Short Takes – 6-17-25

Auburn University to offer space systems graduate certificate in fall 2025. Eng.Auburn.edu press release. Pull quote: “"While there are technical aspects, it is structured so that individuals from almost any background can enroll," he said. "You don't need an engineering degree — someone with a business background, for example, who works in the space sector can take this sequence to understand the field better. That's exactly what the certificate is designed for."”

Portable device detects poisonous pigment in books. ChemistryWorld.com article. Pull quote: “In this case they were looking for a compound – copper acetoarsenite – that was widely used in the 19th century but only recently discovered to also have been used in book bindings. Unfortunately, this pigment is particularly friable, so crumbles easily releasing arsenic into the air.”

RNA as a replacement for chemical pesticides. ChemistryWorld.com article. Pull quote: “The idea looks simple but is not easy to implement. ‘We need to know a lot about the molecular biology and genetics of the entire system, like the genome of the plant and the pathogen.’ Apolo scientists have developed a bioinformatics platform, in collaboration with the Sadosky Foundation and the National institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA), that compares hundreds or thousands of genomes ‘to confirm that the solution we’ve generated is highly specific and attacks and blocks a particular pathogen, but it will not do anything to other fungi or to bees, fish and the rest of the ecosystem,’ says Ariel. ‘Today, a fungicide is sprayed and it kills bees, contaminates the water and the entire ecosystem. This is why the logic of food production is in crisis.’”

Companies Warn SEC That Mass Deportations Pose Serious Business Risk. Wired.com article. Pull quote: “Some companies said that deportations could fuel labor shortages. Century Communities, a homebuilding company, said in its 2024 annual report that if it's unable to hire enough skilled tradesmen and contractors, it "may have a material adverse effect on our standards of service." An interesting list of potential impacts, but not yet enough to be predictive of overall business impact.

James Webb telescope ups the odds that 'city-killer' asteroid 2024 YR4 will hit the moon in 2032. LiveScience.com article. Pull quote: “The new observations, taken with JWST's Near-Infrared Camera in May, allowed scientists to calculate the space rock's trajectory with the greatest precision yet, according to a NASA statement. The new predictions suggest there's a 4.3% chance that asteroid 2024 YR4 will collide with the moon on Dec. 22, 2032 — up from the 3.8% odds of a lunar impact reported after JWST initially imaged the space rock in March.”

Sweeping tariffs could threaten the US manufacturing rebound. TechnologyReview.com article. Pull quote: “What’s really at stake when we talk about the country’s reindustrialization is our future pipeline of new technologies. The portfolio of technologies emerging from universities and startups in energy production and storage, materials, computing, and biomedicine has arguably never been richer. Meanwhile, AI and advanced robotics could soon transform our ability to manufacture these technologies and products.” Justification for limited and targeted tariffs.

Is this the end of animal testing? TechnologyReview.com article. Pull quote: “But until recently there was no other option. Research questions like Moore’s can’t ethically or practically be addressed with a randomized, double-blinded study in humans. Now these organs on chips, also known as microphysiological systems, may offer a truly viable alternative. They look remarkably prosaic: flexible polymer rectangles about the size of a thumb drive. In reality they’re triumphs of bioengineering, intricate constructions furrowed with tiny channels that are lined with living human tissues. These tissues expand and contract with the flow of fluid and air, mimicking key organ functions like breathing, blood flow, and peristalsis, the muscular contractions of the digestive system.”