https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Could wound healing dressings adhere better, and could drug delivery patches become more sophisticated? A KAIST research team has developed a technology that leverages natural ingredients derived from plants to increase the strength of a seaweed-based hydrogel (a gel material that contains a large amount of water while maintaining its shape) by more than fivefold, while also controlling its adhesiveness and degradation rate. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-tea-compound-boosts-seaweed-hydrogel.html Polymers Tue, 09 Jun 2026 14:00:03 EDT news700229281 The fixed idea that DNA is only a molecule that stores genetic information is being challenged. KAIST researchers have developed a technology that controls the chemical environment around catalysts at the nanometer scale by designing DNA sequences—the arrangement of A, T, G and C that make up genetic information. The team has presented a new catalyst platform that can improve hydrogen production efficiency and increase the yield of desired chemical products by designing DNA much like writing a computer program. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-dna-nanometer-scale-catalyst-cleaner.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 08 Jun 2026 16:10:06 EDT news700152361 Two-dimensional (2D) materials, which are significantly thinner than a single sheet of paper, have long drawn attention for their exceptional performance. However, they have faced a critical limitation: Their performance degrades significantly when multiple layers are stacked. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-stacking-2d-conductor-layer-bulk.html Nanophysics Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:50:02 EDT news700151762 A new analysis of approximately 600,000 research papers reveals structural limits to single-country security oversight of dual-use research and identifies trade-offs that policymakers face when strengthening such oversight. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-dual-outgrow-national-oversight-analysis.html Education Fri, 05 Jun 2026 13:20:02 EDT news699878822 DNA is the blueprint of the human body. However, tens of thousands of DNA lesions occur in our bodies every day. In particular, if "apurinic/apyrimidinic sites" (AP sites, damaged sites where one letter of DNA information has been erased) are not properly repaired, they can lead to cancer and aging. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-dna-enzyme-dimensional-key-sites.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:40:05 EDT news699789361 Nylon is a representative plastic material used throughout our daily lives, from clothing to automobiles. However, most of its raw materials have been produced through petrochemical processes, resulting in large carbon emissions. KAIST researchers have developed a technology that can produce key nylon precursors in an eco-friendly way using microbes. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-microbes-biodiesel-byproduct-nylon-blocks.html Biochemistry Mon, 01 Jun 2026 16:40:06 EDT news699545161 Korean researchers have developed a new catalyst design technology that can improve the performance of batteries and hydrogen fuel cells while reducing energy loss. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-electric-fields-boost-battery-fuel.html Engineering Mon, 01 Jun 2026 15:20:02 EDT news699545522 Operating large language model (LLM) services like ChatGPT requires a server infrastructure on the scale of tens of thousands of units. However, constructing actual equipment every time a new AI semiconductor or system architecture needs to be verified incurs massive costs and time. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-virtual-ai-testbed-massive-llm.html Software Fri, 29 May 2026 13:40:01 EDT news699280081 As the global transition toward carbon neutrality accelerates, "water electrolysis"—a technology that splits water electrically to produce clean hydrogen—is drawing significant attention. However, a major limitation has been the decline in efficiency caused by bubbles formed during the electrolysis process that block the pathways. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-redesigned-catalyst-pathways-vent-fast.html Engineering Fri, 29 May 2026 13:20:01 EDT news699279482 When people watch a scene in the film "Jurassic Park" where a giant dinosaur walks toward them, they naturally imagine a heavy, rumbling sound, as if the ground were shaking. This is because humans predict sound by considering not only the shape of an object, but also physical properties such as its size, weight, and speed of movement. However, existing video-to-audio generation AI mainly generates sound based on the category of objects or scene information in the video, and has not sufficiently reflected physical properties that vary depending on weight or speed. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-physics-aware-ai-generates-realistic.html Computer Sciences Wed, 27 May 2026 09:40:03 EDT news699091982 People often say that seeking psychiatric care can feel intimidating. Patients may feel burdened when they first open up about their emotional distress, while medical staff must accurately understand a patient's extensive history and symptoms within limited consultation time. Korean researchers have developed artificial intelligence (AI) technology that supports the initial psychiatric interview process, the first step in psychiatric care. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-ai-doctor-conversational-psychiatric.html Tue, 26 May 2026 11:00:06 EDT news699011566 Technology that converts carbon dioxide (CO₂) into fuels and plastic feedstocks using electricity is gaining attention as a core technology in the era of carbon neutrality. In particular, ethylene and ethanol are high-value materials widely used in the production of plastics, fuels, and chemical products, but until now, the only metal that has effectively produced them has essentially been copper (Cu). Through this study, Korean researchers have revealed the limitations of existing catalyst theories that have explained this principle. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-fuel-catalysts-falling-short-copper.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 21 May 2026 17:30:02 EDT news698600281 As ammonia gains attention as a next-generation energy source capable of overcoming the limits of hydrogen storage and transport, KAIST and a joint research team have developed fuel cell technology that directly uses ammonia as fuel while achieving world-class performance and stability. This achievement is regarded as a core technology that will accelerate the commercialization of the next-generation hydrogen economy and carbon-free power generation. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-high-entropy-catalyst-ammonia-fuel.html Materials Science Wed, 20 May 2026 12:20:01 EDT news698495161 Naphtha, an essential feedstock for the petrochemical industry, has faced sharp price increases and supply instability in recent years, driving demand for sustainable alternatives. The KAIST-Hanwha Solutions Future Technology Research Institute, has secured bio-technology capable of mass-producing eco-friendly raw materials for plastics and textiles using waste resources, offering an alternative to petroleum-derived naphtha. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-microbes-biodiesel-plastic-ingredient-liter.html Engineering Tue, 19 May 2026 11:40:03 EDT news698408824 Green-blue adaptation (climate adaptation based on green and water spaces), which uses green and water spaces such as creating urban parks and restoring wetlands, is considered a representative climate adaptation strategy to reduce flood and heat wave damage in cities in the era of climate crisis. However, an international research team has proven for the first time with continent-scale data that such climate adaptation policies can paradoxically stimulate housing price increases and population influx, thereby worsening the housing instability of existing low-income residents. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-climate-gentrification-african-cities-continent.html Environment Mon, 18 May 2026 11:20:11 EDT news698318941 Diabetic ulcers, which occur in patients with diabetes, are dangerous complications that can lead to amputation if the treatment window is missed. A research team has developed a wireless, battery-free optoelectronic multi-modal sensor patch for diabetic ulcer management. It can monitor wound conditions in real time. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-real-diagnostic-smart-patch-diabetic.html Thu, 14 May 2026 11:50:12 EDT news697978141 A technology that surpasses the limitations of existing sensors, which fail to distinguish between water and asphalt on dark roads, has emerged to enhance the accuracy of autonomous driving and medical diagnostics. A research team has developed a next-generation polarization sensor that can read the direction of light and change its own response. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-tunable-polarization-sensor-sharpen-cars.html Engineering Tue, 12 May 2026 13:00:04 EDT news697808522 Researchers led by Dr. Changmin Ahn and Prof. Jungwon Kim at KAIST, in collaboration with Prof. Hansuek Lee, have demonstrated a chip-scale photonic approach for generating ultralow-noise and highly stable microwave and millimeter-wave signals based on optical frequency combs (microcombs), offering a potential pathway toward compact, high-performance frequency sources for next-generation technologies. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-chip-scale-photonic-approach-ultralow.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 11 May 2026 20:40:03 EDT news697739041 A crucial clue to simultaneously increasing electric vehicle (EV) driving range and battery lifespan has been discovered. A research team at KAIST has observed the exact moment of degradation in lithium metal batteries at the nanoscale (approximately 1/100,000th the thickness of a human hair) and identified the fundamental cause of performance decline. This is evaluated as a significant turning point in accelerating the commercialization of next-generation batteries. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-ev-battery-range-real-images.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 11 May 2026 17:20:01 EDT news697736882 A new approach has been proposed to address the problem of "overconfidence"—one of the most critical risks of artificial intelligence (AI) in areas such as autonomous driving and medical diagnosis, where AI shows high confidence in incorrect predictions. A KAIST research team has developed a training method that enables AI to recognize situations involving unfamiliar or unseen knowledge, laying the foundation for reducing overconfidence and improving reliability. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-im-ai-words-biggest-dangerous.html Machine learning & AI Sun, 10 May 2026 09:30:02 EDT news697104379 Researchers have developed, for the first time in the world, incoherent dielectric tensor tomography (iDTT), a technology that can read complex three-dimensional optical fingerprints inside materials using only everyday LED illumination. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-3d-optical-fingerprints-materials-lasers.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 07 May 2026 13:00:02 EDT news697371121 In the era of big data and artificial intelligence, a new approach has emerged for solving combinatorial optimization problems, which involves finding the most efficient solution among many possible options and can otherwise take thousands of years to compute. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-silicon-oscillators-problems-thousands-years.html Hardware Wed, 06 May 2026 12:20:05 EDT news697287601 A new type of hologram technology has been developed that uses the motion of light as a key, revealing information only under specific conditions. This is gaining attention as a novel approach that can simultaneously overcome the limitations of existing optical communication and security technologies. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-hologram-technology-key-enables-hard.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 06 May 2026 09:20:01 EDT news697276861 From smartphone charging to hydrogen production, the fundamental principles of energy technology have been revealed. Korean researchers have, for the first time, identified how molecular structures change within the ultra-small space called the "electric double layer." The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, opens a new path to simultaneously improve efficiency and performance in battery, hydrogen, and carbon-neutral technologies by reducing energy loss and selectively inducing desired reactions. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-electric-layer-molecular-battery-hydrogen.html Nanophysics Mon, 04 May 2026 14:20:05 EDT news697117502 As the spread of infectious diseases accelerates, technologies that can accurately distinguish multiple viruses in a single test are becoming increasingly important. KAIST and an international research team have developed a new diagnostic technology that simultaneously identifies various viruses and variants by controlling the "speed" of gene scissors. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-crispr-patterns-multiple-viruses-variants.html Biotechnology Thu, 30 Apr 2026 17:00:01 EDT news696772441 Fallen leaves, which are discarded every year, have been transformed into a resource that can replace waste plastics, a major nuisance in rural areas. A research team at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has developed biodegradable agricultural vinyl made from fallen leaves, presenting a new way to solve the problem of conventional plastic vinyl, which is a cause of soil pollution. The study is published in the journal Green Chemistry. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-autumn-biodegradable-mulch-curb-farm.html Biotechnology Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:00:05 EDT news696777122 Professor Iksung Kang (School of Electrical Engineering), in collaboration with Professor Na Ji's research team at UC Berkeley, has developed a technology that accurately corrects image aberrations in microscopes used for live biological imaging. Notably, the experimental design and algorithm development—the core components of this technology—were led by Professor Kang during his postdoctoral fellowship in Professor Na Ji's group. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-ai-enables-clearer-views-deep.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:40:07 EDT news696693901 Until now, molecular-level DNA circuits have mainly been used for simple tasks, such as detecting the presence of cancer-related substances. However, these systems have faced a key limitation: once a reaction occurs, the circuits cannot be reused. Overcoming this challenge, a research team has developed a DNA-based molecular computer that operates at a much smaller scale than conventional semiconductor devices, enabling both computation and memory within the same system. This advancement opens up new possibilities for future computing technologies in bio and medical applications, including disease diagnosis. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-dna-molecular-combines-memory-scales.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 27 Apr 2026 12:20:04 EDT news696504961 A KAIST research team has identified the real reason why anticancer drugs kill cancer cells—targeted anticancer therapies do not simply block cancer proteins but rather shut down the "protein factories" inside the cells, forcing them to undergo self-destruction. Consequently, the "two-faced protein" that plays a key role in this process is gaining attention as a breakthrough for treating patients with drug resistance. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-protein-discovery-leukemia-drugs-succeed.html Thu, 23 Apr 2026 12:20:03 EDT news696164761 A new technology has been proposed that could fundamentally solve the issue of smartphones overheating during high-spec gaming or extended video streaming. Researchers at KAIST have discovered the principle of processing signals using the minute vibrations of magnets (spin waves) instead of electrons. This method significantly reduces heat generation and power consumption while enabling instantaneous frequency switching within the several GHz range. This breakthrough is expected to pave the way for smart devices with less heat and longer battery life, as well as ultra-low-power, high-speed computing. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-boost-strange-magnetic-rewrites-chips.html Condensed Matter Tue, 21 Apr 2026 17:10:06 EDT news696007861