In this episode of Photonics Hot List...
Melting sea ice in arctic regions is negatively impacting Native communities and the wildlife that live there. Closer monitoring of this key climate change indicator could ultimately prompt ways to help slow it. Researchers at the University of New Mexico, using fiber-optic cable and distributed acoustic sensing, are attempting to do just that.
As more COVID-19 variants emerge, finding a way to combat the virus and ultimately eradicate it becomes more crucial by the day. Using UV irradiation, a team of researchers in Japan has discovered that even at wavelengths typically hazardous to humans, they could effectively inactivate and kill Omicron variants.
In efforts to make cancer screening easier, faster, and more efficient, a team at MIT has developed a prototype sensor that mimics our bodies’ natural sensory systems—particularly the membrane that surrounds all cells. It has the potential to detect cancers or metastatic tumors that are usually difficult to diagnose.
