Foundations often choose a mission to provide far-reaching benefits to humanity by making grants that enable cutting-edge research possible. This research, when translated to real-world solutions, creates the exponential "impact" of improving our lives for the future. Let's look at one example.
Solar cells may be a solution to global energy needs. Stanford News reports on a collaboration of mechanical engineering and physics researchers achieving an innovative crystalline solar cell with a variable band gap that can be set by stretching the lattice. This variable semiconductor could lead to solar cells that absorb more energy from the sun by being sensitive to a broader spectrum of light.
Scientists have solved a long-standing mystery about methanogens, unique microorganisms that transform electricity and carbon dioxide into methane.
In a new study, researchers demonstrate for the first time how methanogens obtain electrons from solid surfaces. The discovery could help scientists design electrodes for microbial “factories” that produce methane gas and other compounds sustainably.