(Press-News.org) The Frontiers Planet Prize today (22 April) announced 23 National Champions drawn from science research teams across six continents in the second year of the global competition. The Prize recognizes scientists whose research contributes to accelerating solutions that ensure humanity remains safely within the boundaries of the Earth's ecosystem. The National Champions now move forward to the final round of the competition, where three International Champions will be awarded 1 million CHF each to support their research. Launched by the Frontiers Research Foundation on Earth Day 2022, the Frontiers Planet Prize aims to mobilize science for a global green renaissance. The Prize rewards and promotes breakthroughs in sustainability science that show the greatest potential to keep the planet from crossing the nine planetary boundaries, a framework put forward by Prof Johan Rockström. The National Champions are selected by the independent Jury of 100, a group of renowned sustainability and planetary health experts chaired by Prof Rockström. These National Champions will undergo a second round of voting, where the Jury select the three International Champions who each receive one million Swiss francs to further support their research.
Now in its second edition, the Prize has engaged with 20 academies of science and 475 leading universities and research institutions from 43 countries to showcase transformational and globally scalable research on planetary science, with a focus on enabling healthy lives on a healthy planet. This year's 23 National Champions represent a diverse group of researchers at various stages of their academic careers, each of whom have published groundbreaking articles that put forward unique, transformative solutions.
The 2024 National Champions are:
Argentina: Dr Pedro Jaureguiberry, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (CONICET-UNC), The direct drivers of recent global anthropogenic biodiversity loss
Australia: Dr Federico Maggi, The University of Sydney, Agricultural pesticide land budget and river discharge to oceans
Austria: Dr Marta Kozicka, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Feeding climate and biodiversity goals with novel plant-based meat and milk alternatives
Brazil: Prof Dr Alexander Turra, the University of São Paulo, Advancing plastic pollution hotspotting at the subnational level: Brazil as a case study in the Global South
Canada: Dr Umberto Berardi, Toronto Metropolitan University, Health-informed predictive regression for statistical-simulation decision-making in urban heat mitigation
China: Dr Yang Ou, Peking University, Can updated climate pledges limit warming well below 2°C?
Denmark: Prof Minik Rosing, the University of Copenhagen, Quantification of CO2 uptake by enhanced weathering of silicate minerals applied to acidic soils
Finland: Dr Olga Tammeorg, University of Helsinki, Sustainable lake restoration: From challenges to solutions
Germany: Prof Dr Peter Haase, Senckenberg Research institute and the University of Duisburg-Essen, The recovery of European freshwater biodiversity has come to a halt
Hungary: Dr Daniel Muth, HUN-REN, Centre for Economic and Regional Studies, Budapest, Pathways to stringent carbon pricing: Configurations of political economy conditions and revenue recycling strategies. A comparison of thirty national level policies
Italy: Dr Francesco Maria Sabatini, University of Bologna Global patterns of vascular plant alpha diversity
Japan: Prof Evan Economo, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), The global distribution of known and undiscovered ant diversity
New Zealand: Dr Rebecca Gladstone-Gallagher, the University of Auckland, Social–ecological connections across land, water, and sea demand a reprioritization of environmental management
Poland: Prof Michal Bogdziewicz, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Reproductive collapse in European beech results from declining pollination efficiency in large trees
Saudi-Arabia: Prof Raquel Peixoto, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Harnessing the microbiome to prevent global biodiversity loss
South Africa: Dr Mia Strand, Nelson Mandela University, Reimagining Ocean Stewardship: Arts-Based Methods to ‘Hear’ and ‘See’ Indigenous and Local Knowledge in Ocean Management
South Korea: Prof Seung-Ki Min, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Observationally-constrained projections of an ice-free Arctic even under a low emission scenario
Spain: Dr Alexandra Velty, the Technical University of Valencia, Advanced zeolite and ordered mesoporous silica-based catalysts for the conversion of CO2 to chemicals and fuels
Sweden: Dr Gerard Rocher-Ros, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Umeå University, Global methane emissions from rivers and streams
Switzerland: Prof Dr Gabriela Schaepman-Strub, the University of Zurich, Vegetation type is an important predictor of the arctic summer land surface energy budget
Turkey: Prof Dr Mustafa Sahmaran, Hacettepe University, The effects of various operational- and materials-oriented parameters on the carbonation performance of low-quality recycled concrete aggregate
United Kingdom: Prof Stephen Widdicombe, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Unifying biological field observations to detect and compare ocean acidification impacts across marine species and ecosystems: what to monitor and why
United States: Prof Jason Rohr, the University of Notre Dame, A planetary health innovation for disease, food, and water challenges in Africa
As National Champions, each researcher will have the opportunity to share their award-winning research through national and international conferences to facilitate the systemic change needed to safeguard our planet's health. This is made possible through the support of the Prize's strategic partners, including Future Earth, the Potsdam Institute of Climate Research Impact, the International Science Council, and the Villars Institute.
The Frontiers Planet Prize Award Ceremony will take place on 26 June 2024 at the Villars Symposium in Villar-sur-Ollon, Switzerland. Led by the Villars Institute, an international non-profit foundation dedicated to accelerating the transition to net-zero emissions, the Villars Symposium brings thought leaders from policy, practice, and philanthropy together. Each Champion will present their research and engage with key planetary health figures across academia, policy, business, and non-governmental agencies, all of whom have the capability to shape policy and influence civil society. The Symposium also includes a global cohort of system and solution-oriented high school students from schools all over the world, which will offer an additional chance to foster intergenerational collaboration and prepare the next generation to combat climate change.
Commenting on the 2024 Frontiers Planet Prize, Jean-Claude Burgelman, director of the Frontiers Planet Prize, said: “We are confronted with an environmental crisis on a planetary scale, creating a true threat for humanity. The ambition of the Frontiers Planet Prize is to directly address this crisis by mobilizing scientists engaged in breakthrough research. We congratulate the National Champions and thank all the nominees for their valuable research and ongoing commitment to saving our planet.”
END
Scientists worldwide in line for US$1.1 million Frontiers Planet Prize as 2024 National Champions announced
23 scientists selected as finalists for the second edition of the international sustainability science competition by Johan Rockström
2024-04-22
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Study shows more than half of global infectious diseases experts surveyed rate influenza as the number one pathogen of concern of pandemic potential
2024-04-21
**Note: this is an early release from the ESCMID Global Congress (formerly ECCMID, Barcelona, Spain, 27-30 April). Please credit the congress if you use this story**
New research presented at the ESCMID Global Congress (formerly ECCMID) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April) shows that in a VACCELERATE Consortium survey study in which infectious diseases experts were asked to rank pathogens in order of their pandemic potential, influenza was considered the pathogen of highest pandemic risk, with 57% ranking influenza as number one, and a further 17% ranking it second (See full table, notes to editors).
The study is by Dr Jon Salmanton-García, University ...
Empty-handed neurons might cause neurodegenerative diseases
2024-04-20
Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have identified how proteins collect abnormally in neurons, a feature of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. They used fruit flies to show that depletion of mitochondria in axons can directly lead to protein accumulation. At the same time, significantly high amounts of a protein called eIF2β were found. Restoring the levels to normal led to a recovery in protein recycling. Such findings promise new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.
Every cell in our bodies is a busy factory, where proteins ...
Black women hospitalised in USA with blood infection resistant to last-resort antibiotic at increased risk of death
2024-04-20
Nationwide analysis of a large, geographically diverse cohort of adults in the USA suggests increased risk for hospital-acquired carbapenem-resistant enterobacterales bloodstream infections among racial and ethnic minorities may be due in part to hospitalisations for underlying comorbidities and associated with racial and biological sex inequities
**ECCMID has now changed name to ESCMID Global, please credit ESCMID Global Congress (Barcelona, Spain, 27-30 April) in all future stories**
New research being presented at this year’s ESCIMD Global Congress (formerly ...
NEC Society Statement on the Watson vs. Mead Johnson Verdict
2024-04-19
Given the litigation involving products used to feed and support the growth of preterm infants and the direct implication for infants who are at risk of and who have been affected by necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), the NEC Society previously released a statement on the lawsuits. This statement addresses the Watson case.
Necrotizing enterocolitis is a devastating intestinal inflammatory disease that can affect premature or otherwise medically fragile infants during their first weeks and months of life. Upon diagnosis, many babies have only hours or days before their intestines become necrotic, progressing to sepsis, multisystem ...
Lemur’s lament: When one vulnerable species stalks another
2024-04-19
What can be done when one threatened animal kills another? Scientists studying critically endangered lemurs in Madagascar confronted this difficult reality when they witnessed attacks on lemurs by another vulnerable species, a carnivore called a fosa.
This dynamic can be particularly complex when the predation occurs in an isolated or poor-quality habitat, according to research from Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Antananarivo in Madagascar.
In the new paper published in Ecology and Evolution, researchers describe how they were observing small groups of critically endangered diademed ...
Surf clams off the coast of Virginia reappear – and rebound
2024-04-19
The Atlantic surfclam, an economically valuable species that is the main ingredient in clam chowder and fried clam strips, has returned to Virginia waters in a big way, reversing a die-off that started more than two decades ago.
In a comprehensive study of surfclams collected from an area about 45 miles due east from the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, Rutgers scientists found the population to be thriving and growing. A likely reason could be that environmental conditions improved, and another possibility is that the clams adapted, ...
Studying optimization for neuromorphic imaging and digital twins
2024-04-19
Harbir Antil (PI), director of the Center for Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence (CMAI), professor of Mathematical Sciences, and Rainald Löhner (co-PI), director of Computational Fluid Dynamics Lab, professor of Physics and Astronomy, received funding from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), under the prestigious DURIP program, to establish a neuromorphic imaging and digital twins lab with capabilities to design new optimization algorithms.
This project will set up the Neuromorphic Imaging and Digital Twins Lab—a first of its kind ...
ORNL researchers win Best Paper award for nickel-based alloy tailoring
2024-04-19
Rishi Pillai and his research team from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory will receive a Best Paper award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers International Gas Turbine Institute in June at the Turbo Expo 2024 in London.
The winning paper is “Leveraging Additive Manufacturing to Fabricate High Temperature Alloys with Co-Designed Mechanical Properties and Environmental Resistance,” which Pillai presented in June at the Turbo Expo 2023 in Boston.
The ORNL scientists co-designed a compositionally graded nickel-based alloy for molten halide salts-supercritical carbon dioxide heat exchangers. The objective ...
New beta-decay measurements in mirror nuclei pin down the weak nuclear force
2024-04-19
The Science
The Standard Model of Particle Physics is scientists’ best understanding of the forces that describe how subatomic particles interact. The Standard Model encompasses four forces: the strong nuclear force, the weak nuclear force, the electromagnetic force, and the gravitational force. All four forces govern the way our universe works. However, the weak nuclear force is exceptionally difficult to study as it is overshadowed by the much greater effects of the strong nuclear and electromagnetic forces. Scientists have gained new ...
Study uncovers neural mechanisms underlying foraging behavior in freely moving animals
2024-04-19
HOUSTON – (April 19, 2024) – While foraging, animals including humans and monkeys are continuously making decisions about where to search for food and when to move among possible sources of sustenance.
“Foraging behavior is something we perform daily when we go to the grocery store to pick up food, and we make choices based on the degree of reward each choice provides. It’s a classical problem common to every species on the planet,” said Valentin Dragoi, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Rice, professor of neuroscience at Weill Cornell Medical College and scientific director of the Methodist/Rice Center for Neural Systems Restoration.
In ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Insulin resistance is linked to over 30 diseases – and to early death in women, study of people in the UK finds
Innovative semaglutide hydrogel could reduce diabetes shots to once a month
Weight loss could reduce the risk of severe infections in people with diabetes, UK research suggests
Long-term exposure to air pollution and a lack of green space increases the risk of hospitalization for respiratory conditions
Better cardiovascular health in early pregnancy may offset high genetic risk
Artificial intelligence method transforms gene mutation prediction in lung cancer: DeepGEM data releases at IASLC 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer
Antibody–drug conjugate I-DXd shows clinically meaningful response in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer
IASLC Global Survey on biomarker testing reveals progress and persistent barriers in lung cancer biomarker testing
Research shows pathway to developing predictive biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitors
Just how dangerous is Great Salt Lake dust? New research looks for clues
Maroulas appointed Associate Vice Chancellor, Director of AI Tennessee
New chickadee research finds cognitive skills impact lifespan
Cognitive behavioral therapy enhances brain circuits to relieve depression
Terasaki Institute awarded $2.3 Million grant from NIH for organ transplantation research using organs-on-a-chip technology
Atoms on the edge
Postdoc takes multipronged approach to muon detection
Mathematical proof: Five satellites needed for precise navigation
Scalable, multi-functional device lays groundwork for advanced quantum applications
Falling for financial scams? It may signal early Alzheimer’s disease
Integrating MRI and OCT for new insights into brain microstructure
Designing a normative neuroimaging library to support diagnosis of traumatic brain injury
Department of Energy announces $68 million in funding for artificial intelligence for scientific research
DOE, ORNL announce opportunity to define future of high-performance computing
Molecular simulations, supercomputing lead to energy-saving biomaterials breakthrough
Low-impact yoga and exercise found to help older women manage urinary incontinence
Genetic studies reveal new insights into cognitive impairment in schizophrenia
Researcher develops technology to provide cleaner energy and cleaner water
Expect the unexpected: nanoscale silver unveils intrinsic self-healing abilities
nTIDE September 2024 Jobs Report: Gains in employment for people with disabilities appear to level off after reducing gaps with non-disabled workers
Wiley enhances NMR Spectral Library Collection with extensive new databases
[Press-News.org] Scientists worldwide in line for US$1.1 million Frontiers Planet Prize as 2024 National Champions announced23 scientists selected as finalists for the second edition of the international sustainability science competition by Johan Rockström