Day: 8 April 2026

World Food Prize Foundation Names Agricultural Innovator Mark Gee to Council of Advisors

Stuart Mitchell

The World Food Prize Foundation announced today the appointment of Mark Gee, genomic prediction and phenotyping engineer at Beck’s Hybrids, to the Foundation’s Council of Advisors, filling one of two seats reserved for early-career professionals.   “Dr. Norman Borlaug, founder of the World Food Prize, changed my life at 10 years old when he challenged me to make a difference,” said Gee. “As I continue my career, I’m honored to be part of an organization that recognizes the champions of global food security and empowers young people to tackle the challenge…

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“Plastic-eating” fusion enzyme improves polyester textile recycling

Stuart Mitchell

A redesigned “plastic-eating” enzyme could help turn old polyester textiles back into useful raw materials – but only if the plastic is prepared in the right way In a study published in Bioresource Technology Journal, scientists from the universities of Portsmouth and Manchester report that a specially engineered enzyme can significantly speed up the breakdown of PET – the plastic used in water bottles, food packaging and polyester clothing – when it is processed at high concentrations similar to those used in industry.  PET, short for poly (ethylene terephthalate), is cheap, durable, and widely used. But those same qualities mean it builds up in vast quantities once thrown…

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Apprentis d’Auteuil, supported by TBWA\Paris, unveils a new communication campaign designed to raise public awareness and mobilize donors around vulnerable and stigmatized youth.

Stuart Mitchell

A dive into a courtroom. A child and his teddy bear sit in the defendant’s dock. An absurd verdict is delivered by the judge. Noé, 4 years old, is sentenced for crimes he will commit… in 14 years. “No child should be sentenced to fail” concludes the voice-over. On March 19, 2026, marking 160 years of commitment to disadvantaged youth, the Apprentis d’Auteuil Foundation unveils its new communication campaign designed and produced by TBWA\Paris. Powerful images and messages aim to raise awareness among the general public and mobilize donors.  …

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78% of UK businesses now using AI, but less than a third have seen financial benefits

Stuart Mitchell

While over three quarters of UK businesses are now using artificial intelligence (AI) tools, the vast majority are yet to see any return on their AI investments, according to new research from Studio Graphene.  The digital product studio commissioned Censuswide to survey 500 managers, directors and C-suite executives within UK businesses. It found that 78% of the businesses polled are using AI in some capacity – rising to 85% for mid-sized organisations (100-249 employees), the highest of any group.  A further 14% are exploring their options or plan to implement…

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Three schools and a childcare centre in The Hague to be heated by sports field

Stuart Mitchell

A football pitch in The Hague is set to become an unexpected source of sustainable energy for the surrounding neighbourhood. At the ‘Haagse Sporttuin Moerwijk’, the municipality has started installing an underground collector field beneath the artificial grass pitches — a system that will soon provide heat for three primary schools and a childcare centre nearby. Sports pitch powers sustainable heat The innovative system captures solar heat absorbed by the artificial turf. Beneath the pitch, a network of water-filled pipes collects this warmth and stores it in the ground. When…

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