A team of researchers has created a new, eco‑friendly way to pull phosphorus out of wastewater, turning a pollutant into a useful resource. Instead of using costly, fragile enzymes that must be purified and often lose activity, the scientists engineered ordinary baker’s yeast to display the enzyme phytase right on its cell surface. This “living catalyst” can be grown in simple media, harvested, and dropped straight into waste streams without any extra processing. The breakthrough didn’t stop at the yeast trick. By feeding data into a machine‑learning model, the team identified smarter versions of phytase that work faster and stay stable longer than the natural form. When these upgraded yeast‑based biocatalysts were tested on wastewater from biorefineries, they efficiently broke down organic phosphorus compounds and released plant‑ready phosphate. The result is a reusable, low‑cost tool that could help recycle phosphorus—a finite nutrient essential for agriculture—while cleaning up industrial effluents. If scaled up, this technology promises to cut fertilizer demand, lower environmental impact, and give wastewater treatment plants a new revenue stream from a resource that would otherwise be lost. The findings were published in *Environmental Science & Technology* (2026) under the title “Renewable Phytase Biocatalyst to Transform Biorefinery Waste Streams into Phosphorus Resources.”
Read moreDassault Systèmes and NVIDIA have joined forces to create a breakthrough platform that brings artificial intelligence to industrial digital twins. By linking Dassault’s 3DEXPERIENCE suite—used for designing and simulating equipment—with NVIDIA’s AI and graphics processing power, the partnership enables factories to turn detailed 3‑D models into living, data‑driven replicas of real machines. These “AI twins” continuously ingest sensor data from the shop floor, compare it with simulation results, and predict when a component might fail or need servicing. The new system focuses on predictive maintenance, a technology that can spot early signs of wear and schedule repairs before costly breakdowns occur. Engineers can upload CAD designs and CAE simulation data into the platform, where NVIDIA’s GPUs accelerate complex calculations and machine‑learning algorithms translate the raw data into actionable insights. For manufacturers, the benefits are clear: reduced downtime, lower maintenance costs, and the ability to optimize production lines in real time. The collaboration also opens the door for broader use cases such as energy‑efficiency monitoring, quality‑control automation, and rapid prototyping. In short, the Dassault‑NVIDIA alliance is turning static engineering drawings into dynamic, intelligent assistants that help factories run smoother, safer, and more profitably.
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