A team of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has set a new record in the power conversion efficiency of solar cells made using perovskite and organic materials. This technological breakthrough paves the way for flexible, light-weight, low cost and ultra-thin photovoltaic cells which are ideal for powering vehicles, boats, blinds and other applications.

“Technologies for clean and renewable energy are extremely important for carbon reduction. Solar cells that directly convert solar energy into electricity are among the most promising clean energy technologies...

The findings could redefine the kinds of particles that were abundant in the early universe. Physicists have found evidence of X particles in the quark-gluon plasma produced in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, based near Geneva, Switzerland.

In the first millionths of a second after the Big Bang, the universe was a roiling, trillion-degree plasma of quarks and gluons – elementary particles that briefly glommed together in countless combinations before cooling and settling int...

It took a global pandemic, but the critical role of messenger RNA in all of life’s functions has taken center stage in the past year with the successful rollout of mRNA vaccines to combat the SARS-Cov-2 virus.

In two new papers published the week of Jan. 17, the lab of Yale’s Wendy Gilbert sheds light on how mRNAs are born and how they regulate production of proteins inside of our cells once they reach maturity. The findings have implications not only for achieving effective doses for new vaccines, but for helping determine the biological roots of many cancers and diseases.

“It’s been exciting to be able to study the beginning and end of this process,” said Gilbert, associate professor of molecular biophysics and biochemistry.

In classic textbook...

One of the world’s highest energy densities achieved. NIMS and Softbank Corp. have developed a lithium-air battery with an energy density over 500Wh/kg – significantly higher than currently lithium ion batteries. The research team then confirmed that this battery can be charged and discharged at room temperature. In addition, the team found that the battery developed by the team shows the highest energy densities and best cycle life performances ever achieved...