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Innovation

Sharkskin on Airplanes

Companies often find themselves balancing the desire to cut emissions with the need to grow profits. For airlines, however, these goals can align perfectly. Reducing carbon emissions translates to burning less fuel, which also means spending less on fuel. This is why Lufthansa has adopted a strategy inspired by nature: applying a special film that mimics sharkskin to parts of its aircraft.

One of the biggest challenges is that jet fuel's volumetric energy density—nearly 50 times higher than alternatives like hydrogen, ethanol, or lithium-ion batteries—makes it difficult to find a substitute that can power long-haul flights. While other forms of transportation can more easily switch to alternative fuels, aviation remains dependent on jet fuel, making decarbonization especially tough.

The aviation industry is exploring synthetic carbon fuels, but these come with their own set of issues. Biofuels can divert resources from food production, and direct air capture of carbon dioxide to convert into fuel is energy-intensive and expensive—potentially costing five times more than extracting oil from the ground. Moreover, direct air capture technology has yet to be scaled up to an industrial level.

Lufthansa is fitting four Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, operated by Austrian Airlines, with sharkskin-inspired technology, joining 17 other planes in their fleet (including a Lufthansa Boeing 747-400, 12 Swiss Boeing 777-200ERs, and four Lufthansa Cargo Boeing 777Fs) that already feature the AeroSHARK film.

The film will cover nearly 9,000 square feet (830 m²) of the planes’ surfaces, including the fuselage and engine nacelles. The AeroSHARK film is designed with 50-micron-thick riblets that mimic the scales of real sharkskin, reducing friction by minimizing turbulence in the boundary layer.

In sharks, this natural design reduces drag by about 10 percent compared to smooth skin, a principle that has also benefited Olympic swimmers. While the effect on aircraft is less dramatic, it is still expected to reduce fuel consumption by around 1 percent per flight. While 1 percent might not sound like a huge amount alone. However, in the long run, 1% really starts to add up.

Lufthansa aims to complete these upgrades by March next year.

Health Sciences

Potential Cancer Vaccine

Researchers at Western University have identified a protein with the unique ability to halt DNA damage, which could pave the way for new cancer vaccines and drought-resistant crops.

The protein, called DdrC, was found in Deinococcus radiodurans, a bacterium known for its ability to survive extreme radiation levels that would kill regular human cells. Lead researcher Robert Szabla explains that DdrC plays a crucial role in repairing damaged DNA, similar to an athlete recovering from severe injuries overnight.

Unlike human cells, which die if their DNA suffers more than two breaks, Deinococcus can repair hundreds of breaks with the help of DdrC. Szabla's team used the Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan to map the 3D structure of the protein, revealing how it detects and traps DNA breaks, preventing further damage and signaling for repair.

DdrC stands out because it works independently, unlike most proteins that rely on complex networks to function. When tested in E. coli, it made the bacterium 40 times more resistant to UV radiation. This discovery suggests that DdrC could enhance DNA repair in various organisms, potentially leading to breakthroughs in biotechnology, such as cancer prevention.

The researchers are just beginning to explore the potential of Deinococcus, with many more proteins yet to be studied that could offer new insights and applications.

Environment

Grass Helps Control Coastal Erosion

Coastal erosion is impacting farmers along America’s mid-Atlantic coast, with increasing saltwater flooding making traditional crops like corn and soy unviable. However, a grass known as "salt hay," which was cultivated in colonial times, might offer a solution for areas like Delaware and New Jersey.

As salt increasingly inundates farmland, salt hay, or salt meadow cordgrass, can thrive in these conditions. Historically used as fodder in northern France to give lamb a distinctive flavor, this grass may help offset the economic losses from farmland conversion to marsh. Between 2011 and 2017, salt patches nearly doubled on the Delmarva Peninsula, and over 20,000 acres of farmland were lost, with economic impacts estimated between $39.4 million and $107.5 million annually.

Despite its potential, salt hay was largely abandoned by farmers due to the difficulty of harvesting from marshy ground. However, some farmers are now reviving this crop with modern techniques. John Zander of Cohansey Meadows Farms in New Jersey has been experimenting with growing salt hay in salt-contaminated fields. His methods include using light machinery and transplanting the grass in mats or plugs.

Salt hay has a variety of uses beyond fodder, including building insulation, packing material, paper, textiles, and mulch. Agronomist Scott Snell from the Cape May Plant Materials Center sees additional benefits in its ability to prevent coastal erosion. The root system of salt hay stabilizes soil, reducing erosion from wind and water.

Zander believes that incorporating salt hay into erosion-prone areas could provide significant benefits to coastal farms and communities.

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Mind Stretchers

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Find a two-digit number such that when squared, the resulting number ends in the same two digits as the original number.

Answers to yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:

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