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Indian Express
4 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Stubble burning behind nearly one-third of Delhi's post-monsoon pollution deaths: Study
Smoke from crop residue burning in Punjab and Haryana is responsible for nearly one-third of all PM2.5-related deaths in Delhi during the post-monsoon season, according to a new international study. The research found that this smoke—transported over hundreds of kilometres—became the dominant share of organic aerosols, accounting for almost half of it during the worst post-monsoon haze episodes, even surpassing traffic or industrial pollution. PM2.5 refers to particulate matter that has a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or smaller. These tiny particles are a major component of air pollution and can pose significant health risks because they can penetrate deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream. The study, published earlier this month in the journal Environment International, is the first to use year-long, near-molecular-level data to identify specific sources of organic aerosols in Delhi and Kanpur. Scientists from the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland, IIT Delhi, and IIT Kanpur monitored pollution levels over 12 months in both cities and concluded that smoke from agricultural fires, primarily rice stubble, has a significant health impact. In Delhi, they found that during October and November, smoke from crop fires contributed to 32 per cent of premature deaths caused by PM2.5 exposure. Overall, short-term exposure to PM2.5—tiny particles that can enter the lungs and bloodstream—was linked to about 6 per cent of all deaths annually in both cities. In Delhi, nearly half of this health burden came from organic aerosols. The study estimates that more than 1,000 premature deaths in Delhi during the post-monsoon period were tied to this transported smoke, referred to as AgrOA. 'Transported rural fire smokes remain a major detrimental factor threatening public health, despite intensive urban emissions,' the researchers noted. The data also revealed that AgrOA was the largest single component of particulate matter during peak smog events, contributing up to 70 per cent of the organic aerosol load in Kanpur and nearly 50 per cent in Delhi. While urban sources like traffic emissions, industrial waste, and biomass burning remain major contributors throughout the year, these were surpassed by crop-burning smoke during November's haze. Interestingly, the study found that Kanpur—despite being located over 600 kilometres from the fire zones—experienced an even higher impact. Researchers said the smoke had more time to age chemically as it travelled east, making it even more toxic by the time it reached Kanpur. There, AgrOA was linked to 53 per cent of PM2.5-related deaths during the post-monsoon season. The researchers also highlighted the increased health risks for vulnerable groups. Based on global data, the study estimates that women and the elderly face disproportionately higher mortality risks from exposure to crop-burning smoke. For women, AgrOA was estimated to be responsible for up to 67 per cent of pollution-related deaths in Kanpur and 46 per cent in Delhi during the post-monsoon period. In addition to AgrOA, the researchers identified other key sources of pollution. In Delhi, a winter-specific industrial pollution signature was observed, linked to chemicals like melamine used in plastics and e-waste recycling. These emissions spike in colder months when pollutants remain trapped close to the ground. Traffic and cooking-related emissions also made up a significant share of organic aerosols in both cities. However, the researchers emphasised that city-level pollution control will not be enough. 'Mitigation measures should extend beyond cities to regional scales, targeting regions particularly affected by stubble fires like Punjab and Haryana,' they wrote. The study recommends strengthening bans on open burning, promoting machines like the Happy Seeder for in-situ straw management, offering incentives for using straw as fertiliser or fuel and encouraging farmers to adopt low-residue or alternative crops. The findings underline the urgent need for coordinated action across states and sectors. For Delhi, which has struggled for years with severe winter smog, the study confirms that efforts to clean the city's air must also include stopping crop fires outside its borders. 'These findings illustrate the urgent and critical need for regional cooperative air pollution mitigation strategies, accounting not only for urban emissions but also for stubble residue burning emissions,' the study noted.
Forbes
20-06-2025
- Science
- Forbes
AI-Engineered Cement Formulations Promise To Cut CO₂ Emissions In Half
AI is making its impact felt in the physical world Cement doesn't usually come up in conversations about cutting-edge AI. But that might be changing. A research team at Switzerland's Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) has created a new AI framework that can generate low-CO₂ cement formulations in seconds. Their goal isn't just to optimize for sustainability. It's to rethink how construction materials are developed in the first place. Engineering Smarter Cement With AI and Chemistry In a new study released this week, researchers at PSI didn't just plug in generic AI tools. They built a custom system tailored for cement. Rather than adapting a generic AI model, the PSI team built a specialized system from the ground up. It starts with their own simulation software, which models how various cement ingredients react during the hardening process. That information is then used to train a neural network that predicts how strong different mixtures will be, based solely on their composition. This compresses what would usually take weeks or months of lab work into just milliseconds. 'This allows us to simulate and optimise cement formulations so that they emit significantly less CO₂ while maintaining the same high level of mechanical performance,' Romana Boiger, lead author of the study, explains. The team also applied genetic algorithms, computational tools that mimic natural selection, to find mixes that best balance strength and emissions. The top-performing blends are then flagged for real-world testing. What sets this apart is the integration of genetic algorithms, commonly used in AI optimization. These are applied to find a range of 'best-fit' options where trade-offs between performance and sustainability are balanced. From there, top candidates can be selected for experimental validation. Cement Is an Unlikely But Ideal Test Bed for AI You might not expect it, but cement is one of the world's biggest climate problems. It's responsible for about 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions, largely due to the chemical process used to produce clinker, a key ingredient. Despite decades of improvements, the underlying chemistry hasn't changed much. That's why PSI's method stands out. Instead of altering the process or adding carbon capture systems, the team re-engineers the formula itself. The result? Cement that's just as strong, but far less carbon-intensive. Implications for the Today's Cement Built Environment So far, the data is promising. Some of the most effective mixes identified by PSI's AI match today's performance standards but emit up to 50% less CO₂. That kind of efficiency could have a huge impact, especially as global cement demand continues to rise. Nikolaos Prasianakis, head of PSI's Transport Mechanisms Research Group and co-author of the study, puts it this way: 'The range of possibilities for the material composition – which ultimately determines the final properties – is extraordinarily vast. Our method allows us to significantly accelerate the development cycle by selecting promising candidates for further experimental investigation.' These gains could scale quickly. With global per capita cement use averaging about 1.5 kilograms a day, even modest efficiency gains would lead to major emissions cuts. John Provis, who leads PSI's Cement Systems Research Group, highlights just how big the opportunity is. 'To put it bluntly, humanity today consumes more cement than food – around one and a half kilograms per person per day,' he explains. 'If we could improve the emissions profile by just a few percent, this would correspond to a carbon dioxide reduction equivalent to thousands or even tens of thousands of cars.' The Bigger AI Movement in Materials Science PSI isn't alone in applying AI to cement. At the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, researchers partnered with Meta and concrete supplier Ozinga to develop AI-optimized concrete that cut carbon by 40%. MIT has trained models to scan research papers and databases to identify novel, low-emission materials. But PSI's approach stands out for one reason: it doesn't rely on past data alone. Instead, it combines deep chemical simulations with machine learning, creating a model that can adapt to regional raw materials and different production scenarios—without having to test every possibility by hand. Challenges and Commercialization Of course, a promising model isn't enough. These cement mixes still need to prove themselves under real-world conditions, such as curing, durability, supply chain fit, and compliance with global standards like EN 197-1. 'This is just the beginning,' he says. 'The time savings offered by such a general workflow are enormous – making it a very promising approach for all sorts of material and system designs.' The team is already looking to expand the model to account for real-world constraints, such as regional resource availability, cost, and lifecycle performance. These are key steps if the AI is to become more than a research tool. The Bigger Picture for AI's Practical Use What makes this effort compelling is that it delivers something tangible, not just predictions or insights, but real physical materials. A better cement mix might not sound as exciting as generative images or chatbots, but the implications are massive. This might be the broader signal for AI's next phase. It's no longer confined to virtual outputs. Increasingly, it's shaping the materials that make up the real world. And in this case, it's rewriting the recipe for the very foundation we build on.
Business Upturn
27-05-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
Strüngmann Award Committee Announces 2025 Finalists Recognizing Outstanding Life Science Entrepreneurs in the DACH Region
The selected finalists have demonstrated entrepreneurial execution and translational potential for a range of scientific approaches The winner(s) will be officially announced on July 3, 2025, and will receive an EUR 100,000 cash prize Munich, Germany, May 27, 2025 – The Strüngmann Award selection committee today announced this year's award finalists. The three companies and their founders highlight the exceptional and internationally successful leaders emerging from the DACH region's thriving life science ecosystem. Now in its second year, the award aims to recognize founders who are not only advancing breakthrough science, but who have also demonstrated the drive and resilience required to translate innovation into therapeutic impact. Advertisement The award was established to honor its namesakes, Andreas Strüngmann, M.D., and Thomas Strüngmann, Ph.D. As the founders of Hexal they achieved extraordinary entrepreneurial success, subsequently they expanded on these achievements in their roles as visionary investors. The award celebrates the next generation of leaders advancing a great idea into reality. 'We are convinced of the exceptionally talented leaders in the DACH life science ecosystem and are committed to recognizing and promoting both innovative ideas and execution through this award. This year's finalists underscore the depth of scientific and entrepreneurial excellence in the DACH region. They represent a remarkable diversity of scientific fields: from targeted cancer therapies to regenerative neuroscience and drug resistance. It's inspiring to see how different paths can lead to meaningful innovation that improves patients' lives,' said Andreas und Thomas Strüngmann. The following visionary entrepreneurs have been selected by the award committee for their innovative mindset and talent for execution in translating biomedical research into therapeutic approaches: Dragan Grabulovski | Philipp Spycher | Isabella Attinger-Toller – Araris Biotech The founding team of Araris Biotech, Dragan Grabulovski, Ph.D., CEO, Philipp Spycher, Ph.D., CSO, and Isabella Attinger-Toller, Ph.D., CTO, has built one of Switzerland's most successful biotech ventures in recent years. Spun out of the Paul Scherrer Institute (part of ETH domain), the team developed a novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) linker-payload technology (AraLinQTM) that enables one-step payload attachment to off-the-shelf antibodies, without the need of prior antibody engineering. Their collaborative leadership and scientific excellence led Araris to raise over CHF 40 million, form a strategic partnership with Chugai (Roche) and Johnson & Johnson, and achieve a landmark acquisition by Taiho Pharmaceutical in March 2025 for up to USD 1.14 billion. Araris Biotech is advancing a new class of ADCs aiming to redefine the entire paradigm of targeted cancer therapy and beyond. Martin E. Schwab | Stefan Moese – NovaGo Therapeutics Prof. Martin E. Schwab, Ph.D., CSO and co-founder of NovaGo Therapeutics, is a world-renowned neuroscientist whose pioneering work on nerve growth inhibition fundamentally changed the field of neuroregeneration. He discovered the protein Nogo-A, a key blocker of nerve repair in the central nervous system and translated this breakthrough into the development of regenerative antibody therapies. Building on decades of research at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, he founded NovaGo in 2015 to advance clinical candidates for patients with spinal cord injury and related indications. Since joining as CEO in 2023, Stefan Moese, Ph.D., has brought deep expertise in biologics and translational drug development. Together, he and Martin E. Schwab are driving the company's efforts to translate cutting-edge science into regenerative therapies, where the first candidate has entered clinical trials in acute spinal cord injured patients in 2024. NovaGo Therapeutics is a Swiss biotech company developing antibody-based therapies to promote nerve and blood vessel regeneration, with a lead program targeting acute spinal cord injury. Stefanie Flückiger-Mangual – TOLREMO therapeutics Stefanie Flückiger-Mangual, Ph.D., founder and CEO of TOLREMO therapeutics, has built a company that is redefining the way drug resistance is approached in the treatment of cancer. Drawing from her academic research at ETH Zurich, she uncovered that resistance is often driven by transcriptional changes — sometimes long before oncogenic mutations arise. This insight led to the development of a proprietary screening platform which resulted in the identification of CBP/p300 as an epigenetic master regulator of non-oncogene resistance. Under Stefanie's leadership, the company has raised over CHF 34 million and advanced its lead program TT125-802, a novel, highly selective CBP/p300 inhibitor, into the clinic. In this ongoing clinical trial, TT125-802 has shown a best-in-class safety profile and unprecedented monotherapy activity in solid tumors. TOLREMO therapeutics is pioneering a comprehensive new approach to tackle cancer drug resistance by blocking transcriptional resistance pathways that operate parallel to the primary oncogene signaling axis. This represents a differentiated strategy to address a major challenge in cancer treatment, with significant therapeutic potential both as a monotherapy as well as in combination with targeted therapies. As a next step in the selection process, an expert jury consisting of leading entrepreneurial personalities and biotechnology investors will select the winner(s). The winner will be officially announced on July 3, 2025, and will receive a EUR 100,000 cash prize. To learn more about the award and stay up to date on the latest news visit our website: About the Strüngmann Award The award was established in 2024 to recognize outstanding entrepreneurs realizing revolutionary ideas in the DACH life science sector. The goal is to reward exceptional achievements with a prestigious prize and to further the development of the next generation of leaders in this space. The award was named to honor twin brothers Andreas Strüngmann, M.D., and Thomas Strüngmann, Ph.D., who are among the important entrepreneurs, visionaries and investors in the life science sector. As the founders of Hexal, they achieved extraordinary entrepreneurial success and as investors, they have continued to repeat that success for more than 20 years by building and developing leading companies across the industry, including Mainz-based BioNTech. Learn more at Media Contact Trophic Communications Stephanie May, Ph.D. and Anja Heuer Phone: +49 (0) 171 185 56 82 Email: [email protected] Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists develop next-generation technology that could revolutionize electric car batteries: 'This is a clear sign'
Battery researchers in Switzerland intend to give lithium-ion packs a volt jolt that could improve electric vehicle performance as well as safely utilize a harmful gas generated during plastic production. It's thanks to a team from the Paul Scherrer Institute, or PSI, that's developing a cathode coating geared to increase battery cell voltage from 4.3 to 4.8 with great capacity retention. It's a technique the experts also expect to improve energy density, or the amount of electricity that can be stored per pound, all according to a lab summary. "If the voltage increases, the energy density also increases," PSI researcher Mario El Kazzi said in the report. Often, cell degradation happens at higher voltages, particularly where the cathode transitions to the electrolyte. When batteries cycle, ions move between the anode and cathode through the electrolyte, according to PSI and a description from the U.S. Energy Department. PSI reported that oxygen releases and transition metal disintegration inside the cells contribute to the problem, limiting most EV battery cells to 4.3 volts. Lithium-ion packs include expensive metals, with anodes typically made from graphite. Nickel, cobalt, manganese, and lithium are common cathode metals, per the researchers. By coating the cathode metal with a thin, protective layer, the researchers think they have solved some of the higher-voltage decay problems. The solution arrived after a detour to plastic manufacturing, often a dirty process that includes traditional dirty energy. More than 496 million tons of plastics are made each year, according to the Center for Biological Diversity and Our World in Data. PSI's solution uses a byproduct from certain plastics' production, called trifluoromethane. The team created a reaction between the gas and a thin lithium-carbonate cathode coating at 572 degrees Fahrenheit, creating lithium fluoride. Researchers described the results as "gratifying." The protective coating remained stable at high voltages while ions continued to cycle through the cell effectively. Ion resistance was 30% lower than uncoated cathodes. The treated cells also showed a greater than 94% capacity retention, all after a 100-cycle test. The results all bested standard performance, per the summary. If you were going to purchase an EV, which of these factors would be most important to you? Cost Battery range Power and speed The way it looks Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "This is a clear sign that our protective layer minimizes the increase in resistance caused by the interfacial reactions that would otherwise occur," El Kazzi said in the PSI report. By converting trifluoromethane into a benign battery component, the PSI researchers said they are removing a potent planet-warming fume that's "10,000 times more harmful to the climate than carbon dioxide." That's important, as our world's overheating is linked by NASA to an increased risk of severe weather events, including wildfires. Capturing and safely storing air pollution is a concept taking multiple forms. In England, researchers are working on a molecular jail for dirty pollutants. A U.S. government-backed project is in the works to vacuum harmful gases from the air and store them underground. As consumers, we can help by making some smart choices regarding everyday products. Buying less throwaway plastics can cut trash while providing you with a better experience. Supporting brands with plastic-free packaging is another way to contribute to the solution. If the PSI battery findings can be scaled, the results could be a boon for our energy system, as well as our air. "We can assume that our lithium fluoride protective coating is universal and can be used with most cathode materials," El Kazzi said in the summary. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
