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In the shallow tropical reefs off Palau are enormous clams of the genus Tridacna. While very beautiful, they might seem otherwise unremarkable. However, a closer look at the shimmering blue flesh within their four-foot-long shells reveals an astonishing discovery: these clams host the most efficient solar panels ever found, according to new research.

“The fact that nobody could explain why a clam was iridescent really just stuck with me,” says Alison Sweeney, a Yale University biophysicist and co-author of the study.

In previous research, Sweeney and her colleagues found that despite their impressive iridescence, the clams’ fleshy mantles reflect only about 5 percent of the bright sunlight that hits them. The rest of the light is absorbed and directed to photosynthetic algae within the clam’s body, serving as a food source. This absorption rate is remarkably efficient for photosynthesis; by comparison, terrestrial forests like the Amazon reflect much more light, reducing their photosynthetic efficiency. Specialized cells called iridocytes line the mantle’s surface, containing transparent, protein-rich platelets that diffuse light inward.

In new research published in PRX Energy, Sweeney’s team examined the arrangement of the clams’ symbiotic algae, which are neatly organized in modified tubes extending from the digestive system. Unlike the random distribution of photosynthetic machinery in leaves, the clam’s algae form orderly columns stretching from the iridocyte layer into the flesh. “The clam basically plants them as if it were an agricultural field,” Sweeney explains. (The algae also travel between clams in pellets of feces.)

Modeling this system, the team calculated that its theoretical efficiency at the first step of photosynthesis, where chlorophyll absorbs a photon, is 43 percent—more than twice the efficiency of most current solar panels and three times that of a tropical leaf. Previous measurements in the wild suggested an even higher efficiency of over 60 percent. The new study resolved this discrepancy by considering that clams might inflate and deflate their mantles throughout the day to optimize sunlight exposure, bringing the modeled efficiency to 67 percent.

Sweeney hopes this work can inspire the design of algae-stocked bioreactors, demonstrating how biological solutions can address technological challenges.

Here is a video that shows some of these amazing clams. The best footage starts at 8:32.

The Texas Heart Institute has successfully implanted an artificial titanium heart using the same technology as bullet trains to pump blood mechanically throughout the body. Called the Total Artificial Heart (TAH), this development represents a significant advancement in extending patients’ lives while they wait for heart transplants.

In collaboration with medical tech company BiVACOR, Texas Heart developed the TAH. It’s a titanium biventricular rotary blood pump with a single moving part, utilizing a magnetically levitated rotor to pump blood and replace both ventricles of a failing heart.

Magnetic levitation reduces friction by preventing moving parts from scraping or sliding against each other, greatly increasing the device’s lifespan. The TAH can pump blood at a rate of 12 liters per minute, sufficient for an adult male to engage in exercise.

The first-in-human clinical study, closely monitored by the FDA, aims to evaluate the safety and performance of the BiVACOR TAH as a bridge-to-transplant solution for patients with severe bi or univentricular heart failure. Following the first implantation at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in the Texas Medical Center, four more patients will be enrolled in the study.

Dr. Joseph Rogers, President and CEO of The Texas Heart Institute, stated, “With heart failure as a leading cause of death worldwide, the BiVACOR TAH offers hope for many patients awaiting a heart transplant. We are proud to be leading this medical breakthrough with BiVACOR, Baylor College of Medicine, and Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center.”

Heart failure affects at least 26 million people worldwide, including 6.2 million adults in the US, and is on the rise. Heart transplants are limited to fewer than 6,000 procedures annually, despite an estimated 100,000 patients in the US alone who could benefit from mechanical alternatives.

The successful implantation of BiVACOR’s TAH underscores the potential of new technologies to address critical challenges in cardiac care, such as long transplant waitlists.

Daniel Timms, founder and CTO of BiVACOR, acknowledged the courage of the first patient and their family, the dedication of the team, and the expertise of collaborators at The Texas Heart Institute in making this achievement possible.

Scientists have confirmed the existence of a sizable cave on the moon near where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed 55 years ago. They suspect there are hundreds more that could house future astronauts.

An Italian-led team reported that evidence points to a large cave accessible from the deepest known pit on the moon, located at the Sea of Tranquility, just 250 miles (400 kilometers) from the Apollo 11 landing site. This pit, like over 200 others discovered, was formed by the collapse of a lava tube.

Researchers used radar measurements from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and compared them with Earth’s lava tubes. Their findings, published in Nature Astronomy, indicate that the cave is at least 130 feet (40 meters) wide and several tens of yards long, likely more.

Most of these pits are located in the moon’s ancient lava plains, though there could be some at the moon’s south pole, where NASA plans astronaut landings later this decade. Permanently shadowed craters at the south pole are believed to contain frozen water, which could be used for drinking and rocket fuel.

The findings suggest there could be hundreds of pits and thousands of lava tubes on the moon. These structures could provide natural shelter for astronauts, protecting them from cosmic rays, solar radiation, and micrometeorite strikes. Building habitats from scratch would be more time-consuming and challenging, even considering the need to reinforce cave walls to prevent collapse.

Additionally, the unaltered rocks and materials inside these caves could help scientists better understand the moon’s history, particularly its volcanic activity.

If you have never heard about this enormous stone “castle” that was built all by one man, then you will really want to check this video out.

It is absolutely incredible! Not just because it was built by one person, but because it is a genuinely amazing structure.

A new pesticide specifically targeting the Colorado potato beetle has proven effective, killing the pest while leaving other species unharmed, including its close relatives. This beetle, originating from the Rocky Mountains, causes over $500 million in annual damage across the Northern Hemisphere.

GreenLight Biosciences has developed Calantha, a spray that uses RNA interference technology to target the PSMB5 gene, which is essential for removing damaged proteins in cells. Blocking this gene causes protein buildup, killing the larvae within six days. The beetle, which also harms eggplant, tomatoes, and bell peppers, has developed resistance to 50 pesticide formulas.

Similar to bacteria developing antibiotic resistance, crop pests have become immune to many pesticides, necessitating ongoing innovation. In 2001, farmers in Maine found that neonicotinoids were no longer effective against the potato beetle. Andrei Alyokhin, an entomologist at the University of Maine, observed that the beetles were unaffected by treated plants.

RNA interference is praised for its precision and safety, targeting only the potato beetle’s genetic relatives and sparing beneficial insects like pollinators. Subba Reddy Palli, an entomologist at the University of Kentucky, highlighted its precision and effectiveness.

Calantha, produced at about $1 per gram, was approved by the FDA after proving harmless to non-target species. GreenLight conducted safety trials comparing PSMB5 in the potato beetle with other insects, finding that only two other agricultural pest species were affected.