Weekly Update: Week of June 9, 2025

AI tackling scientific grand challenges. A remarkable research milestone was announced mid-June: using an AI system, a team of scientists in Switzerland managed to generate a novel enzyme that efficiently breaks down certain plastic waste. The AI model screened millions of protein configurations in days to design this enzyme, something that might have taken humans years. This breakthrough – if validated – could lead to new recycling methods for plastics, an environmental game-changer. Meanwhile, over in Singapore, as referenced earlier, AI is accelerating materials science. On June 12, A*STAR (Singapore’s science agency) reported that its AI models helped discover a new battery material that is both high-capacity and faster-charging by simulating thousands of chemical compounds virtually. This approach cut the development cycle dramatically. Additionally, India saw an innovation for social good: an AI startup unveiled a low-cost app that uses computer vision to help farmers diagnose crop diseases via a smartphone photo, offering treatment advice in local languages. The flurry of announcements this week underlined AI’s expanding role in solving complex problems – from environmental cleanup to sustainable energy and agriculture. It’s an exciting illustration of how AI innovation is not confined to big labs but is also happening in emerging tech hubs worldwide.