Top News of Last Week with ANA
Azad News Agency (ANA) published a number of scientific and technological news during the past week whose top ones are as follows:
Iranian Scientists, Colleagues Design Self-Repairing Nanofibers for Smart Wearables
Iranian researchers at Shahroud University of Technology, in collaboration with researchers from several prestigious international universities, including KLE University in India, Xi'an Polytechnic University, and Nanjing Forestry University in China, succeeded in designing and manufacturing nanostructured fibers that enjoy self-repairing properties, fatigue and aging resistance, and high flexibility.
This achievement, which is based on a combination of polyurethane and cellulose nanocrystals, could bring about changes in the field of smart wearable textiles, since one of the fundamental challenges in this industry is the weakness of common fibers against mechanical stress and the passage of time. Experiments showed that these fibers not only repair surface cracks and scratches in wearable devices, but also do not reduce their strength and elasticity after severe tests.
The Iranian researchers and their colleagues succeeded in creating polyurethane-nanocellulose composite fibers that, in addition to high flexibility, enjoy self-healing ability and remarkable resistance to fatigue and aging.
The basis of this innovation is the use of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC); bio-based and environmentally friendly materials that can form hydrogen bonds with polyurethane molecular chains. These bonds create a dynamic and flexible network that, like a natural glue, repairs cracks and damages in the fiber structure. In other words, whenever the fibers are scratched or broken on the surface due to pressure or tension, their molecular structure is rearranged and the damage is repaired spontaneously.
The results of mechanical tests showed that adding just one percent of nanocellulose to polyurethane increased the elasticity to the breaking point by 33.92% and increased the tensile strength of the fibers by 17.93%.
Over 1 Million Health Tourists Visit Iran in 2024
An official at Iranian Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism said that 1.2 million forigners traveled Iran in 2024 for receiving medical treatment in the country’s high-ranking hospitals.
“Last year, we received 7.4 million tourists, of which 1.2 million were health tourists," Moslem Shojayee, Director General of the Foreign Tourism Marketing and Development Office at the Iranian Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism said, adding, the health tourists received different treatment in Iran.
"Health, medical or therapeutic tourism is one of the key competitive advantages that the country's tourism has over others. Along with pilgrimage and historical-cultural tourism, this area is one of our three main products in which we can compete with many countries in the world," he went on to say.
He noted that services such as hair transplants, cosmetic surgeries, transplants, and infertility treatment topped the other treatment that the foreign tourists received in Iranian medical centers.
"According to statistics from sources such as the Medical Tourism Association (MTA), the global medical tourism market is worth around $47 billion, with each health tourist spending an average of $2,500 to $3,000. The global market size is estimated to be between 18 and 20 million patients," Shojaei said, adding, "Iran's share is not bad despite the current conditions, although the situation was better before Covid-19 pandemic."
Just 4 Days of Junk Food Can Rewire Your Brain’s Memory Center
A high-fat diet quickly disrupts neurons tied to memory, but restoring glucose or dietary changes can repair the damage, and these findings may guide strategies to reduce dementia risk.
Diet impacts the brain a lot more than we think. A study conducted by researchers at the UNC School of Medicine, recently published in Neuron, shows how diets high in junk food can rapidly alter the brain’s memory center, increasing the likelihood of cognitive impairment. The findings point to new opportunities for early interventions that could help prevent lasting memory decline linked to obesity.
The research team, led by Juan Song, PhD, professor of pharmacology and principal investigator, along with first author Taylor Landry, PhD, discovered that a specific group of neurons in the hippocampus, known as CCK interneurons, become hyperactive after exposure to a high-fat diet (HFD). This heightened activity occurs because the brain loses its ability to properly take in glucose (sugar). Even after only a few days on this type of diet, which mirrors Western junk foods rich in saturated fats such as cheeseburgers and fries, memory processing in the hippocampus is disrupted. The study also identified a central role for the protein PKM2, which regulates how brain cells use energy, in driving these harmful effects.
“We knew that diet and metabolism could affect brain health, but we didn’t expect to find such a specific and vulnerable group of brain cells, CCK interneurons in the hippocampus, that were directly disrupted by short-term high-fat diet exposure,” Song said, who is a member of the UNC Neuroscience Center. “What surprised us most was how quickly these cells changed their activity in response to reduced glucose availability, and how this shift alone was enough to impair memory.”
Iranian Scientist Wins APLAR Master Award in Japan
Iranian rheumatologist Farhad Shahram from Tehran University of Medical Sciences received the Master Award at the 27th Asia-Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology (APLAR) Congress in Fukuoka, Japan.
The award is presented annually to senior specialists across the Asia-Pacific region who have left a lasting mark on the field, and Shahram, a leading figure in rheumatology research and training, was recognized for his decades of teaching and scientific work.
The Master Award, one of APLAR’s highest honors, underlines his standing among regional pioneers of the discipline.
Shahram has built a career combining rigorous research with mentoring younger doctors. His work at the university’s Rheumatology Research Center has shaped both clinical practice and policy. Colleagues describe him as a scholar who “opened doors” for the next generation while raising the profile of Iranian medicine abroad.
The accolade places him among a select circle of regional specialists, including Iranian rheumatologists Fereydoun Davatchi.
Iran to Implement over 20 Public Saturn Observation Plans
As Saturn enters an opposition state between September 20 and October 2, 2025, over 20 public observation plans will be implemented in various cities across Iran.
According to the announcement of the Communications Working Group of the Amateur Committee of the Iranian Astronomical Society, in these programs, astronomical groups and societies will provide the public with the opportunity to view the closest and best observational position of this planet and its magnificent rings using telescopes.
Saturn, with its famous and beautiful rings, will be in opposition on September 21. In this situation, the planet Earth will be located directly between the Sun and Saturn, making Saturn closer to Earth than at any other time during the next year. The distance between Saturn and Earth in this situation is about 1.28 billion kilometers, which is approximately 200 million kilometers closer than usual.
Now that Saturn is at opposition, it will rise in the East at sunset, reach its highest point above the Southern horizon at midnight, and set in the West at about sunrise. This will give enthusiasts the opportunity to watch the "Lord of the Rings" of the solar system with the naked eye all night long and see its rings through a telescope
When Saturn reaches opposition, the rings appear much brighter than normal because the direct sunlight reflects off the rings and eliminates shadows among the countless particles that make up Saturn's rings, according to Astronomy Magazine. The Seeliger effect lasts a few days around the time Saturn reaches opposition.
Iran Competes with 40 Teams in Teknofest Robotics in Turkey
Several Iranian teams participated in the inventions category of the 2025 Teknofest Robotics Competition in Turkey on September 17-21, and presented their latest innovations in the medical technology field.
Hadis Mirzania, the head of a participating robotics team and the managing director of a robotics technology company, said that the Iranian teams have previously competed in global events in Malaysia, Turkey, India, and Canada, and had twice been invited to competitions in the US but were unable to attend due to visa restrictions.
“Our teams have previously presented innovations in areas such as environment and agriculture—for example, the smart garden project,” she said.
“This year, the focus of our inventions is in the medical sector, and we hope to achieve good results in Turkey,” Mirzania noted.
Featuring more than 40 main categories and 117 subfields, Teknofest competitions cover a wide range of disciplines, including robotics, aerospace, artificial intelligence, information technology, biotechnology, renewable energy, smart transportation, drone design, cybersecurity, and more.
Iranian Scientists Produce Smart Materials to Purify Water, Store Energy
Iranian researchers at the University of Zanjan in a study investigated how to make cerium-based metal-organic frameworks (Ce-MOFs), which have attracted attention recently due to their unique properties.
With their porous structures and ability to respond to environmental conditions, these materials can be used in various fields, including catalysts, energy storage, gas absorption, and water purification. In this study, the synthesis of Ce-MOFs using green methods and in environmental conditions suitable for large-scale production has been investigated.
In a comprehensive study, researchers at the University of Zanjan have investigated the properties, synthesis methods, and applications of cerium-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) (Ce-MOFs). These frameworks have attracted much attention due to their outstanding properties and have been applied in various fields like energy storage, catalysis, and pollution removal in recent years. Recent research on Ce-MOFs focuses not only on discovering new structures of these materials, but also on developing green methods for their industrial-scale production.
In this study, Ce-MOFs are categorized and investigated according to different oxidation states of cerium (Ce(III) and Ce(IV)). These metal-organic frameworks have broad potential in industry due to the variations in the crystal structures and chemical properties of cerium. The results of this study indicate that the combination of cerium with other metal ions and organic ligands can lead to the production of new structures with unique properties.
One of the prominent aspects of this research is the synthesis of Ce-MOFs using green methods and under suitable environmental conditions. These methods, in addition to reducing costs, enable large-scale production of Ce-MOFs. Also, various methods for the synthesis of these materials have been studied, including changes in synthesis conditions, selection of different ligands, and changes in crystal structures.
Iranian Game ‘Luxavia’ Shines on World Stage
The new game of the Iranian studio ‘Persaland’ called ‘Luxavia’ has achieved significant success for the Iranian game industry by winning nominations at two prestigious international festivals.
The game, which is the latest creation of Mehrdad Rezayee, one of the well-known and successful Iranian game developers, has managed to attract the attention of world critics.
Luxavia is a short and episodic adventure game that was released this year for the Google Play, App Store and Cafe Bazaar platforms. In its first international appearance, the game has been nominated for a cash prize at the prestigious DevGAMM 2025 festival, which will be held in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. The game is currently in the public voting section of the festival, and interested parties can register their votes to support this Iranian work at this link.
The game has been selected as one of the 13 finalists for the 2026 Indie Game Award Festival among numerous works from around the world. It is the only mobile game among the nominees for this prestigious event and competes with powerful computer games. Mehrdad Rezayee, the director of the Pershaland Studio, had previously made international honors with successful games like ‘Bad Jack’ and ‘Fake Emperors’. Among his previous achievements is winning the award for the best mobile and tablet game at the 2024 Game Connection event in the US.
Iranian Scientists Make Bio-Inks for 3D Printers from Food Waste
Iranian researchers at the University of Tehran have transformed food waste from an environmental and economic problem into a valuable resource for producing bio-inks used in 3D printing.
In an article recently published in the prestigious journal Nature Food with an impact factor of 9.21, Morteza Aghbashloo, a professor at the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Tehran, showed that food waste, which is considered a major environmental and economic problem, can become a valuable resource for producing bio-inks used in 3D printing.
He explained that this article, titled ‘Food loss and waste valorization offers a sustainable source of biopolymers in bioinks for 3D printing’, examines the potential of 3D printing technology in utilizing food waste and losses.
“Food waste, which is a major environmental and economic problem, can become a valuable source for producing bioinks used in 3D printing,” Aghbashloo said.
He added that in this research, various aspects of the subject, including the technical and mechanical properties of the produced biomaterials, printability, economic added value, and their role in promoting environmental sustainability, were examined.
“The article emphasizes that the use of bioactive compounds extracted from food waste can lead to the production of materials with new functions in areas such as food packaging, tissue engineering, and biomedicine,” the scientist said.
"The findings of this paper show that intelligent utilization of food waste in the form of bio-inks can not only help reduce food waste and greenhouse gas emissions, but also play an important role in improving food security, promoting public health, and expanding industrial innovation, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals," he underlined.
Tehran Hosts IranPharma Exhibition
The 10th 3-day edition of IranPharma exhibition was inaugurated in Tehran on September 24.
The expo which brought together 743 companies from 28 countries was held with the theme ‘Sustainability, Resilience, and Innovation’.
Tehran’s Grand Musalla hosted the event which attracted a wide range of domestic and international companies, associations, and related organizations.
It provided a platform for fostering technological collaboration, showcasing export capabilities, attracting investment in innovative areas, and professional networking.
Side events such as expert panels, business meetings, book exhibitions, and student tours attract significant attention each year.
Iranian Knowledge-Based Firms to Help Preparation of Aerial Maps of 2 Million Kilometers of Land
Deputy Director of Exploration of the Geological and Mineral Exploration Organization of Iran Ebrahim Molabeigi announced that the country’s knowledge-based companies are due to help the preparation of aerial maps from 2 million kilometers of land.
“In line with its legal responsibilities, our organization should cover two million linear kilometers of the country's surface with airborne geophysics using magnetometry and radiometry” in four years with the help of knowledge-based companies,” Molabeigi said.
He added that based on a contract with a knowledge-based company, it was decided that an artificial intelligence platform would be prepared for all exploration processes.
“The application of these technologies will lead to reduced energy consumption, reduced chemical consumption, reduced waste volume, and reduced pollution,” Molabeigi said.
Iranian Company Exports Aerogel Insulation to Foreign States
An Iranian company has succeeded in production and exports of aerogel insulation to several neighboring and European countries.
“This insulator is the same aerogel material that is used in resin and is sprayed like paint with a thin layer; its implementation is very simple and its performance is very strong,” said Hassan Bargozin, the managing director of the knowledge-based company.
He also noted that flexible aerogel blankets with a thickness of 6 and 12 mm are one of the company's products, which are used for insulating pipes or under the plaster coating of buildings, and said, “Our exports have recently started to Turkey, Romania and Kazakhstan.”
“These insulators are used in the construction sector in these countries, because energy is expensive for them. We managed to create technical know-how for this product and our products are safe and of consistent quality,” Bargozin added.
"Our production method enjoys higher quality and a higher percentage of productivity than the US model and our product is nearly 15% better," he underlined.
Iranian Scientists Develop New Generation of Antibacterial Wearable Devices
Iranian researchers from Sharif, Amirkabir and Tehran Universities, in collaboration with researchers from University College of Dublin, designed triboelectric nanogenerators that can affect bacteria.
The scientists studied the effects of the polarity of the electric charge and the type of host material in fighting bacteria in a comprehensive study. The research was conducted on two negatively charged bacterial models, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus).
The research showed that using positively charged host materials (such as aluminum or graphene oxide), the growth of bacteria is significantly inhibited. This effect is due to electrostatic interactions between bacteria and the host material, which leads to the absorption of electrons from the respiratory chain of bacteria. As a result, the energy of the bacteria is disrupted and their growth is stopped. This behavior was observed especially against aluminum and graphene oxide.
But a more interesting point that was obtained in this research was the effects of the polarity of the negative charge. In the presence of a negative charge, significant differences in antibacterial behavior were observed. While aluminum did not have much antibacterial properties, graphene oxide showed a much better performance. This effect is attributed to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on the surface of graphene oxide. These species affect bacteria and quickly inhibit their growth.
Based on the research results, the choice of host material has a great impact on the antibacterial performance of triboelectric nanogenerators. Considering that graphene oxide is able to effectively stop the growth of bacteria by producing reactive oxygen species (ROS), this material is known as an excellent option for use in antibacterial wearable devices.
Iran Starts Operation of New Solar Power Plants
The operation of solar power plants with a capacity of 205 MW and the implementation of a project to construct solar power plants with a capacity of 75 MW in different cities of Iran started upon an order by Iranian Minister of Energy Abbas Aliabadi.
The operation of 105 MW of large-scale solar power plants and 100 MW of small-scale power plants and the implementation of a project to build 75 MW of solar power plants, including 20 MW of solar power plants in a construction site in Sistan and Balouchestan province, one MW in a construction site in Khorassan Razavi province, and 54 MW of solar power plants in a construction site in Yazd province, with private sector investment, began.
With the operation of these power plants, the installed capacity of renewable power plants in the country will exceed 2,300 MW.
Based on the report, the construction of 100 MW of small-scale solar power plants across the country and the start of the implementation of the 20 MW Cheshmeh Ziarat power plant in Sistan and Balouchestan province, the opening of solar power plants in Fars province with a capacity of 7 MW, and the opening of solar power plants with a capacity of 6 MW in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province were the plans which started in a ceremony in the presence of Aliabadi.
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