the Steering Group evaluated dozens of proposals according to a number of criteria: Do the suggested technologies have the potential to provide major benefits to societies and economies? Could they alter established ways of doing things? Are they still in early stages of development but attracting a lot of interest from research labs, companies or investors? Are they likely to make significant inroads in the next several years?
1 ENVIRONMENT : BIOPLASTICS COULD SOLVE A MAJOR POLLUTION PROBLEM
2 ENGINEERING : SOCIAL ROBOTS PLAY NICELY WITH OTHERS
Advances in AI have enabled designers to translate such psychological and neuroscientific insights into algorithms that allow robots to recognize voices, faces and emotions; interpret speech and gestures; respond appropriately to complex verbal and nonverbal cues; make eye contact; speak conversationally; and adapt to people's needs by learning from feedback, rewards and criticisms.
3 ENGINEERING : TINY LENSES WILL ENABLE DESIGN OF MINIATURE OPTICAL DEVICES
...elements in a glass lens often need to be stacked to focus light properly. Engineers have recently figured out much of the physics behind much smaller, lighter alternatives known as metalenses. These lenses could allow for greater miniaturization....
...A metalens consists of a flat surface, thinner than a micron, that is covered with an array of nanoscale objects, such as jutting pillars or drilled holes. As incident light hits these elements, many of its properties change—including its polarization, intensity, phase and direction of propagation. ...
...Now a single metalens can focus all the wavelengths of white light onto the same spot. Beyond creating this “achromatic” metalens, scientists have developed metalenses that correct other aberrations, such as coma and astigmatism, which cause image distortions and blurring...diminutive lenses can be manufactured with the same equipment already used in the semiconductor industry.
4 MEDICAL & BIOTECH : A SPECIAL CLASS OF PROTEINS OFFERS PROMISING TARGETS FOR DRUGS FOR CANCER AND ALZHEIMER’S
...These “intrinsically disordered proteins” (IDPs) looked different from the proteins with rigid structures that were more familiar in cells. IDPs were shape-shifters, appearing as ensembles of components that constantly changed configurations. This loose structure turns out to allow the IDPs to bring together a wide variety of molecules at critical moments, such as during a cell's response to stress. ...
.... IDPs. Indeed, many have been called undruggable. That is because most medicines now in use require stable structures to target, and IDPs do not stay put long enough.
...Industry ...s. Biotechnology company IDP Pharma ... Graffinity Pharmaceuticals, now part of NovAliX, ..... Cantabio Pharmaceuticals ...d a new company called Dewpoint Therapeutics ...
5 ENVIRONMENT : SMARTER FERTILIZERS CAN REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION
New formulations deliver nourishment on demand
...fertilizer ... standard versions work inefficiently and often harm the environment. Fortunately, products that are more ecologically sound—controlled-release fertilizers—are available and becoming increasingly smart....higher yields with less fertilizer.
...“controlled release” ...made possible by sophisticated materials and manufacturing techniques that can tune the shells so that they alter nutrient-release rates in desired ways as the soil's temperature, acidity or moisture changes....
...Haifa Group and ICL Specialty Fertilizers ... ties the rate of nutrient release solely to temperature...
... producing these substances is energy-intensive....
...Installing precision systems is costly, though, so only large-scale operations tend to have them. In comparison, advanced controlled-release fertilizers are relatively inexpensive....
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