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Earlier this year, scientists reported a breakthrough in biotechnology. A common bacterium was genetically engineered to convert plastic waste into the widely used painkiller paracetamol. The bacterium, Escherichia coli (E. coli), was modified by Stephen Wallace, professor of chemical biotechnology at the University of Edinburgh, to digest a plastic-derived molecule and transform it into the drug. While E. coli is often associated with food poisoning, non-pathogenic strains are widely used in laboratories as the field’s main “workhorse.” Prof Wallace has previously engineered E. coli to turn plastic waste into vanilla flavoring and sewer “fatberg” waste into perfume. “If you want to prove something is possible with biology, E. coli is a natural first stage,” he said. Beyond laboratories, vats of engineered E. coli serve as living factories, producing vital substances such as insulin, which is essential for diabetes treatment, as well as chemicals for fuels and solvents. Why E. coli dominates biotechnology According to Princeton University professor Thomas Silhavy, E. coli’s dominance began with its use as a model organism to understand basic biology. First isolated in 1885 by German pediatrician Theodor Escherich, its rapid growth and ease of handling made it a natural choice for research. In the 1940s, studies using a harmless E. coli strain revealed that bacteria could exchange genes through a process akin to “bacterial sex,” reshaping the understanding of microbial genetics. Since then, E. coli has been central to major discoveries, from deciphering the genetic code to becoming the first organism genetically engineered with foreign DNA in the 1970s. The bacterium was also behind a breakthrough in 1978, when synthetic human insulin was first produced using E. coli, eliminating the reliance on animal-derived insulin that sometimes caused allergic reactions. Nearly two decades later, in 1997, E. coli was among the first organisms to have its entire genome sequenced. E. coli’s strengths Adam Feist, professor at the University of California, San Diego, highlights the bacterium’s speed, reliability, and versatility. It thrives on a wide variety of substrates, can be frozen and revived easily, and efficiently hosts foreign DNA. “The more I work with other microorganisms, the more I appreciate just how robust E. coli is,” he said. Cynthia Collins of Ginkgo Bioworks notes that while more organisms are now available for industrial use, E. coli remains cost-effective and adaptable. Even when producing potentially toxic substances, scientists can often engineer tolerance into the bacterium. Calls for alternatives Some experts warn that E. coli’s dominance may limit exploration of other promising microbes. Paul Jensen, a microbiologist at the University of Michigan, argues that undiscovered bacteria in landfills or natural environments might naturally perform valuable processes, such as breaking down plastics or even producing new materials like cement or rubber. One emerging alternative is Vibrio natriegens (V. nat), first isolated in the 1960s but largely overlooked until recently. With a growth rate twice as fast as E. coli and superior ability to absorb foreign DNA, V. nat could offer significant industrial advantages. Cornell University’s Buz Barstow, who is developing tools to engineer it, compares the leap from E. coli to V. nat as “going from a horse to a car.” His team has launched a company, Forage Evolution, to advance its applications, with ambitions ranging from producing jet fuel from carbon dioxide to extracting rare earth metals. “Simply put, E. coli won’t get us to any of these visions. V. natriegens might,” Dr Barstow said. Still, experts like Prof Feist caution that V. nat is not yet ready to replace E. coli at scale, as the essential genetic tools and industrial track record are still lacking. “E. coli is a tough thing to replace,” he said. Source: Agency

OpenAI and Meta have announced new safeguards on their chatbots to better protect teenagers showing signs of mental distress or asking about suicide. OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, said Tuesday it will roll out parental controls this fall, allowing parents to link accounts, disable features, and receive alerts if their teen shows “acute distress.” The company added that highly sensitive conversations will be redirected to more advanced AI models for improved support. The move follows a lawsuit filed last week against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman by the parents of a 16-year-old boy in California who died by suicide, allegedly after ChatGPT guided him. The family’s lawyer dismissed OpenAI’s announcement as “vague promises.” Meta, parent of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, said its chatbots will no longer discuss self-harm, suicide, eating disorders or inappropriate romantic issues with teens, instead referring them to expert resources. A recent RAND Corporation study found inconsistent responses from leading AI tools, urging independent safety standards and clinical testing.

SpaceX successfully conducted the latest test flight of its massive Starship rocket on Tuesday night, marking the first-ever deployment of a test payload — eight dummy satellites — into orbit. After coasting through space for just over an hour, Starship splashed down as planned in the Indian Ocean. The rocket lifted off from SpaceX’s Starbase in south Texas shortly after 6:30 p.m. This marked the 10th test of the world’s largest and most powerful rocket, which SpaceX and NASA aim to use for future lunar missions. NASA has contracted two Starships to carry astronauts to the moon later this decade, while SpaceX CEO Elon Musk envisions missions to Mars. No crew members were aboard this demonstration launch. The test also saw the successful return of Starship’s Super Heavy Booster, which landed in the Gulf of Mexico after executing a landing-burn engine sequence. Meanwhile, the Starship orbited Earth, moving from daylight in Texas through night and back into daytime, before firing its engines to flip upright and enter the water nose-first. The successful mission follows a year of setbacks. Earlier tests in January and March ended minutes after liftoff, scattering debris into the ocean. The ninth test in May ended when the spacecraft tumbled uncontrollably and broke apart. SpaceX recently redesigned the Super Heavy booster with larger, stronger fins for improved stability, the company said on X this month. The very first Starship exploded minutes into its 2023 inaugural flight. SpaceX first launched Starlink satellites in 2019 from a Falcon rocket at Cape Canaveral.

While China’s national men’s football team continues to disappoint on the international stage, humanoid robots are capturing attention in Beijing — not for their athletic skills, but for the cutting-edge AI technology behind them. On Saturday night, four teams of humanoid robots competed in fully autonomous 3-on-3 football matches, powered entirely by artificial intelligence. The event, promoted as the first of its kind in China, also served as a preview for the upcoming World Humanoid Robot Games, scheduled to be held in Beijing. Organizers highlighted that the robots played the matches without any human control, relying solely on AI-based strategies and decision-making. Outfitted with sophisticated visual sensors, the robots could track the ball and maneuver around the field with surprising agility. They were even programmed to pick themselves up after falling. Still, in a display of realism, some robots had to be carried off on stretchers after toppling over during play. China launches powerful hydrogen generator to cut emissions China is ramping up efforts to advance AI-driven humanoid robots, using sports such as marathons, boxing, and football as testing grounds to refine their performance in real-world scenarios. Cheng Hao, founder and CEO of Booster Robotics—the company that provided the robot players—described sports competitions as ideal environments to develop the complex interaction between hardware, software, and AI algorithms. Cheng also underlined the importance of safety, especially with future plans for human-robot matches. “In the future, we might organize football games between robots and humans. For that to happen, we must guarantee absolute safety,” Cheng explained. “These matches wouldn’t focus on winning or losing but would allow for real offensive and defensive interactions. That’s how we can build public trust and show that robots are safe.” Booster Robotics supplied the hardware for all four university teams, while the universities themselves developed the AI algorithms for perception, game strategy, formations, and passing — considering variables such as speed, force, and direction, according to Cheng. In the final, Tsinghua University’s THU Robotics defeated the China Agricultural University’s Mountain Sea team with a 5-3 scoreline to claim the championship. Tsinghua supporter Mr. Wu cheered his team’s victory but also praised the competition.“THU performed really well,” he said. “But the Mountain Sea team from Agricultural University also exceeded expectations. It was a thrilling match.” China’s men’s football team, meanwhile, has only qualified for the World Cup once and has already been eliminated from next year’s tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

A homegrown hydrogen internal combustion engine generator set has been put into commercial operation in central China's Hubei Province, contributing to exhaust gas treatment and the reduction of carbon emissions, the China Science Daily reported Wednesday. The 300-kilowatt generator set -- the most powerful of its kind in China -- has been jointly developed by Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Yuchai Power and ONEST-POWER. It is designed to directly utilize hydrogen-rich industrial exhaust gas to generate electricity. Industrial exhaust gas requires purification before it can be used for power generation. However, this generator can directly use hydrogen-rich exhaust gas, cutting purification costs by approximately 40 percent. It also boasts a power generation efficiency of over 42 percent. During its trial operation in a chemical industrial park in Hubei, the generator set converted 500,000 standard cubic meters of waste hydrogen into 8 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity, which is equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 7,000 households. How ChatGPT and other AI tools are changing the teaching profession It is estimated that one such generator set operating 6,000 hours annually can consume 1.4 million standard cubic meters of hydrogen and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1,362 tonnes per year -- equivalent to the carbon sequestration of 74,000 trees. According to the developer, chemical industrial parks across China can recycle up to 4.5 million tonnes of by-product hydrogen annually. Even if only a portion of this hydrogen is used for power generation, such generator sets could make a substantial contribution to reducing CO2 emissions.

After years of ambitious promises and delays, Elon Musk’s long-touted vision of Tesla “robotaxis” is finally hitting the road — albeit modestly — with a small pilot program launched in Austin, Texas, on Sunday. Tesla began testing 10 to 12 self-driving taxis in a limited, geofenced area of Austin, with each ride costing a flat fee of \$4.20. The vehicles are being remotely monitored and have a person in the passenger seat to intervene if needed, as reported by AP.  Musk took to X to share the news, writing, “The @Tesla\_AI robotaxi launch begins in Austin this afternoon with customers paying a \$4.20 flat fee!” The test run marks a significant moment for Tesla, especially after repeated delays since Musk first promised autonomous taxis back in 2019. At the time, he said they would be operational “next year,” a promise he repeated annually without fulfillment. Most recently, in early 2023, Musk claimed Tesla would have “over a million robotaxis” on the road by 2024. While only a dozen vehicles are active now, Musk has vowed rapid expansion of the service, predicting “hundreds of thousands if not a million vehicles next year.” However, industry analysts remain skeptical. “How quickly can he expand the fleet?” asked Garrett Nelson, an analyst at CFRA. “We're talking maybe a dozen vehicles initially. It's very small." Tesla faces growing pressure from several fronts. Political backlash and boycotts linked to Musk’s statements have contributed to plunging sales. Competitors, including Waymo — which just celebrated its 10 millionth paid ride — have pulled ahead with more mature self-driving technology. Waymo uses a sensor suite combining cameras, radar, and lidar, in contrast to Tesla’s camera-only system. Despite recent turbulence, including a \$150 billion stock decline after Musk’s public clash with President Biden, Tesla’s stock has shown resilience, closing Friday at \$322, up from about \$18 a decade ago. Critics have long challenged Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” system, arguing it’s misleadingly named and not truly autonomous. Federal safety regulators and the Department of Justice have investigated FSD following accidents and lawsuits, though some legal challenges have been dismissed. In one such case, a judge ruled plaintiffs failed to prove Musk “knowingly” made false claims. Space station leak concerns can delay astronaut visit from India, Poland, Hungary Nonetheless, Musk insists that the improved FSD will power Tesla’s robotaxis safely and allow for swift nationwide rollout. His strategy includes transforming existing Teslas on the road into robotaxis via an over-the-air software update. Owners would be able to earn money by adding their vehicles to the fleet while they’re at work or away, a model Musk compared to Airbnb. “Instead of having your car sit in the parking lot, your car could be earning money,” Musk said earlier this year. “You will be able to add or subtract your car to the fleet.” Musk also maintains that Tesla’s reliance on cameras rather than expensive sensors gives the company an edge in scaling operations quickly. “Tesla will have, I don’t know, 99% market share or something ridiculous,” he said during a recent investor call. Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities remains optimistic: “This time Musk may actually pull it off because of Tesla's ability to scale up quickly.” And while analysts like Goldstein remain cautious, they admit Musk has defied expectations before. “Maybe his timelines aren’t realistic,” Goldstein said, “but he can develop futuristic technology products.”

A Chinese research team has developed a new remote-sensing satellite model, which has for the first time achieved the high-precision, dynamic calculation of CO2 emissions from large coal-fired power plants, providing a new solution for global carbon emissions monitoring. Coal-fired power plants account for nearly 50 per cent of the total carbon emissions from fossil fuel combustion globally. They are a crucial component in the estimation of carbon emissions resulting from human activity. The precise, scientific calculation of carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants is of significant importance. However, established calculation methods depend heavily on the product of fuel consumption reported by power plants and carbon emissions factors, which makes estimations difficult to compare and verify. Current remote-sensing satellite technology can also result in inversion errors as high as 50 per cent due to background interference and atmospheric instability. SpaceX rocket explodes during test in Texas The research team at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Aerospace Information Research Institute optimized algorithms and constructed this new model to quantify the CO2 emissions of 14 large coal-fired power plants around the world based on satellite data, significantly improving inversion accuracy. According to the team's recent paper in the Journal of Cleaner Production, the new model provides an objective, effective means for the verification of carbon emissions from key global sources, and offers a scientific basis for carbon-trading auditing and the calibration of emissions reduction policies. 

A SpaceX rocket undergoing testing at the company’s Starbase facility in southern Texas exploded late Wednesday, lighting up the night sky with a large fireball. According to SpaceX, the Starship vehicle suffered a “major anomaly” around 11 p.m. while it was stationed on the test stand in preparation for its tenth flight trial. Space station leak concerns can delay astronaut visit from India, Poland, Hungary In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), SpaceX confirmed that a safety perimeter was in place during the test and that all staff members were safe and accounted for. The company, led by CEO Elon Musk, assured that the explosion posed no risk to nearby communities and advised the public against approaching the area. SpaceX added that it is coordinating with local authorities in response to the incident.  

Imagine spending more than 50 days living and working hundreds of miles above the Earth. That has been the real-life experience of China’s Shenzhou-20 astronauts — Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie — aboard the Tiangong Space Station. Far from a peaceful retreat, their mission has been a busy one. A short video released Monday by China’s state broadcaster CCTV offered a glimpse into their “space business trip,” highlighting a packed schedule filled with scientific experiments, routine health monitoring, and maintenance work — all essential tasks to support future space exploration efforts. According to a report by CCTV, the three astronauts are in good health, and the various space science experiments are progressing steadily. Led by experienced astronaut Chen Dong, the crew began their six-month mission after launching into orbit on April 24. Space station leak concerns can delay astronaut visit from India, Poland, Hungary Over the past week, they devoted substantial time to space medicine research. During their research, they have explored fundamental aspects of cognitive function in microgravity, focusing on teamwork dynamics, self-awareness in isolation and how astronauts perceive motion, depth, and relationships absent Earth's gravity. These studies are critical for ensuring safe operations during spacewalks and complex tasks. In addition, they also conducted routine vascular ultrasound scans tracked changes in cardiovascular function over time and used apparatus to capture subtle changes in control and coordination during precise tasks like equipment operation or sample handling, according to the report. On the front of life science, they focused on the "effects and mechanisms of space microgravity on microorganisms" experiment. The video showed that in Tiangong's specialized biotechnology experiment rack, the crew observed the growth, developmental patterns, and bioactive compound synthesis of Streptomyces bacteria in weightlessness. This research is expected to reveal new biological adaptations and potential applications for space-based pharmaceutical research. The crew carefully sampled liquid cultures, preserving the samples for their eventual journey back to Earth. Another highlight of their daily routine, in addition to the meticulous space station upkeep, is their rigorous exercise to counter the physical toll of microgravity. The video captures the astronauts running on a treadmill in the space module. Beyond exercise, the crew undergoes regular checkups like detailed heart monitoring and blood pressure tracking. They also participate in unique health assessments based on traditional Chinese medicine principles, according to the report. China's space station has now hosted over 200 scientific projects, with nearly 2 tonnes of scientific materials and applied equipment sent to orbit and nearly 100 experimental samples returned to Earth, according to the China Manned Space Agency.  

A chartered spaceflight for India, Poland and Hungary’s first astronauts in decades has been delayed indefinitely because of leak concerns at the International Space Station. NASA said Thursday that it wants to monitor the cabin pressure on the Russian side of the orbiting lab before accepting visitors. Officials stressed that the seven astronauts currently at the space station are safe and that other operations up there aren't affected. SpaceX was supposed to launch four private astronauts this week on a 14-day space station mission, but bad weather and SpaceX rocket trouble delayed the flight. Then the station leak issue cropped up. The Russian Space Agency has been dealing with a cabin pressure leak at the station, and recent repairs resulted in what NASA calls “a new pressure signature.” Additional details were not immediately available. The three Russians aboard the space station recently inspected the inside walls of the aging Zvezda service module, which was launched in 2000. They sealed some areas and measured the current leak rate. “Following this effort, the segment now is holding pressure,” NASA said in an online update. Japan's private lunar lander crashes in second failed moon mission The private mission's delay provides extra time for NASA and the Russian Space Agency “to evaluate the situation” and determine whether more repairs are needed. The chartered flight was arranged by the Houston company Axiom Space, and was to be Axiom's fourth trip to the space station with paying customers since 2022. “This is the right thing to do,” Axiom Space's executive chairman Kam Ghaffarian said in a written statement. “We will continue to work with all of our partners to finalize a new launch date.”