In a quest to address the global challenge of depleting natural gold mines and e-waste, scientists from the Indian Institute of Science and Education and Research, Pune (IISER Pune), Advanced Bio-Agro Tech Pvt. Ltd and CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory have engineered a novel material that promises to significantly improve how we recover gold from old electronics. They have designed a zirconium-based aerogel that is capable of capturing gold ions from solutions, even when present in ultra-trace amounts.
Researchers have identified urban sewage as a critical hotspot for the evolution and spread of drug-resistant bacteria, highlighting an urgent need for nationwide wastewater monitoring to prevent future health crises.