Canadian-German research targets water buildup challenge in hydrogen fuel cells

Researchers in Canada and Germany say designing hydrogen fuel cells with gravity in mind could help address one of the technology’s key performance challenges, a finding that could influence future zero-emission powertrains for heavy-duty trucking. Hydrogen fuel cells are widely viewed as a potential alternative to battery-electric systems for long-haul applications because they offer high energy density, quick refueling times and lighter weight compared to large battery packs. The devices generate electricity through an electrochemical reaction combining hydrogen and oxygen.

Better fuel cells for long-haul trucks and planes

Hydrogen fuel cells are considered a promising zero-emission solution for heavy-duty, long-haul trucking and aviation because they offer high energy density, quick refueling times, and weigh significantly less than regular electric batteries. They make electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen in an electrochemical reaction. A new study by scientists in Canada and Germany has found that designing fuel cells with gravity in mind can help address one of the major challenges facing this renewable energy option.

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-09067-y

High-tech imaging could improve cultivation of trees essential to Alberta’s forestry industry

University of Alberta researchers have, for the first time, captured a much better view of what may be contributing to failures in lodgepole pine seed orchards — a tree essential to Alberta’s forest industry. The researchers used synchrotron microcomputed tomography, an advanced 3D imaging method usually used in medicine, in a pilot study to visually explore why some pollinated female pine cones, known as conelets, are healthy while others die long before they fully develop.

https://doi.org/10.1002/pld3.70117

Unlocking even more value in Canada’s canola industry

USask researchers develop novel method for separating kernel from hull; advance could enable companies to make better use of all parts of canola seed.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifset.2025.104303

New research reveals tiny lead fragments in hunted meat pose health risk

Synchrotron X-rays show particles far tinier than previously shown and in concentrations exceeding levels set by human health agencies

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-20285-2

3D-printed lungs could improve disease prevention and treatment

Lung diseases like tuberculosis and cystic fibrosis can be difficult to treat. In part, that’s because the two-dimensional models researchers use to study the diseases don’t accurately reflect the shape of human lungs -- and animal models don’t behave like humans do when they encounter disease. University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers from the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) and the College of Engineering are working to build a better model.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioadv.2025.214428

Could zebrafish hold clues to detecting, preventing scoliosis in children and teens?

Dr. Brian Ciruna had no intention of studying scoliosis, a condition that causes unnatural curvature of the spine. However, the unexpected discovery about a decade ago that zebrafish also develop curved spines left him wondering what was causing the spine to bend and whether there was some connection to the human form of the disease. It turns out that this small, minnow-like fish has a lot to tell researchers about a condition that affects three to four percent of children and young teens in Canada. Despite its prevalence, we know very little about the underlying causes of scoliosis in humans, says Ciruna, Senior Scientist and Head of the Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto and professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics at the University of Toronto. Zebrafish, it turns out, have human-like backbones, making them an excellent model for this research.

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63742-2

New tiny prehistoric fish species unlocks origins of catfish, carp

The fossil of a tiny fish found in southwestern Alberta provides new insight into the origin and evolution of otophysans, the supergroup of fish that includes catfish, carp and tetras, which today account for two-thirds of all freshwater species. The specimen, studied by researchers at Western University, the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology and international collaborators, is a skeleton of a fish about 5 cm long from the Late Cretaceous period (the same time period of the iconic Tyrannosaurus Rex, about 70 million to 66 million years ago.) A new kind of fish entirely, it is now named Acronichthys maccognoi. A study detailing the discovery was published today in the high impact journal, Science.

https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adr4494

Fusarium head blight mycotoxin detector in the works

Fusarium head blight (FHB) and the mycotoxin it causes, especially deoxynivalenol (DON), can be a serious economic detriment to producers. It reduces yield and grain grade, as well as contaminates the grain, making it dangerous for human and animal consumption. Sheila Andrade, a PhD student at the University of Saskatchewan, has been working on developing a method of detection to ease the struggles of producers, agronomists and industry. The objective of her work has been to employ synchrotron-based x-ray phase-contrast computed tomograph at the Canadian Light Source (CLS) to measure the morphological parameters of Fusarium-infected wheat kernels, to correlate those parameters with DON contamination, and also compare the morphological FHB symptom differences between durum and bread wheat.

Toward cleaner oil sands processing

Researchers from University of Alberta use CLS to study movement of solids in bitumen froth.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clet.2025.10103

Greening the production of cement

USask researchers find that adding biochar to cement yields concrete that's stronger, more environmentally friendly.

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-07210-3

Scotty’s rib: University of Regina PhD student examines preserved blood vessels in famous fossil

Using CLS beamlines, University of Regina team gain new insights into how dinosaur bones may have healed after injuries.

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-06981-z

Better heating method makes legumes easier to digest

USask researchers find radio frequency heating breaks down antinutrient in peas and beans and is more energy efficient

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifset.2025.104033