminate nearby objects and even allowed researchers to read text without additional lighting.Each plant required only 10 minutes of preparation and cost about 10 yuan ($1.4 USD) excluding labor—highlighting its low-cost, scalable potential.

Future applications of plant-based lighting

Although the glow fades gradually and long-term safety studies are still underway, the findings open up new possibilities:

Researchers continue exploring how to expand the technique beyond succulents, aiming for larger plants and trees that could replace low-intensity streetlights in the future.This pioneering research not only demonstrates a practical method for multicolour glowing plants, but also brings us closer to an era where living organisms can serve as natural lighting sources. If scalable, this technology could dramatically reduce reliance on artificial lighting systems, merging biology and sustainability in ways once seen only in science fiction.Also Read | Blood Moon lunar eclipse on September 7: When and where to watch the rare total lunar eclipse in India

Humans have always been curious about the existence of aliens or heavenly bodies, that expand our understanding of the universe. And sometimes an interstellar object passes by our solar system carrying secrets from distant star systems. These cosmic refugees travel unfathomable distances across space and time before being captured in our telescopes’ fields of view.This time, an icy traveler from beyond is moving silently through space, and as this visitor ventures closer to our Sun, astronomers are racing to capture every precious morsel of data, knowing that once it passes, it will be gone and might not be in the reach of astronomers for research.Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS has been spotted by scientists using the Near‑Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) instrument of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). JWST trained its infrared vision on the object on August 6, 2025, marking a landmark first study of its kind, according to NASA.

What happened when it approached the Sun

As 3I/ATLAS approached the Sun, its icy interior began turning directly into gas, and this process is called “outgassing”. This creates the hazy halo, or coma, that surrounds a comet. NIRSpec detected a potent mix of gases and solids, including carbon dioxide, water, water ice, carbon monoxide, and even the smelly carbonyl sulfide.

The content ratio of the comet was unusual!

According to the study published by Cornell University, the carbon dioxide-to-water mixing ratio was around 8, making it one of the highest ever recorded in a comet. As the researchers wrote in the study, “Our observations are compatible with an intrinsically CO₂‑rich nucleus, which may indicate that 3I/ATLAS contains ices exposed to higher levels of radiation than Solar System comets, or that it formed close to the CO₂ ice line in its parent protoplanetary disk”.

Comet 3I/ATLAS dominated by CO2 (Photo: NASA)

This composition might have happened as the comet might have formed either in a colder region where carbon dioxide froze early, known as the CO₂ ice line or it may have been irradiated over eons in space, building up its unusual composition.Another possibility is that a reflective or insulating crust is keeping heat from reaching deeper layers, which suppresses water ice from sublimating as rapidly as CO₂ and CO.

How is 3I/ATLAS different from other comets

What makes 3I/ATLAS different from other comets is that it came from outside our solar system, which makes it an interstellar comet, and it is only the third ever discovered. Unlike most comets we know, which formed around our Sun, 3I/ATLAS was born in another star system and traveled across space for millions of years.

Image: Daily Mail

According to Space.com, 3I/ATLAS may have formed in a zone cloud of gas and dust called a protoplanetary disk that surrounded the young star it came from. In that area, temperatures were low enough for carbon dioxide to freeze into solid ice, while other gases stayed in gas form.There’s less water vapour in the comet’s coma than expected. This could mean that something in the comet’s structure is blocking heat from reaching deep inside, preventing water ice from turning into gas as easily as carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide.

Clinical presentation and disease progression

A 42-year-old female power plant worker was admitted to our respiratory department on August 1, 2021, due to a recurrent cough and sputum production that had persisted for over eight years and worsened in the past week. One week prior to admission, following a common cold, the patient experienced a recurrence of symptoms accompanied by a low-grade afternoon fever ranging from 37.5 to 37.8 °C. She reported occasional chest tightness, dyspnea, and palpitations, which were relieved by rest.

On physical examination, bilateral coarse breath sounds were noted, with a few moist rales in the lower lung fields. Laboratory investigations revealed no significant abnormalities in routine blood tests, C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin. Initial bacterial smears showed Gram-positive cocci and Gram-negative bacilli, but no acid-fast bacilli were detected. The tuberculosis γ-interferon test was negative. Thyroid function tests revealed elevated thyroid peroxidase antibodies (398.1 U/mL), an erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) of 22 mm/h, and a positive purified protein derivative (PPD) test with a 10 mm induration. Thyroid ultrasound indicated diffuse thyroid disease suggestive of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Chest CT demonstrated scattered nodules and high-density spots in both lungs, along with traction bronchiectasis in the right middle lobe (Fig. 1A).

The patient was treated with clarithromycin (1,000 mg every other day), rifampin (600 mg every other day), and ethambutol (750 mg every other day), as the mNGS on August 6, 2021 (refer to the mNGS analysis section) indicated the presence of NTM. The treatment continued for 17 months. In April 2023, chest CT revealed new patchy ground-glass opacities in the right upper lobe and increased bilateral lung inflammation (Fig. 1B). T cell subsets in the blood showed increased helper T lymphocytes (45.14%) and decreased cytotoxic T lymphocytes (12.93%), with the absolute count of cytotoxic T lymphocytes being 258.69 cells/µL. CD3 + CD4+/CD3 + CD8 + ratio was 3.49 (normal 0.7–2.8). Considering the absence of significant clinical improvement after a 17-month antibiotic regimen, and in light of recommendations from clinical practice guidelines of leading international respiratory medicine and infectious diseases societies³⁹ as well as empirical regimens for Mycobacterium paraffinicum⁴⁰the treatment was subsequently was adjusted to include amikacin (0.4 g daily, IV), azithromycin (0.5 g daily), ciprofloxacin (1,000 mg daily), and linezolid (600 mg twice daily). By July 28, 2023, the patient’s symptoms had improved, with significant absorption of lung lesions on chest CT, though right middle lobe bronchiectasis persisted (Fig. 1C). The treatment regimen was continued with azithromycin (0.5 g daily), ciprofloxacin (1,000 mg daily), and linezolid (300 mg twice daily), which has been ongoing for a year. The most recent CT scan on June 18, 2024, showed further reduction and absorption of multiple centrilobular nodules in both lower lungs, along with a reduction in traction bronchiectasis in the right middle lobe (Fig. 1D).

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing analysis

We performed three rounds of mNGS, with total nucleic acids for each analysis independently extracted from freshly collected BALF samples at the respective time points. In the initial round of mNGS of BALF (SRA accession number SRR30415380) conducted on August 6, 2021, we detected one sequence attributed to Mycobacterium intracellulare (M. intracellulare). It is crucial to note that this sequence is not exclusive to M. intracellulare but is also common among other species of NTM. A repeat BALF mNGS on April 25, 2023, identified Nocardia cyriacigeorgica (171 sequences), Mycobacterium paraffinicum (M. paraffinicum, 41 sequences), and Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (2 sequences). Although a relatively high sequence count of Nocardia cyriacigeorgica was detected, metagenomic sequencing cannot distinguish colonization from infection. Given that Nocardia species are common environmental saprophytes and transient colonizers in immunocompromised hosts, combined with the absence of typical nocardiosis symptoms or radiological features and the patient’s improvement with NTM-targeted therapy alone, we interpreted its detection as incidental colonization rather than active infection. Notably, a total of 676 sequences were classified at the genus level as Mycobacterium, suggesting the potential presence of a novel species that could not be confidently assigned to any known species (SRA accession number SRR30415381). On June 20, 2023, another mNGS of BALF detected M. paraffinicum (110 sequences), while 1,181 sequences were identified at the genus level as Mycobacterium (SRA accession number SRR30415382). The classification of some sequences as M. paraffinicum suggests that this potential new NTM species may be highly similar to M. paraffinicum, further complicating precise species-level identification.

Results of rapid genetic detection and bacterial isolation and characterization

Rapid genetic detection of TB/NTM infections and screening for drug resistance genes, conducted on BALF using the DNA microarray method, also confirmed the presence of Mycobacterium species, but Mycobacterium tuberculosis was not detected. Additionally, no resistance genes for isoniazid or rifampin were identified. A mycobacterial strain was successfully isolated from BALF and subsequently subjected to further characterization on July 13, 2023. The Mycobacterium culture showed growth of smooth colonies with yellow pigmentation on Löwenstein-Jensen (LJ) medium regardless of light exposure, indicative of carotenoid production, a characteristic feature of certain scotochromogenic NTM species (Fig. 2A). Acid-fast staining was positive, revealing pink or red rod-shaped bacilli (Fig. 2B).

Colonial morphology (A) and acid-fast staining property (B) of Mycobacterium hainanense. (A) Yellow-pigmented colonies of Mycobacterium hainanense HNNTM2301 grown on Löwenstein-Jensen medium. The colonies exhibit characteristic slow growth and pigmentation typical of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). (B) Acid-fast staining of HNNTM2301 reveals typical pink or red rod-shaped bacteria. This staining method confirms the presence of mycobacteria due to their mycolic acid-rich cell walls, which retain the dye.

Phylogenetic analysis, DNA-DNA hybridization and average nucleotide identity

The whole genome sequencing (WGS) of the isolated strain HNNTM2301 was conducted, and the raw sequencing reads and assembled genome were uploaded to the NCBI SRA database (accession number SRR33114765 and SRR33114766) and RefSeq database (accession number GCF_041890355.1) respectively. The values of digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) and average nucleotide identity (ANI), along with phylogenetic analysis, were then used to compare our isolated strain with 103 representative genomes of the genus Mycobacterium in the RefSeq database to confirm the species (Fig. 3). The whole-genome phylogenetic tree grouped our strain with M. paraffinicum and Mycobacterium nebraskense (M. nebraskense) in the same subcluster. Pairwise comparisons showed dDDH (d4) and ANI values between our strain and the representative genomes of Mycobacterium, with both the highest values observed for M. nebraskense (accession number GCF_001021495.1): 34.3% for dDDH and 88.07% for ANI (Fig. 3). These values are below the thresholds of 70% for dDDH and 95–96% for ANI, which are used for bacterial species delineation^32,41. The dDDH and ANI values between strain HNNTM2301 and the remaining closest five type strains M. paraffinicum, M. seoulense, M. parascrofulaceum, M. paraseoulense, and M. scrofulaceum, were all approximately 33.3% and 87.8%, respectively (Fig. 3). A further ANI comparison of our strain with a total of 8,139 Mycobacterium genomes available in the RefSeq database showed the highest value to M. paraffinicum (accession number GCF_001907675.1) and M. scrofulaceum (accession number GCF_001667885.1), with similarities of 92.06% and 91.74%, respectively.

Phylogenetic tree and pairwise comparisons of genome size, GC content, dDDH (d4) and ANI values between Mycobacterium hainanense HNNTM2301 and type strains of Mycobacterium. The phylogenetic tree was inferred using EasyCGTree software based on 120 single-copy protein-coding genes and rooted at the midpoint. The strain we isolated in this study was named Mycobacterium hainanense. The genomes of 103 type strains of Mycobacterium were downloaded from the RefSeq database accessed on March 26, 2024. The maximum-likelihood phylogeny shows the genome size, GC content, and pairwise comparisons of dDDH (d4) and ANI values between M. hainanense and other Mycobacterium species.

Identification of isolates by multilocus analysis

The gene sequences of 16 S rRNA (1493 bp), hsp65 (441 bp), rpoB (752 bp) and sodA (464 bp) were aligned separately for strain HNNTM2301 and the 103 reference mycobacterial strains using a multiple alignment algorithm, followed by the construction of phylogenetic trees. The phylogenetic tree based on the 16 S rRNA gene sequences revealed that the isolated strain HNNTM2301 was most closely related to type strain of M. scrofulaceum and M. paraffinicum with a bootstrap value of 80 (Fig. 4A). Additionally, the online BLAST analysis results for the 16 S rRNA of strain HNNTM2301 showed the closest match (99.8%) with M. paraffinicum strain ATCC 12670.

Phylogenetic relationships of strain HNNTM2301 with other species of the genus Mycobacterium based on the 16 S rRNA gene (A), rpoB gene (B), hsp65 gene (C) and sodA gene (D). These trees were reconstructed using the neighbor-joining method with the Kimura 2-parameter distance correction model. Bootstrap values were calculated from 1,000 replications. Bootstrap values below 50% are not shown. Subtrees that are collapsed are represented as filled circles, with the circle size indicating the number of strains in each subtree. The 16 S rRNA gene was not detected in the genome of the type strain of Mycobacterium uberis (GCF_003408705.1), while the sodA gene was absent in the type strain of Mycobacterium gallinarum (GCF_010726765.1), Mycobacterium barrassiae (GCF_025822765.1) and Mycobacterium neglectum (GCF_002591975.1).

The phylogenetic analysis based on the partial rpoB gene sequences supported the grouping of strain HNNTM2301, M. nebraskense and M. paraffinicum in the rpoB gene-based tree with a bootstrap value of 91 (Fig. 4B). Sequence similarities for rpoB between strain HNNTM2301 and the representative M. nebraskense and M. paraffinicum were 96.54% and 95.48%, respectively.

In the hsp65-sequence-based phylogenetic analysis, strain HNNTM2301 was clustered with M. palustre, M. paraense, M. parmense and M. alsense. However, the bootstrap value of the group was below 50 (Fig. 4C). Sequence similarities for hsp65 between strain HNNTM2301 and type strain of M. palustre, M. paraense, M. parmense and M. alsense were 95.92%, 96.37%, 96.15%, and 96.83%, respectively. Based on a further online BLAST analysis, we found that the highest similarities to HNNTM2301 were with M. scrofulaceum (GenBank: GQ478700.1) and M. parascrofulaceum (GenBank: HM454226.1), at 99.55% and 99.32% respectively.

Also, a phylogenetic tree based on sodA gene sequences revealed that strain HNNTM2301 clustered together with M. scrofulaceum, M. paraseoulense, M. seoulense, M. nebraskense, and M. paraffinicum (Fig. 4D). Gene sequence similarities among these strains showed that the closest phylogenetic relationship was between strain HNNTM2301 and M. seoulense (93.75% sequence similarity).

Taken together, the uniqueness of four independent gene sequences (16 S rRNA, rpoB, hsp65, and sodA) together with the lower DNA-DNA relatedness and whole genomic similarity support the suggestion that strain HNNTM2301 is delineated from M. paraffinicum, M. nebraskense and M. scrofulaceum which are the most closely related species (Table 1). It was concluded that the strain represents a novel species for which the name Mycobacterium hainanense sp. nov. is proposed with type strain HNNTM2301.

Genome characterization and functional analysis

The genome of strain HNNTM2301 was sequenced and assembled into a 5,800,079 bp circular chromosome with a GC content of 67.88% (Fig. 5). The genome contained 5,396 coding sequences, 47 tRNA genes, 3 rRNA genes (including 23 S rRNA, 16 S rRNA, and 5 S rRNA), and 3 ncRNAs genes. The genome sequence and its annotation information were submitted to the NCBI database under accession number NZ_CP169059. Based on the WGS-predicted phenotype, no resistance was detected against streptomycin, amikacin, bedaquiline, ethambutol, isoniazid, rifampicin, or linezolid.

Circular representation of the genome of Mycobacterium hainanense HNNTM2301. This circular genome map comprises six concentric rings: the first and fourth rings represent coding sequences (CDS) on the forward and reverse strands, with colors denoting COG functional categories; the second and third rings display CDS, tRNA, and rRNA genes on the forward and reverse strands; the fifth ring depicts GC content, where outward peaks indicate regions with higher GC content and inward peaks denote lower GC content relative to the genome average; the sixth ring presents GC-Skew values, calculated as (G − C)/(G + C), which reflect strand-specific GC composition.

COG analysis annotated 4,228 genes, categorized into 23 functional groups. The majority of genes were involved in the pathways of lipid transport and metabolism, transcription, coenzyme transport and metabolism, and energy production and conversion (Fig. 6A). A total of 3,869 genes were annotated in the GO database, with the most enriched pathways being the integral component of the membrane (881 genes) and the cytoplasm (275 genes) in cellular components. DNA binding and ATP binding were the most enriched molecular functions, with 359 and 302 genes, respectively. Biological processes related to the regulation of DNA-templated transcription (149 genes) and methylation (104 genes) showed the highest gene counts (Fig. 6B). Furthermore, 2,243 orthologous protein-coding genes were assigned to 43 KEGG metabolic pathways, with the highest gene enrichment observed in global and overview maps, carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism and lipid metabolism, which are critical for bacterial metabolism (Fig. 6C). These findings align with the COG metabolic pathway analysis, revealing that many genes contribute to essential bacterial metabolic processes.

Functional annotation of Mycobacterium hainanense HNNTM2301 based on COG (A), GO (B), and KEGG (C) classifications. (A) COG functional classification of strain HNNTM2301, with 4,228 genes categorized into 23 COG types. (B) GO classification of strain HNNTM2301, with 3,869 genes assigned to 42 subcategories across three primary GO domains. (C) KEGG classification of strain HNNTM2301, with 2,243 genes mapped to 43 KEGG pathways.

The chemical constituents of essential oils

Table 1 shows the chemical composition of essential oils extracted from R. officinalis and P. anisum using GC-MS. Based on a fresh plant of R. officinalis weight of extract part, the hydro-distillation yielded about 0.3% w/w. Twenty compounds have been identified, representing 97.23% of the essential oil. These compounds were divided into 43.11% monoterpene hydrocarbons (α-thujene, α-pinene, Camphene, β-pinene, myrcene, γ-terpinene, terpinolene, α-phellandrene, and cymene); 47.81% oxygenated monoterpenes (1,8-cineole, linalool, trans-pinocarveol, Camphor, borneol, terpinen-4-ol, and α-terpineol); 4.59% of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (caryophyllene, aromadendrene, and humulene); 1.72% of ketone (3-octanone). The major compounds of R. officinalis essential oil were 1,8-cineole (25.36%), α-pinene (23.75%), Camphor (12.66%), and Camphene (8.19%). For P. anisum essential oil, with a yield of 0.35% w/w based on the sample’s fresh weight, twenty-one compounds were recorded, accounting for 96.45%. The essential oil analysis revealed that the oil had a lower quantity of monoterpene hydrocarbons of 3.95% (pinene, carene, limonene, ocimene, and terpinene). The essential oil had rich amounts of oxygenated monoterpenes of 74.71% (linalool, Methyl chavicol, Z-anethole, and E-anethole). The amount of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons was 15.62% (isoledene, longifolene, cedrene, thujopsene, gurjunene, elemene, guaiene, himachalane, and E-isoeugenol), while the oxygenated sesquiterpenes recorded 2.17% (cis-sesquisabinene hydrate, spathulenol, and geranyl isovalerate). P. anisum essential oil contained a high percentage of E-anethole (64.23%), followed by methyl chavicol (8.69%) and longifolene (5.08%). The two oils also differed in their terpene hydrocarbon content. R. officinalis had a higher proportion of monoterpene hydrocarbons (43.11%) than P. anisum (3.95%). In contrast, P. anisum has a higher percentage of oxygenated monoterpenes (74.71%) than R. officinalis (47.81%).

Characterizations of the synthetic zeolites

Figure 1A and B presents the parent zeolite (zeolite-A and zeolite-X). Zeolites mineral profiles were compared to the XRD database and showed perfect matching with PDF card # 73-2340, with Na₁₂Al₁₂Si₁₂O₄₈.27H₂O for zeolite-A (Fig. 1A), and PDF # 39-1380 (1), with Na₂Al₂Si₄O₁₂.8H₂O composition for zeolite-X (Fig. 1B), in respective order. The distinct, sharp, and complete set of both zeolites’ peaks implied good crystallinity. Notably, the synthetic product contains some residue of quartz mineral, which was traced back to the kaolin precursor from which they were formed. Meanwhile, Faujasite-NaX showed a small number of nanoparticle zeolite peaks that seemed to accompany the originally developed zeolite-X material, and this could be seen in light of the similarity in preparation conditions of both zeolites.

Figure 1C and D shows XRD details for Zn-doped zeolites. Both charts compared to the standard references of the PDF-2 database and confirmed the evolution of Zn-doped types of Zn-zeolite-A and Zn-zeolite-X, having respective chemical compositions of Na₅₀Zn₂₃Al₉₆Si₉₆O₃₈₄.216H₂O (Fig. 1C) and (Zn, Na)₂Al₂Si_2.5O₉.72H₂O (Fig. 1D), respectively. As shown in Fig. 1 (C-D) the XRD patterns for Zn-containing phases indicated sharper peaks with higher intensities than those recorded for their un-doped forms (Fig. 1A and B). In addition, zeolite-X implies the presence of minor amounts of zeolite nanoparticles as a secondary accompanying phase that can develop in the zeolite mixtures. This indicates very high crystallinity of many pure phases with no residues of the amorphous metakaolin precursor, which was preserved within the synthetic zeolite powders and appeared in the XRD patterns in the form of a humpy background in Fig. 1 (A and B).

Internal structure testing (SEM and EDS)

The internal textural analysis of zeolite product and its chemical microanalysis give a clear idea about the characteristic morphology and elemental contents of the contained crystals. The internal crystalline texture and the elemental micro-chemical analysis of the dry, unfunctionalized zeolite-A and zeolite-X products were examined using the SEM and EDS tools. The obtained data are given in Fig. 2A and B and Table 2. As can be noticed from Fig. 2A, zeolite-A exhibited its distinctive cubic-shaped crystal form with uniform grain particles in the range of 1–3 μm in size.

SEM and EDS for the as-synthesized zeolites. (A). zeolite-A, and (B) zeolite-X.

Figure 2B presents the obtained product of Faujasite-NaX (zeolite-X). The micrograph monitors large crystals with pyramidal epics of less than 1 μm in size, accompanied by an ample amount of zeolite nanoparticles (10–15%) and some scattered quartz particles (< 5%). The former SEM result for both zeolites is consistent with the previous XRD data. Table 2 demonstrates the elemental composition of the un-doped zeolites, where the calculated average Si/Al ratios of the crystal composition were 1.11 and 1.75 for zeolite-A and zeolite-X, respectively. Figure 3A and B monitors the SEM morphologies of the obtained zeolite-produced powders after the exchange of their sodium constituents by zinc. The micro-chemical composition is given in Table 2. Obviously, there were no destructive changes in the crystal configuration for both zeolites after doping since the crystal identities were preserved without shape alteration. The only notice was the clear crystal faces and edges. The results of the EDS analysis were collected from an average of three measurement detections for the crystal surfaces of three different crystal generations of the same zeolite species. The respective atomic ratio of Si/Al for zeolite-A was 1.07, and for zeolite-X was 1.6 (Table 2).

Efficiency of zeolite nanoparticles on C. maculatus

The mortality of C. maculatus treated with zeolites at different durations is presented in Table 3. The mortality of the beetles increased with increasing concentration and duration of exposure for all treatments. The results also showed significant differences in mortality between the different types and concentrations of zeolites at each time interval.

SEM and EDS microanalysis for the synthetic zeolites after Zn-functionalization. (A) Zn-zeolite-A, (B) Zn-zeolite-X.

The highest mortality rate achieved by zeolite-X was 48.3% after 7 days at 1000 mg/kg, while it was 43.3% for zeolite-A at the same concentration and time interval. The highest mortality was observed for Zn-zeolite-A (51.7%) at 1000 mg/kg after 7 days. Zeolite-X outperformed zeolite-A in insecticidal activity against C. maculatus, while zeolite-A loaded with zinc surpassed Zn-zeolite-X in insecticidal efficacy.

Efficiency of zeolite nanoparticles and R. officinalis combinations on C. maculatus

The mortality of zeolite and R. officinalis combinations after 2, 5, and 7 days against the tested insect is elucidated in Table 4. The concentration- and time-dependent mortality was evident in all treatments compared to the control group that had minimal mortality (3.3%) even after seven days of exposure. Use of R. officinalis essential oil at a single dose produced moderate insecticidal activity with the higher dose (200 mg/kg) causing a higher mortality of 63.3% on the seventh day, compared to 43.3% at the lower concentration (100 mg/kg). When R. officinalis essential oil was used together with zeolites, a high improvement in insecticidal activity was observed. In most cases, the higher the concentration of the essential oil and the zeolites, the higher the mortality. The mixtures of the high concentration of R. officinalis (200 mg/kg) with any of the tested zeolites at 750 or 1000 mg/kg were the most effective. Interestingly, several treatments (R. officinalis (200 mg/kg) combined with Zeolite-X (both 750 and 1000 mg/kg), Zeolite-A (1000 mg/kg), Zn-zeolite-X (1000 mg/kg), and Zn-zeolite-A (both 750 and 1000 mg/kg)) reached 100% mortality by day seven. The fastest and most efficient treatment was the combination of R. officinalis (200 mg/kg) and Zn-zeolite-A (1000 mg/kg) that led to 100% mortality in only five days of exposure.

Efficiency of zeolite nanoparticles and P. anisum combinations on C. maculatus

The mortality of zeolite and P. anisum combinations after 2, 5, and 7 days against the tested insect is presented in Table 5. The findings indicate that P. anisum and R. officinalis essential oils alone or in combination with zeolites were found to significantly increase the mortality of C. maculatus compared to the control. P. anisum was more effective than R. officinalis at the same concentrations. For example, P. anisum (200 mg/kg) produced 63.3% mortality after 2 days, compared to 43.3% in R. officinalis (200 mg/kg). This was consistent throughout the exposure periods, and the P. anisum treatments tended to produce more rapid and more severe lethal effects. The synergistic mixtures of P. anisum or R. officinalis with zeolites also increased the mortality, especially at increased concentrations (1000 mg/kg). It is worth noting that P. anisum-based formulations, such as P. anisum (200) + Zn-zeolite-A (1000) was able to kill 100% of the larvae in 5 days whereas the most effective R. officinalis combination, R. officinalis (200) + Zn-zeolite-A (1000) took 7 days to kill the larvae to the same extent.

Effect of zeolite nanoparticles on progeny production

The mortality of progeny of C. maculatus exposed to zeolites with and without loaded zinc is recorded in Table 6. The results showed that all zeolite treatments caused a significant increase in the mortality of C. maculatus offspring compared to the control. As the concentration of zeolite increases, the mean number of progeny decreases. None of the concentrations applied could suppress the progeny production. All zeolite treatments showed moderate effects on the mortality of progeny of C. maculatus. Zeolite-X and zeolite-A loaded zinc were the most effective treatments with mortality of offspring of 48.43 and 49.64%, respectively at the highest application rate of 1000 mg/kg.

Effect of zeolite nanoparticles and R. officinalis combinations on progeny production

Data presented in Table 7 show the mortality of progeny of C. maculatus treated with zeolite and R. officinalis combinations. All treatments significantly reduced the mean number of progeny and increased the percentage of offspring mortality of C. maculatus compared to the control. The treatment with R. officinalis essential oil (RO) alone at 100 mg/kg resulted in a mean number of progeny of 42, which is significantly lower than the control group (129). Additionally, the mortality of the progeny under this treatment was 35.7%. Increasing the concentration of R. officinalis essential oil to 200 mg/kg further reduced the mean number of progeny to 21 and increased the mortality percentage to 55.2%. The combination of zeolite and R. officinalis essential oil increased the mortality of progeny compared with zeolite alone. Zeolites loaded with zinc and R. officinalis oil mixtures could suppress progeny production at 200 mg/kg of the essential oil and 1000 mg/kg of zeolite.

Effect of zeolite nanoparticles and P. anisum oil combinations on progeny production

The results of Table 8 demonstrate that the progeny of C. maculatus mortality was greatly affected using P. anisum essential oil, either alone or in combination with various zeolites. The progeny mortality rate of the control group was low at 2.1%. On the other hand, the mortality rate was significantly higher when P. anisum essential oil at 100 and 200 mg/kg was used alone (55.0 and 64.6%, respectively). An interesting synergistic effect was also found when P. anisum essential oil was used together with zeolites. The combination of P. anisum at 200 mg/kg with different zeolites was the most effective treatments. A complete mortality was observed with P. anisum (200 mg/kg) and Zeolite-A (750 mg/kg). Moreover, a number of combinations such as P. anisum (200 mg/kg) and either Zeolite-X (750 and 1000 mg/kg), Zeolite-A (1000 mg/kg), or zinc-loaded zeolites (both 750 and 1000 mg/kg) totally inhibited the development of insect progeny.

Toxicity of zeolites, essential oils, and their combinations on C. maculatus

The results of contact toxicity of zeolites, essential oils, and their combinations against C. maculatus are recorded in Table 9. P. anisum oil exhibited higher toxicity than R. officinalis oil against the tested insect, with LC₅₀ values of 126 and 200 mg/kg, respectively. Zeolite-X and zeolite-A had high LC₅₀ values (1407 and 1658 mg/kg, respectively), suggesting lower toxicity than essential oils. Zinc loading in zeolite-X and zeolite-A showed a slight increase in toxicity. The combinations of essential oils (R. officinalis and P. anisum) with zeolites (zeolite-X, zeolite-A, zeolite-X loaded with zinc, and zeolite-A loaded with zinc) significantly lowered LC₅₀ and LC₉₅ values compared to the individual components alone. The LC₅₀ values for the combinations ranged from 161 to 306 mg/kg. The combination of P. anisum oil with zeolite-A loaded with zinc exhibited the lowest LC₅₀ value (161 mg/kg), suggesting the highest toxicity among the tested combinations..

Combined toxic effect of essential oils and zeolites

The results in Table 10 show the effectiveness of two essential oils, R. officinalis and P. anisum, in combination with different zeolite substrates (natural and Zn-loaded Zeolite). All the binary combinations showed positive co-toxicity factors of 20.9 to 30.0, which is a.

sign of synergism. The combination P. anisum + Zn-zeolite-A was the one that produced the highest observed mortality (65%), and the highest co-toxicity factor (30), thus indicating a very strong joint effect. As a rule, the Zn-modified zeolites proved to be more effective in enhancing mortality compared to their non-modified counterparts. Moreover, mixtures of P. anisum oil always had greater co-toxicity factors than the respective combinations of R. officinalis essential oil, indicating greater synergistic effects.

Effect of zeolite nanoparticles on C. maculatus morphology examined by SEM

The SEM images of untreated and treated adults exposed to cowpea seeds treated with zeolite compounds (1000 mg/kg) are shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Zeolite particles revealed a homogeneous distribution of zeolite particles on the cuticle of C. maculatus adults and aggregation between the thorax and abdomen joints compared with untreated adults. Image analysis showed that zeolite particles adhered to all body parts. The results also showed that zeolite treatments induced scratches on the elytra and clear damage in sensilla scatters in some points and absent in others, leaving spaces between these parts in the ventral surface, compared with the normal cuticle shape in untreated beetles of C. maculatus. Zeolite treatments revealed scratches and splits on the cuticle, leading to water loss through dehydration as the water barrier was damaged and died out of desiccation.

SEM images of Callosobruchus maculatus adults. (A) and (B) Untreated adults’ dorsal and ventral surfaces showing normal cuticle and sensilla shapes. (C) The dorsal surface of adults treated with zeolite-A shows desiccation areas (arrows). (D) The vertical surface shows the aggregation of zeolite-A particles (arrow 1) and desiccation areas (arrow 2). (E) The dorsal surface of adults treated with zeolite-X shows the absence and reduction of the number of sensilla (arrow 1) and desiccation areas on the pronotum (arrow 2). (F) Ventral surface showing aggregation of zeolite-X particles on all body surface.

SEM images of Callosobruchus maculatus adults. (A) The dorsal surface of adults treated with Zn-zeolite-A showed abrasion and distribution of zeolite on the elytra surface and antennae (arrows). (B) The ventral surface shows an aggregation of Zn-zeolite-A particles and desiccation areas on the abdomen (arrows). (C) The head surface shows an aggregation of Zn-zeolite-X particles. (D) The ventral surface of an adult treated with Zn-zeolite-X particles shows the absence and reduction of the number of sensilla (arrows) on the abdomen cuticle.

High-power lasers ensure a robust optical link

NKT Photonics’ Koheras single-frequency fiber laser platform is the heart of the system, built around an ACOUSTIK sub-rack with seed laser, pre-amplifier, modulators, and a custom timing module. The signal is split and boosted by five high-power amplifiers, based on core technology, and each amplifier delivers up to 2 kW with less than 10 microseconds’ switching time.

The system’s precise pointing technology uses star cameras and fine-steering mirrors to pinpoint the kilowatt beams in the night sky with incredible arcsecond accuracy. This is equivalent to hitting a 1-mm target at 1-km range. The method, known as blind-pointing, is particularly challenging because it relies only on the calculated location of the spacecraft. Real-time feedback from the spacecraft was not possible because the time taken for the light to travel this vast distance and for the return telemetry to be received was approximately 30 minutes.

This type of optical link with spacecraft offers a glimpse into the future of deep space communications, including manned and unmanned missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, and highlights the importance of collaboration between agencies and industry in advancing Europe’s optical technology.

First-attempt success within tight test window

We had a limited window for testing. The Psyche spacecraft is on a long journey to investigate a metallic asteroid and can’t slow down simply because our equipment isn’t ready. The equipment was delivered to the installation site just four days before the first trial, so the timeline for installation and testing was extremely tight. But thanks to an incredible team effort, the optical link worked on the first attempt.

In the weeks that followed, three additional trials were carried out, each more successful than the last with higher data rates, longer distances, and more data downlinked and decoded. In the final link with the spacecraft at more than two earth-sun distances, a sustained link was obtained with a data rate of 1.8 Mbps that allowed a high-definition video of “Tatters” the cat chasing a laser pointer to be received from the spacecraft, which has been widely shared on social media.

For NKT Photonics, it’s not just about building the biggest or the fastest communication channel. It is about pushing the boundaries of what is possible with lasers and photonics. We take pride in being a technology-driven company, and this achievement is a groundbreaking milestone for us.

The laser links are proving themselves, pushing data rates far beyond what was once thought possible for deep space. The result? Spacecrafts fitted with laser links can be built smaller and lighter. Every gram of weight saved can be used for scientific instruments, exploration tools, or fuel to reach farther.

Future exploration

What’s next? More lasers for space comms? Talking to the moon or maybe even Mars? Or using lasers to locate, track, and possibly even maneuver satellites and space debris? Whatever the future brings, NKT Photonics is excited to see how this will develop over time and proud to play our part pushing the boundaries.

Nocturnal spiders have been filmed capturing fireflies and keeping them in their webs to attract more prey, even intermittently checking on them over the course of an hour, according to a new study.

When fireflies were kept on the webs, sheet web spiders attracted significantly more prey than without the bioluminescent beetles, leading researchers to think the spiders are purposefully using the fireflies as bait to increase hunting success.

“Our findings highlight a previously undocumented interaction where firefly signals, intended for sexual communication, are also beneficial to spiders,” study lead author I-Min Tso, a researcher at Tunghai University who studies spider behavior, said in a statement.

“This study sheds new light on the ways that nocturnal sit-and-wait predators can rise to the challenges of attracting prey and provides a unique perspective on the complexity of predator-prey interactions,” Tso added.

If you’ve ever wanted to live your life adrift amid a sea of gently glowing succulents, that dream just got a tiny step closer.

A team of scientists at South China Agricultural University has managed to create succulents that glow in the dark through a process that can be recharged using sunlight. Moreover, they can glow in multiple different colors to form a rainbow of lights – even in the same succulent.

The glow doesn’t last forever, and each leaf needs to be treated separately. But the first step of creating an injectable medium that makes the plant emit a gentle luminescence has been achieved.

Related: Scientists Engineer Gorgeous Glowing Plants That Shine Bright Their Entire Life Cycle

“Picture the world of Avatar, where glowing plants light up an entire ecosystem,” says biologist Shuting Liu of South China Agricultural University.

“We wanted to make that vision possible using materials we already work with in the lab. Imagine glowing trees replacing streetlights.”

Many of us surround ourselves with, and nurture, plant life. If that plant life were able to glow, like organisms such as fireflies and eldritch things deep in the ocean, it could provide a low-cost, solar-powered, and stunningly beautiful means of lighting our homes or gardens.

Scientists have experimented with various ways to do this, resulting in methods that are frustratingly complex and not exactly low cost.

Liu and her colleagues based their technique on afterglow phosphor particles, similar to the materials that go into glow-in-the-dark toys and stickers. This presented a few major challenges. Larger particles glow more strongly, but permeate the plant less effectively; and not all plants absorb and disseminate the particles well.

After experiments involving different plants, including golden pothos and bok choy, they found that the ideal particle size is 7 micrometers, about the same size as a human red blood cell. Contrary to their expectations, though, the densely tissued succulents produced the strongest, most even glow. The researchers thought plants with airier tissues would have been the best choice.

“It was really unexpected,” Liu says. “The particles diffused in just seconds, and the entire succulent leaf glowed.”

The next step is to work on improving the longevity of the plants’ glow. After being recharged, each plant glows for about two hours – similar to glowing toys or stickers – and it gets weaker over time.

The initial experiments, though, show promise for a glowing rainbow of red, green, violet, and blue succulent plants that, in sufficient quantities, could provide enough light to read by.

“I just find it incredible that an entirely human-made, micro-scale material can come together so seamlessly with the natural structure of a plant,” says Liu. “The way they integrate is almost magical. It creates a special kind of functionality.”

The research has been published in Matter.