For the first time, a hydrogel material made of nanocellulose and algae has been tested as an alternative, greener architectural material. The study shows how the abundant sustainable material can be 3D printed into a wide array of architectural components, using much less energy than conventional construction methods. * This article was originally published here

When it comes to making fuel from plants, the first step has always been the hardest — breaking down the plant matter. A new study finds that introducing a simple, renewable chemical to the pretreatment step can finally make next-generation biofuel production both cost-effective and carbon neutral. * This article was originally published here

Researchers developed the pedestrian movement index to capture pedestrian count, distance walked, and time spent in metro station areas using large-scale Global Positioning System data. This index elucidates the relationship between pedestrian behavior and various urban-space elements (such as density, diversity, design, accessibility, and distance). * This article was originally published here

Hydrogen stored in hydrogen boride sheets can be efficiently released electrochemically, report scientists. Through a series of experiments, they demonstrated that dispersing these sheets in an organic solvent and applying a small voltage is enough to release all the stored hydrogen efficiently. These findings suggest hydrogen boride sheets could soon become a safe and convenient

Engineers have created a more efficient way of converting carbon dioxide into valuable products while simultaneously addressing climate change. * This article was originally published here

Metropolitan areas with multiple city centers and dispersed green spaces mitigate extreme heat more effectively than those with one dominant city, an analysis by city planning scholars finds. * This article was originally published here

For the first time, researchers have investigated how ropes and fishing lines are handled by the Norwegian commercial fishing industry. The fishing fleet loses almost 400 tons of rope in Norwegian waters every year. * This article was originally published here

Researchers have created a new version of a microbe to compete economically with E. coli — a bacteria commonly used as a research tool due to its ability to synthesize proteins — to conduct low-cost and scalable synthetic biological experiments. * This article was originally published here

Africa’s forested areas — an estimated 14 % of the global forest area — are continuing to decline at an increasing rate — mostly because of human activities to convert forest land for economic purposes. As natural forests are important CO2 and biodiversity reservoirs, this development has a significant impact on climate change and effects