
Today on R&D World
Thermo Fisher swaps HFCs for natural refrigerants in new large‑capacity and superspeed centrifuges
OpenAI releases o3, a model that tops 99% of human competitors on IOI 2024 and Codeforces benchmarks
Why Dorsey and Musk are targeting IP law now
Health-related innovation in Morocco highlighted by resident inventor patenting activity
OpenAI framework: AI now ‘on the cusp of doing new science’
FCC chair frames EU tech choice: Starlink or China?
Draper Associates leads $4.5M investment in startup Potato to drive AI-driven ‘runaway knowledge production’
7 major R&D developments this week: Tariff uncertainty persists, Pfizer sells campus, Scania acquires Northvolt unit
NASA’s IMAP faces simulated space conditions in Alabama
High school student’s AI model spots 1.5 million unknown objects in NASA NEOWISE data
OpenAI claims GPT-4.1 sets new 90%+ standard in MMLU reasoning benchmark
Quantum computing hardware advance slashes superinductor capacitance >60%, cutting substrate loss
You may have missed: DESI’s 3D universe map now available to researchers worldwide
Ex-Google CEO details massive AI energy needs at House hearing, advocates for fusion and SMR R&D
Physics See More >

Aardvark AI forecasts rival supercomputer simulations while using over 99.9% less compute
A deep learning system known as Aardvark Weather offers accurate weather forecasts that are orders of magnitude quicker to generate than existing systems. Described in a Nature article (currently posted as a preprint), the system can generate predictions on four NVIDIA A100 GPUs that would otherwise take roughly 1,000 node-hours on a traditional supercomputer system…

Physicists create supersolid state of light, blending properties of liquids and solids

Samson Shatashvili awarded 2025 Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics for quantum field theory advances

Universe’s unexpected twist: JWST data hints at black hole universe theory

This week in research: A space launch, breathing eyes, glaciers melting, and more
Sponsored Content See More >

Optimize Accuracy with the New Automated Tip Wiping Function
BRAND Liquid Handling Station – Automated Wiping of Liquid Residues The BRAND Liquid Handling Station (LHS) has a compact design and plug-and-play software to easily automate routine pipetting tasks, enhancing accuracy, precision, and reproducibility. A new feature of the LHS is its new automated tip wiping function, which ensures more reliable results. The ability to…
Life Science See More >

Health-related innovation in Morocco highlighted by resident inventor patenting activity
The continents of Europe, Asia, and the Americas are widely recognized as sources of innovation, but Africa is less known for its R&D efforts. Yet, despite certain economic challenges, Africa is beginning to take its place on the world stage for invention. Recent patenting activity can identify the seeds of such nascent creativity. Patent protection…

Cleveland Clinic’s quantum computer, CAS data power new Alzheimer’s research pact

NIH layoffs threaten US’s edge in science and health innovation

Breathing easier on the moon: NASA and Corscience team up to monitor spacesuit safety

Proscia raises $50M to expand AI pathology platform amid growing demand for precision diagnostics
Nanotechnology See More >

Floating solar mats clean polluted water — and generate power
Most people bring a blanket to the beach to soak up the sun — this “blanket” soaks up pollution instead. Researchers at Ohio State University have created a solar-activated “nanomat” that floats on water like a beach mat, but instead of providing comfort, it goes to work cleaning up harmful contaminants. The lightweight, reusable material…

Nanodots enable fine-tuned light emission for sharper displays and faster quantum devices

New photon-avalanching nanoparticles could enable next-generation optical computers

New “nose-computer interface” aims to upgrade Rover’s nose for better drug detection methods

A smart ring with a tiny camera lets users point and click to control home devices
Energy See More >

Ex-Google CEO details massive AI energy needs at House hearing, advocates for fusion and SMR R&D
The AI race hinges not just on algorithms and silicon, but increasingly on raw power. The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that global electricity consumption by data centers will more than double by 2030, with AI-specific data centers alone expected to quadruple in consumption. By then, the energy used for AI processing in the U.S.…

Floating solar mats clean polluted water — and generate power

2025 R&D layoffs tracker: 53,686 and counting

8 major R&D moves this week: Samsung invests record $24B while Porsche cuts 3,900 jobs

Penn State student cracks 100-year-old wind energy equation, potentially paving the way for more efficient turbines
Chemistry See More >

ARPA-H funds $29M Ginkgo-led project to reshore pharma supply chains using wheat germ tech
In a bid to decentralize and secure pharma supply chains, Ginkgo Bioworks and a consortium of partners have been awarded a $29 million contract by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). The two-year project, WHEAT, aims to develop a novel manufacturing platform using wheat germ cell-free expression systems (CFPS). The goal is to…

Recursion and Enamine launch targeted chemical libraries

Tariff shock: Auto R&D projected down 30%+ at one year, semi faces double-digit drop

Replacing animal models? Silk sponge 3D cell culture system shows high potential for cancer diagnostics and drug screening

Berkeley Lab’s 48-Hour race against time with new molecule berkelocene: A step toward safer nuclear waste management?
Material Science See More >

Health-related innovation in Morocco highlighted by resident inventor patenting activity
The continents of Europe, Asia, and the Americas are widely recognized as sources of innovation, but Africa is less known for its R&D efforts. Yet, despite certain economic challenges, Africa is beginning to take its place on the world stage for invention. Recent patenting activity can identify the seeds of such nascent creativity. Patent protection…

Can we weld on the moon? A UT Dallas team is simulating the answer

New Krios 5 Cryo-TEM from Thermo Fisher delivers up to 25% throughput gain for atomic-resolution analysis

Berkeley Lab’s 48-Hour race against time with new molecule berkelocene: A step toward safer nuclear waste management?

Floating solar mats clean polluted water — and generate power
Semiconductors See More >

7 major R&D developments this week: Tariff uncertainty persists, Pfizer sells campus, Scania acquires Northvolt unit
Uncertainty surrounding U.S. tariff policy impacted R&D sectors this week, even as the broader market showed gains. The R&D World Index (RDWI) for the week ending April 11, 2025, closed at 3,585.25, up 2.25% (or 78.98 basis points). Performance among the 25 RDWI member companies was mixed, with twelve gaining value. Leading the pack was…

While Trump tariffs spare phones/PCs, R&D could faces GPU cost pressures

Why IBM predicts quantum advantage within two years

How OMRON integrates virtual humans and factory expertise into NVIDIA Omniverse digital twins

Thermo Fisher launches Vulcan Automated Lab to accelerate semiconductor analysis with AI-powered TEM metrology workflow
Aerospace See More >

U.S. Space Force invests $13.7 billion in next-gen launch vehicles from SpaceX, ULA, and Blue Origin
Blue Origin broke into the military’s most critical space launch market Friday, securing a multi-billion dollar share alongside SpaceX and United Launch Alliance in new U.S. Space Force contracts worth up to $13.7 billion designed to ensure access to orbit for national security missions through 2032. The contract awards are a significant expansion of the…

8 major R&D moves this week: HHS cuts 10,000 jobs while Anthropic & DataBricks form $100M pact

Breathing easier on the moon: NASA and Corscience team up to monitor spacesuit safety

New podcast from ISS National Lab brings space research down to Earth
