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A new paper led by Professor Imanuel Lerman of UC San Diego provides a review of the field of bioelectronic medicine and the most promising opportunities for life-changing new therapies and diagnostics.

Scientists are unlocking the secrets of halide perovskites -- a material that's poised to reshape our future by bringing us closer to a new age of energy-efficient optoelectronics. Two physics professors are studying the material at the nanoscale: a place where objects are invisible to the naked eye. At this level, the extraordinary properties of halide perovskites come to life, thanks to the material's unique structure of ultra-thin crystals -- making it astonishingly efficient at converting sunlight into energy. Think solar panels that are not only more affordable but also far more effective at powering homes. Or LED lights that burn brighter and last longer while consuming less energy.

A team of researchers has developed innovative methods to enhance frequency conversion of terahertz (THz) waves in graphene-based structures, unlocking new potential for faster, more efficient technologies in wireless communication and signal processing.

Experiments have yielded a fascinating new type of matter, neither granular nor crystalline, that responds to some stresses as a fluid would and to others like a solid. The new material, known as PAM (for polycatenated architected materials) could have uses in areas ranging from helmets and other protective gear to biomedical devices and robotics.

Water desalination plants could replace expensive chemicals with new carbon cloth electrodes that remove boron from seawater, an important step of turning seawater into safe drinking water.

An interdisciplinary team has developed a groundbreaking technology that addresses key limitations in clean hydrogen production using microwaves. They have also successfully elucidated the underlying mechanism of this innovative process.

Transition metals have long been used as catalysts to activate small molecules and turn them into valuable products. However, as these metals can be expensive and less abundant, scientists are increasingly looking at more common elements as alternatives. In a recent study, researchers used a concept called 'frustrated Lewis pairs' to develop a transition metal-free catalyst for activating hydrogen. This breakthrough could lead to more sustainable, cost-effective, and efficient chemical processes.

If you've ever tossed a generous pinch of salt into your pasta pan's water for flavor or as an attempt to make it boil faster, you've likely ended up with a whitish ring of deposits inside the pan. A group of scientists, inspired by this observation during an evening of board games and pasta dinner, wondered what it would take to create the most beautiful salt ring inside the pasta pan they report their findings about what causes these peculiar salt particle cloud deposits to form.

Instead of relying on energy-hungry reactors to generate high temperatures and pressure, researchers are looking underground at Earth's natural heat and forces to cook up ammonia for fertilizer. In a proof-of-concept study, researchers generated ammonia by mixing nitrogen-laced water with iron-rich rocks -- without any energy input or CO2 emission. This new recipe may lead to a more sustainable alternative to current methods, theoretically churning out enough ammonia for 2.42 million years.

Researchers present paper-based temperature and humidity sensors that are accurate, reliable, and eco-friendly. The team created the sensors by printing silver lines on commercially available paper through dry additive nanomanufacturing. As the paper absorbs water vapor, its capacitance change is measured to reflect the relative humidity of the environment, and as the temperature increases, the metallic conductor experiences an increase in resistivity. They successfully detected changes in relative humidity levels from 20% to 90% and temperature variations from 25 C to 50 C.

We are delighted to announce that Professor Catherine Barnard has been appointed to the Professorship in European Law. The Professorship of European Law was established in 1994 and has been held by Professor Sir Alan Dashwood KC and Professor Kenneth Armstrong. Professor Barnard, FBA, FLSW, FRSA, has been an academic in the Cambridge Law Faculty for many years; most recently (since 2008) as Professor in EU Law and Employment Law. She is the author of two leading texts, The Substantive Law of the EU: The Four Freedoms , (OUP, 2022, 7th ed), and (with Steve Peers ed), European Union Law (OUP, 2023, 4th ed), and is doing ground-breaking empirical work (with Fiona Costello and Sarah Fraser Butlin) on the realities of the operation of EU law (and now Withdrawal Agreement law) in Great Yarmouth ( Low-Paid EU Migrant Workers: The House, the Town, the Street (Bristol University Press, 2024). She has published a number of edited works and has written extensively on EU Employment law (eg EU Employment Law (OUP, 2012, 5th ed) and labour law. She has taken a very visible role in the Brexit debate, working with the think tank, UK in a Changing Europe (UKCE), funded by the ESRC, with the remit of making that information accessible to the general public. She has appeared on the main media channels in this regard and written for the Guardian and the Telegraph . She has given evidence to numerous select committees on the legal issues connected with Brexit. Catherine is also a passionate and committed teacher. She was awarded the University of Cambridge's Pilkington Prize for teaching (2019) and in 2023 was awarded the prize for the best lecturer in the university by Cambridge Students’ Union. Commenting on Professor Barnard's appointment, Professor Louise Gullifer, the Chair of the Faculty of Law, said: "I am delighted that Professor Barnard will be taking up the role of Professor of European Law in the Faculty. She has contributed very significantly to the scholarship, teaching and administration of the Faculty for many years, and we very fortunate that we will be able to benefit from her wealth of expertise and experience in this very important academic leadership role."

Dr Dino Kadich and Dr Dženeta Karabegović (Paris Lodron University of Salzburg) have published a new article entitled 'Diasporic Littering: Civility, citizenship, and the politics of leaving Bosnia and Herzegovina' in Social & Cultural Geography, which explores how rubbish has become a key site of political contestation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They show how looking at waste and its disposal through a geopolitical lens can reveal deep tensions as long-term residents struggle to negotiate space with relatively well off diaspora visitors. This exciting research brings innovative theories from urban geography into geopolitical thinking and highlights how ordinary people create political realities.

Run by Dr Liam Saddington with Dr Rachel Thorley (Churchill College) and Dr Amy Munro-Faure (Cambridge Zero) this session is the outcome of a project funded by the Isaac Newton Trust. Aimed at primary school teachers, this session will introduce the Climate Action Toolkit Project—a set of free resources created by researchers and academics from the University of Cambridge designed to empower your pupils to understand and become change-makers in a world impacted by climate change. The toolkit is a cross-disciplinary scheme of work, ideal for running as a topic day or spread out over a longer period. With engaging, research-informed lessons, the materials aim to boost pupils' confidence that they can make a difference while addressing important environmental topics. These are free, flexible resources suitable for Years 5-6. Informed by research, these cross-disciplinary materials are designed to inspire action and reduce environmental anxiety in children.

This RGS session being run by Dr Liam Saddington is based on research on climate justice and young people that he has been doing with local secondary school geography teachers (Mr Gerard Reilly and Mr Miles Huppatz). During this online session, Liam, Gerard and Miles will introduce a scheme of work focusing on climate change, human geography and climate justice designed for Year 9 pupils. These materials have been co-developed between the University of Cambridge and two schools in Peterborough and Stevenage. These materials are designed to introduce students to ideas of climate justice and develop fieldwork skills in an accessible and low-cost way. The scheme of work brings contemporary research and debates in human geography into the classroom. This session will provide an overview of the scheme of work, talk through the fieldwork and discuss opportunities to adapt these materials.

Atmospheric scientists show proposed 'geoengineering' effort to remove methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from the atmosphere could worse air quality while providing minimal climate benefits.

By editing the polymers of discarded plastics, chemists have found a way to generate new macromolecules with more valuable properties than those of the starting material. Upcycling may help remedy the roughly 450 million tons of plastic discarded worldwide annually, of which only 9% gets recycled; the rest is incinerated or winds up in landfills, oceans or elsewhere.

A novel bio-inspired camera capable of ultra-high-speed imaging with high sensitivity was developed by mimicking the visual structure of insect eyes.

In life sciences, confocal fluorescence microscopy (CFM) is widely regarded for producing high-resolution cellular images. However, it requires fluorescent staining, which poses risks of photobleaching and phototoxicity, potentially damaging the cells under study. Conversely, mid-infrared photoacoustic microscopy (MIR-PAM) allows for label-free imaging, preserving cell integrity. Yet, its reliance on longer wavelengths limits spatial resolution, making it difficult to visualize fine cellular structures with precision.

Vivian Motzfeldt, Greenlandic Minister for Statehood and Foreign Affairs, visited the Scott Polar Research Institute on 14 January. The Minister was accompanied by a delegation from the Government of Greenland and a representative from the British Embassy in Copenhagen. The group were welcomed by Professor Richard Powell, Director of SPRI, and colleagues. The delegation enjoyed tours and discussions about ongoing SPRI research, teaching and collections strategies involving Greenland. It was a very successful visit and all agreed that it would lead to future collaborations.

On Thursday, 23 January, at 5:30 PM, the European premiere of Pantanal is screening at a theatre near you – the Babbage Lecture Theatre! This powerful documentary explores the history and challenges of the world's largest tropical wetland. The film stars Department of Geography Master's in Conservation Leadership alumna Luciana Leite - now with the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) - as one of its highlighted environmentalists. The screening, hosted by the MPhil in Conservation Leadership team, will conclude with a discussion, offering attendees a chance to meet Luciana and engage with panelists on environmental issues and the role of communication in combating the climate crisis. Undergraduate members of the department are very welcome to attend. Reserve your free ticket here