THE REPORT RFK JR.DELIBERATELY MISREPRESENTED

New CDC report shows increase in autism in 2022 with notable shifts in race, ethnicity, and sex

Biennial surveillance report includes Maryland site covering five Baltimore-area counties

 News Release 17-Apr-2025

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

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Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health contributed to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report examining autism among children who turned 4 and 8 years old in 2022. The CDC report, which includes data from 16 study sites across the U.S. including Maryland, found an overall prevalence of autism of 1 in 31 (3.2%) among 8-year-olds in 2022.

The Maryland study site, led by researchers at Bloomberg School’s Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, found a prevalence of 1 in 38 (2.6%) among 8-year-olds and 1 in 41 (2.4%) among 4-year-olds in 2022. The Maryland data for 2022 were drawn from Baltimore, Carroll, Cecil, Harford, and Howard counties, as in prior surveillance years. 

The CDC report was published online April 14. Key findings from the five-county Maryland site study of 2022 data include:

• Black and Asian/Pacific Islander children had among the highest rates of autism in Maryland.
• The number of 8-year-old girls identified as having autism surpassed 1%, with 1 in 93 having autism, for the first time in Maryland.  
• Boys were more likely than girls to have autism, in Maryland and across all 16 sites. In Maryland, these sex gaps were less pronounced in younger children. 
• The new CDC report reveals progress for identifying children with autism at a younger age in Maryland and in other network sites.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD, or autism) is a developmental disability that is characterized by social and communication challenges, along with restrictive and repetitive behaviors and interests. 

The CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network began collecting data on 8-year-olds in 2000 and among 4-year-olds in all sites in 2018. Data on autism is collected from health, education, and/or early intervention sources within each site’s study area. The CDC notes that the ADDM Network is not a representative sample of the entire U.S., and there is variability in prevalence estimates between sites. In this latest report, autism prevalence estimates across the Network’s 16 sites ranged from less than 1% in Texas (Laredo) to 5.3% in California in 2022.

The CDC’s ADDM Network reports have consistently reported that boys are significantly more likely than girls to be identified as having autism. The CDC report for 2020 reported that the prevalence for girls surpassed 1%. In the current report, among 8-year-olds across all Network sites, there are 3.4 boys with autism for every girl with autism, versus 2.8 boys for every girl among 4-year-olds. Among 8-year-olds in Maryland, there are 3.9 boys for every girl who has autism, versus 2.6 boys for every girl among 4-year-olds.

The new report also examines differences in autism prevalence by racial and ethnic background. In Maryland, the highest autism prevalence estimates among 8-year-olds in 2022 were observed in Black children (1 in 27), followed by Asian/Pacific Islander (1 in 32), multiracial (1 in 34), Hispanic (1 in 35), and white (1 in 52) children. These trends first emerged in Maryland for Black children in 2018 and were reported by the CDC in 2020 as a network-wide finding in 2023. The researchers found similar prevalence trends in 2022 by race and ethnicity among Maryland 4-year-olds and across the ADDM Network for both age groups.

“Years ago, we only knew that autism was impacting white males. This latest ADDM report, along with the one released in 2023, show that autism impacts everyone—including females and children from all racial and ethnic backgrounds,” says Elise Pas, PhD, MA, research professor in the Bloomberg School’s Department of Mental Health and one of the two Maryland ADDM Network site’s principal investigators.

More children in the U.S. are being identified as having autism by age 48 months, suggesting progress for early identification among children born more recently (e.g., 2018 births) than children born earlier (e.g., 2014 births). In Maryland, prevalence is comparable among the two age groups, which further signifies early identification progress. In the Maryland study, the researchers found a prevalence of 1 in 41 for children who turned 4 in 2022, and 1 in 38 for those who turned 8 in 2022. In comparing these two age groups, 4-year-olds were 1.8 times more likely to be identified with autism by 48 months than 8-year-olds. In past years, there were larger gaps between these two age groups. 

“We’ve been continuously monitoring autism prevalence among 8-year-olds in Maryland for the past 20 years and expanded to include 4-year-olds more recently to monitor whether we have moved the needle on early identification,” says Christine Ladd-Acosta, PhD, one of two ADDM Network site principal investigators, and the vice director of the Bloomberg School’s Wendy Klag Center. “The data suggest that we are identifying children earlier, which should translate into needed supports for children and their families sooner, which will help them achieve their full potential.” Ladd-Acosta is also an associate professor in the Bloomberg School’s Department of Epidemiology. 

The CDC ADDM Network expanded from 11 sites in 2020 to 16 sites in 2022. They include Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, Texas (2 sites), Utah, and Wisconsin. The Maryland ADDM Network site based at the Bloomberg School’s Wendy Klag Center is continuing surveillance of children in Baltimore, Carroll, Cecil, Harford, and Howard counties who were 4 and 8 years old in 2024.

The CDC recommends that parents track their child’s development from birth to age 5, and get their child screened if they have a concern. Free checklists and information for parents, physicians, and childcare providers are available at http://www.cdc.gov/ActEarly.

A full copy of the report, Prevalence and Early Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 4 and 8 Years—Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 16 Sites, United States, 2022, is available on the CDC website. 

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Journal

MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

SCENT OF A WOMAN

Finding friendship at first whiff: Scent plays role in platonic potential

Cornell University

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ITHACA, N.Y. – Two women meeting for the first time can judge within minutes whether they have the potential to be friends — guided as much by smell as any other sense, new Cornell University research on friendship formation finds.

“The Interactive Role of Odor Associations in Friendship Preferences,” published in Scientific Reports, adds to our understanding of the complex picture of what goes on when meeting someone for the first time — and judging the potential for future interactions.

In a study of heterosexual women, the researchers found that personal, idiosyncratic preferences based on a person’s everyday scent, captured on a T-shirt, predicted how much women liked their interaction partners after four-minute “speed-friending” chats. These face-to-face conversations, in turn, influenced how participants later judged the T-shirt scents alone.

“People take a lot in when they’re meeting face to face. But scent — which people are registering at some level, though probably not consciously — forecasts whether you end up liking this person,” said Vivian Zayas, professor of psychology and co-author of the paper.

While social olfactory research often focuses on mate selection, the researchers turned their attention to platonic interactions. And instead of focusing on individuals’ “natural” odor — isolated from products, pets, and other environmental factors — the study leaned into the idea that people actively shape their signature scent through the many choices they make every day, what’s known as their “diplomatic” odor.

Smell-only evaluations paralleled in-person evaluations: If a participant judged someone as having high friend potential based on the smell of a T-shirt, their evaluation of that same person after a four-minute interaction was similarly high.

Moreover, evaluations from the live interaction predicted changes in a second round of diplomatic odor judgments, suggesting that the quality of the in-person interaction influenced how participants perceived the person’s smell.

Zayas said the consistency of judgments across the rating opportunities is remarkable. 

“Everybody showed they had a consistent signature of what they liked,” she said. “And the consistency was not that, in the group, one person smelled really bad and one person smelled really good. No, it was idiosyncratic. I might like person A over B over C based on scent, and this pattern predicts who I end up liking in the chat.”

For additional information, see this Cornell Chronicle story.

Cornell University has dedicated television and audio studios available for media interviews.

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Journal

Scientific Reports

DOI

10.1038/s41598-025-94350-1 

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

The interactive role of odor associations in friendship preferences

Article Publication Date

17-Apr-2025

Drone swarm taken down by British Army's groundbreaking radio wave weapon

17th April 2025 
FORCES NEWS

The Radiofrequency Directed Energy Weapon being trialled by the British Army could prove to be a huge asset on a future battlefield (Picture: MOD)


Soldiers have successfully taken out swarms of drones in a trial of a new directed-energy weapon and the largest counter-drone swarm exercise conducted by the British Army to date.

The UK-made, invisible radio wave weapon knocked out drone swarms for the first time, proving it has the potential to help protect against drone threats as the nature of warfare changes.

The trial was completed at a weapons range in west Wales, with the weapon system demonstrator being a type of radio frequency directed energy weapon (RFDEW).

Army testing the Weevil – the remote-controlled system dealing with landmines

Laser weapon test-fired from British Army Wolfhound armoured vehicle in UK first

DragonFire: The Navy's drone-killing laser that's cheap to fire and deadly accurate

It has proven capable of taking out multiple targets at the same time with near-instant effect.

The weapon uses high-frequency waves to knock out critical electronic elements inside the drones, which in turn causes them to crash or malfunction.

RFDEW systems can take out targets up to 1km away and work against threats which cannot be jammed using electronic warfare.

At roughly 10p per shot fired, if developed into operational service, it could provide a cost-effective sidekick to traditional missile-based air defence systems.

Play Video Watch: DragonFire laser system – accurate and cost-effective

Sergeant Mayers, a Senior Remotely-Piloted Air Systems Operator from 106 Regiment Royal Artillery, became the first British soldier to bring down drones using a radio frequency weapon.

He said the RFDEW was an "exciting concept", with the demonstrator being quick to learn and easy to use.

"With improvements on range and power, which could come with further development, this would be a great asset to Layered Air Defence," he said.

The project has been delivered by Team Hersa, a collab between Defence Equipment & Support and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, while the RFDEW demonstrator has been developed by an industry consortium led by Thales UK.

Successful experiments have seen the Army take down two swarms of drones in a single engagement.

The project also saw over 100 drones being tracked, engaged and defeated.

Defence Procurement Minister Maria Eagle said the "significant experiment exemplifies the strength of British innovation".

"We continue to strengthen our defence sector, adding more cutting-edge capabilities to keep the UK secure at home and strong abroad, while making defence an engine for growth across our towns and cities," she said. The trial comes as drone swarms are increasingly being seen in Ukraine.

UK defence intelligence estimates that last year Ukraine had to defend against attacks from more than 18,000 drones.

UK Supreme Court rules legal definition of woman based on biological sex

Trans star warns UK Supreme Court ruling an ‘excuse to attack us even more’

Ella Morgan said she was ‘speechless’ when she saw the court’s decision

Athena Stavrou
Thursday 17 April 2025

THE INDEPENDENT 

MAFS’ first trans star Ella Morgan warns UK Supreme Court ruling could amplify abuse

The first trans woman to appear on Married at First Sight UK has voiced her concern that the Supreme Court’s ruling that transgender women are not legally women will be used as an “excuse” to attack the community even more.

On Wednesday, UK Supreme Court judges decided unanimously that Equality Act’s definition of a woman is based on biological sex.- meaning transgender women with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) are not considered legally women.

The decision could have wide-ranging consequences for trans women’s rights, including potentially being excluded from services and spaces meant for women.

Ella Morgan, a TV personality and trans campaigner said she was “speechless” when she saw the court’s decision.

“I woke up today and saw my rights as a human being have been taken away,” she told The Independent.

We left it to the Supreme Court to decide ‘what a woman is’ – they chose wrong


“Since I’ve been in the public eye, I’ve never been scared, but today was the first time I am worried for me and other trans people.”

Ms Morgan, who was the first trans woman to appear on Channel 4’s Married at First Sight UK added she was worried the ruling would be used as an “excuse” by some to abuse trans people “more than they already do”, calling the decision “an attack on trans women and their existence.”


open image in galleryMs Morgan, who was the first trans woman to appear on Channel 4’s Married at First Sight UK added she was worried the ruling would be used as an “excuse” by some to abuse trans people “more than they already do”. (Supplied)

She said: “I don’t know how some people will sleep at night when trans people are murdered, assaulted and brutally attacked because of this [ruling].”

Ms Morgan also said she was concerned what the implications of the decision could be on her access to women’s spaces - for example whether she would now be admitted to a female ward in hospital.

However, Ms Morgan said the ruling will not “scare us away” and added: “If people think implementing laws will eradicate trans women, they are wrong.

“We have always existed and will always exist, this will never scare us away and if anything our fight will be stronger.”


open image in galleryTrans rights groups have reacted with dismay to Wednesday’s ruling, warning that it will “exclude trans people wholesale from participating in UK society”. (Getty Images)

Trans rights groups have reacted with dismay to Wednesday’s ruling, warning that it will “exclude trans people wholesale from participating in UK society”.

Transgender rights campaign group TransLucent said: “Many in the trans community will be extremely worried by this decision and its implications”.

“We would like to reassure them that they are still protected from discrimination, victimisation and harassment because of their protected characteristic of gender reassignment,” they added in a statement.


The Supreme Court ruling means that transgender women with a GRC can be excluded from single-sex spaces if “proportionate”.

Officials have confirmed the NHS is now looking at updating its official guidance on same-sex wards to reflect the ruling, which currently says trans people “should be accommodated according to their presentation: the way they dress, and the name and pronouns they currently use”.

UK Supreme Court rules legal definition of woman based on biological sex


By Jo Faragher

17 April 2025

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS CO. UK 

The Supreme Court has ruled that the legal definition of a woman under the Equality Act 2010 is based on biological sex.

In the case of For Women Scotland vs The Scottish Ministers, Judge Lord Hodge said: “The unanimous decision of this court is that the terms woman and sex in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex.

“But we counsel against reading this judgment as a triumph of one or more groups in our society at the expense of another, it is not.”

The decision comes after a long-running battle between the Scottish government and campaign group For Women Scotland (FWS), which objected to a proposed amendment to the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018.

This proposed expanding the scope of the legislation to include all trans women, including those who did not have a gender recognition certificate (GRC).

FWS launched a judicial review, arguing that the Scottish government had used too wide a definition of woman, and the inner court of session in Edinburgh agreed.

MSPs in Scotland then revised statutory guidance to follow the Equality Act 2010, which would include transgender women who did have a GRC within the definition of woman.

FWS objected to this and launched another judicial review, which was dismissed. Through a crowdfunder and support from author JK Rowling, the group brought the case to the Supreme Court.

The key decision the Supreme Court needed to make was whether a person with a GRC who recognises their gender as female should be regarded as a woman under the Equality Act, meaning they would, therefore, gain protective rights such as the right to equal pay and protection from discrimination.

Under the Gender Recognition Act of 2004, people can obtain a GRC, which states this is a change of sex “for all purposes”. However, the subsequent Equality Act 2010 then outlined protections against discrimination for various groups, with protected characteristics under law including sex and gender reassignment.

How these two pieces of legislation interact was one of the focuses of the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Lord Hodge insisted that the Equality Act would still give trans people protection against discrimination.

“As I shall explain later in this hand down speech, the Equality Act 2010 gives transgender people protection, not only against discrimination through the protected characteristic of gender reassignment, but also against direct discrimination, indirect discrimination and harassment in substance in their acquired gender,” he said.

The judges argued that including people with a GRC in the definition of sex for the purposes of the Equality Act would make it read in an “incoherent way”. Issues relating to pregnancy and maternity can only be interpreted as referring to biological sex, while other parts of the Act refer to “certificated sex”.

Phillip Pepper, employment partner at law firm, Shakespeare Martineau, said that, while the ruling could create “further division and increase tensions” in the short term, it would offer “long-term clarity for businesses which have been left to interpret ambiguous, contradictory legislation on their own until this point, potentially landing in hot water as a result”.

Recent legal disputes involving changing rooms, including a tribunal brought against NHS Fife by nurse Sandie Peggie, and a group of nurses in Darlington against their NHS Trust, have highlighted the thorny legal issues associated with providing single-sex spaces at work.

Pepper added: “The Equality Act urgently needs to be updated to ensure that transgender individuals don’t lose any of the protections they currently have from discrimination, and prevent potential inequality of treatment that may occur as a result of this judgement.”

He added that employers should take extra care to ensure that transgender employees feel safe, represented and valued in the workplace.

“Employers may have to rethink their policy towards single-sex spaces in the workplace, such as bathrooms and changing rooms, and ensure that all individuals have a suitable space that they feel comfortable in when needing to use those facilities,” he said.

“Some workplaces have become divided on the issue, which means communication, training and zero tolerance on bullying will be vital to ensure that transgender employees do not feel uncomfortable at work.

While this decision will be disappointing for some, it ultimately offers a clear path forward for employers which can now ensure they stay on the right side of law.”

Rob McKellar, legal services director at Peninsula, also welcomed the legal clarity brought by the ruling. “The main takeaway here for employers is that although this ruling has confirmed that in the Equality Act 2010 the words ‘woman’ and ‘sex’ refer to biological sex, transgender people are still protected under the Act,” he said.

“The ruling does not change the fact that employers should strive to provide an inclusive workplace that embraces and welcomes all individuals, regardless of any protected characteristics, and failure to do so could result in a discrimination claim at tribunal.”

Jo Moseley, an employment law associate at Irwin Mitchell, agreed that the decision would make it easier for employers to understand the rules around providing single-sex and separate sex spaces and services, as well as those around appointing someone of one sex where there is a genuine occupational requirement.

“It will also mean that employers will be able to understand the correct comparator in sex discrimination and sexual orientation claims and take positive action to support women to progress at work,” she explained.

“It doesn’t leave trans people without protection. The Supreme Court made it very clear that they are protected under the gender reassignment provisions in the Equality Act and will be able to bring claims if they are discriminated or harassed.

“For example a trans woman will be able to bring a sex discrimination claim if they are disadvantaged because they are perceived to be a woman or because they associate with a woman. Similarly, a man who identifies as a woman who is treated less favourably because of the protected characteristic of gender reassignment, will be able to claim on that basis.

“Ultimately, this decision gives employers much needed legal certainty and will help them to make legally compliant decisions.”

AND SO IT BEGINS

NHS to be pursued if gender policies on single-sex wards don’t change, warns equalities watchdog


The current NHS guidance means trans people are accommodated according to their presentation, but Wednesday’s ruling now means wards must accommodate patients based on their biological sex

Millie Cooke
Political Correspondent
Thursday 17 April 2025

THE INDEPENDENT

The NHS will be pursued if it does not follow new guidance on gender and single-sex spaces, the equalities watchdog has warned in the wake of the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling that transgender women are not legally women.

The judgment, which stated that the definition of a woman in equality law is based on biological sex, means trans women with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) can be excluded from single-sex spaces if doing so is deemed “proportionate”.


Current NHS guidance means trans people are accommodated on wards and other areas according to their presentation – the way they dress, and the name and pronouns they use. But Wednesday’s ruling now means NHS wards must accommodate patients based on their biological sex.

Kishwer Falkner, chair of the EHRC, which says it is ‘working at pace’ to provide an updated code of conduct for services (PA)

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said it was “working at pace” to provide an updated code of conduct for services, including the NHS and prisons. And now its chair has confirmed that the watchdog will pursue the NHS if it does not change its guidance.

Kishwer Falkner told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Thursday morning: “[The NHS] have to change it. They now have clarity. There is no confusion as of yesterday, at 10.30 in the morning, and they can start to implement the new legal reasoning and produce their exceptions forthwith, but they have to change it. We will be having conversations with them to update that guidance.”

Asked if the EHRC would pursue the case if this doesn’t happen, Baroness Falkner replied: “Yes, we will.”

Officials have confirmed that the NHS is looking to update its official guidance on same-sex wards to reflect the ruling. But no further information has been given on where trans women will be accommodated if they can no longer use single-sex wards.

Baroness Falkner also said the “efficacy” of the gender recognition certificate (GRC) – a UK legal document that recognises an individual’s gender identity, allowing them to legally change their sex – will be re-examined after the ruling.

She said the “next stage of litigation may well be tests as to the efficacy of the GRC, and or other areas”.

Asked about whether she thinks GRCs are now “worthless”, she replied: “We don’t believe they are. We think they’re quite important. But I think there will be other areas: I mean, the government is thinking of digital IDs, and if digital IDs come in, then what documentation will provide the identity of that person?

“So it’s going to be a space that we’ll have to watch very carefully as we go on.”

The Supreme Court’s judgment came after the campaign group For Women Scotland brought a series of challenges – including to the UK’s highest court – over the definition of “woman” in Scottish legislation that mandates 50 per cent female representation on public boards.

Gender-critical rights campaigners hailed the ruling as a victory for biological women and an important milestone in their fight to protect single-sex spaces.

But trans rights groups warned that it will “exclude trans people wholesale from participating in UK society”.

The director of trans campaign group TransActual, jane fae, said: “The entire trans community is devastated. Irrespective of the small print on this ruling, the intent seems clear: to exclude trans people wholesale from participating in UK society.”

Doctor Who Boss Russell T Davies Has A Message For Critics Who Think The Show Is Too 'Woke'

Ncuti Gatwa recently returned for his second season at the helm of the Tardis, alongside new companion Varada Sethu.

“Woke just means inclusive, progressive, and that you care about people. And, as far as I know, the core of Doctor Who is kindness, love and doing the right thing.”


By Daniel Welsh
17/04/2025 

HUFFPOST





Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa and showrunner Russell T Davies at the TV Baftas in 2022
Dave Benett/Getty Images


Russell T Davies has dismissed claims that Doctor Who has become more “woke” under his second tenure in charge of the show.


Speaking on the BBC Sounds documentary Doctor Who: 20 Secrets From 20 Years, Russell lamented that the long-running sci-fi show has long faced scrutiny about “matters of diversity” and issues of social justice that are tackled in its stories.

“There are online warriors accusing us of diversity and wokeness and involving messages and issues,” Davies said, noting that he has “no time for this”.

“I don’t have a second to bear [it]. Because what you might call diversity, I just call an open door.”

The Bafta winner said that it was not a “conscious” decision of his to incorporate themes that could be interpreted as “woke” into Doctor Who, explaining: “I don’t even know if it’s conscious. That’s life, and I think it’s the only way to write.”

“Why limit yourself?” he questioned. “Why breathe in the exhaust fumes? Why be toxic? Come over here where the life and light and air and sound is.”

Varada Sethu and Ncuti Gatwa in Doctor Who
BBC/Danny Kasirye

The current season of Doctor Who has introduced Varada Sethu as a new companion of the Time Lord’s, Belinda Chandra.

Speaking to Radio Times ahead of her debut into the Who-niverse, Varada explained: “There’s been a couple of Doctor Woke [comments] or whatever, but I just think we’re doing the right thing if we’re getting comments like that.

“Woke just means inclusive, progressive, and that you care about people. And, as far as I know, the core of Doctor Who is kindness, love and doing the right thing.”

She also recalled her first days on set with the current Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa, who apparently told her: “Look at us. We get to be in the Tardis. We’re going to piss off so many people.”

Listen to Doctor Who: 20 Secrets From 20 Years here.

 

Researchers warn of a threat to water safety from wildfires

University of Technology Sydney

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The consequences of wildfires in or near urban areas go beyond the damage to buildings and ecosystems, to the threat of contamination of drinking water according to water quality and treatment experts from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).

In a research letter published in the journal Science researchers from the UTS Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater write that wildfires can contaminate drinking water distribution systems, posing substantial and escalating public health risks, with nearly half a billion people globally having experienced wildfires within one kilometre of their homes over the past two decades.

They write that, “Authorities in areas of recent wildfires, such as the 2025 Los Angeles fires, should ensure that drinking water is safe by monitoring and mitigating contamination in water distribution systems.

“Distribution systems transport drinking water from treatment plants to consumers. Water must meet safety standards before leaving a treatment plant, but contamination can occur during transport.

“Over the past decade, more than 50 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including carcinogens such as benzene, have been detected in water distribution systems after wildfires.

“These VOCs likely enter the distribution systems through plastic pipes that have suffered thermal degradation or the infiltration of smoke into depressurised pipes.

“Once inside, VOCs can spread through connected pipes, infiltrate water distribution materials and persist for months, contaminating water supplied to consumers.”

Letter first author, Chancellor's Research Fellow Dr Xuan Li, said such contaminants posed carcinogenic risks to consumers.

“For example, 11 months after the 2017 Santa Rosa wildfire in northern California, 40,000 micrograms per litre of benzene remained in drinking water from distribution systems.

“Even short-term exposure to 26 micrograms per litre of benzene harms children, and long-term exposure increases leukemia risk.

“These contaminants are rarely monitored in water distribution systems, particularly at the consumer end, and communities often remain unaware of these risks.”

The letter's corresponding author Professor Qilin Wang also warned that climate change and urbanisation are intensifying wildfire risks, exacerbating the threat of drinking water system contamination.

“Wildfire-related VOC levels often correlate with the scale of building destruction, underscoring the growing threat that future wildfires pose to water safety, especially in areas such as Los Angeles.

“To address wildfire-driven drinking water contamination, governments must establish clear guidelines, identify wildfire-related VOCs in drinking water distribution systems, set safety limits and enforce robust monitoring and testing protocols.”

The research letter “Wildfires jeopardize drinking water safety” by Xuan Li, Qizi Fu and Qilin Wang is published in Vol 388, Issue 6743 of the journal Science.

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Journal

Science

DOI

10.1126/science.adw1493 

Method of Research

Commentary/editorial

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Wildfires jeopardize drinking water safety

Article Publication Date

16-Apr-2025

 

EU awards €8 million to advance solar fuel technologies through SUN-PERFORM and Solar to Butanol – S2B Projects

Bio-inspired technologies aim to revolutionize renewable fuel production for hard-to-electrify sectors

INsociety

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The European Commission has awarded a combined €8 million in Horizon Europe funding to two groundbreaking projects that could transform how we capture and convert solar energy into liquid fuels. SUN-PERFORM and Solar to Butanol - S2B aim to develop highly efficient bio-inspired technologies that could significantly reduce Europe's carbon emissions while creating new green industry opportunities. These innovative approaches specifically target hard-to-electrify sectors like aviation and shipping, where traditional renewable solutions have struggled to make significant inroads.

The projects have been funded under the Horizon Europe call HORIZON-CL5-2024-D3-01-04, which supports the development of advanced biochemical, bio-inspired, or biomimetic approaches to significantly enhance light harvesting and carbon fixation. The goal is to accelerate the conversion of solar energy into high-yield, cost-effective fuel molecules. The initiative targets advanced solar fuels other than hydrogen, focusing on scalability, sustainability, safety, and economic viability, integrating seamlessly with existing solar technologies and broader renewable energy systems. Both initiatives will run for 4 years, with demonstration results expected by 2028.

SUN-PERFORM: Bio-Nano Synergy to Maximize Light Conversion

Coordinated by Wageningen University in the Netherlands, SUN-PERFORM (sunperform.eu) is developing innovative biohybrid technologies that combine advanced nanocrystals—designed to maximize light capture—with genetically engineered microalgae optimized for solar fuel production. The aim is to improve solar-to-fuel conversion efficiency fourfold, making it suitable for scalable, industrial applications. “With SUN-PERFORM, our aim is to contribute effectively to solving challenges in hard-to-electrify sectors such as aviation and maritime shipping—areas where sustainable fuel alternatives are most urgently needed,” says Dr. Sarah D’Adamo, Project Coordinator and Assistant Professor at Wageningen University.

The SUN-PERFORM consortium comprises top research and industry partners, including Wageningen University (Netherlands), Universität Bielefeld (Germany), Politecnico di Torino (Italy), IN SRL Impresa Sociale (Italy), Universiteit van Amsterdam (Netherlands), SolarFoil BV (Netherlands), and the Max Planck Society (Germany). Real-world testing will occur at demonstration facilities in the Netherlands and Morocco, with the Moroccan site chosen specifically to test the technology performance in high-solar-intensity environments.

Solar to Butanol – S2B: Advanced Solid-State Photosynthetic Cell Factories

S2B, coordinated by the Turun yliopisto-UTU (Finland), focuses on direct conversion of solar energy and atmospheric CO₂ into butanol – a renewable fuel - using genetically engineered photosynthetic microbes and advanced nature-based (nano)materials. The consortium is developing solid-state photosynthetic biocatalysts by 3D printing hybrid films that embed photosynthetic cells within functional hydrogel-based materials. These long-lived, sustainable bioproduction platform aim to significantly improve light-to-fuel conversion, CO₂ fixation efficiency. “S2B is creating nature-inspired technology that is not only efficient, but also cost-effective and scalable” explains Professor Yagut Allahverdiyeva-Rinne, the consortium’s coordinator.

Partners include 7 leading research entities and one innovation consulting company across Europe: Turun yliopisto - UTU (Finland), Nantes Université (France), Kungliga Tekniska högskolan – KTH (Sweden), Åbo Akademi - AAU (Finland), Stichting VU (Netherlands), Universiteit Twente (Netherlands), Lappeenrannan–Lahden teknillinen yliopisto - LUT (Finland) and ERDYN Consultants (France). The S2B project will develop prototype systems at TRL4-level, with demonstration sites located in Turku, Finland, and Nantes, France.

Shared Vision, Complementary Approaches

Both SUN-PERFORM and Solar to Butanol – S2B exemplify Europe's dedication to a fossil-free future and the development of innovative solutions for clean energy and sustainable fuel production. Both projects are grounded on photosynthetic principles and share the common goal of advancing solar fuel technologies, improving sustainability, and enabling scalable solutions.

While SUN-PERFORM focuses on producing key lipids (TAGs), which can be converted into biodiesel or sustainable aviation fuels through established processes, S2B targets the direct synthesis of drop-in fuel butanol.

Together, these pioneering projects mark a significant step toward realizing the European Union’s vision for a climate-neutral future, accelerating the transition to sustainable solar-driven fuels through scientific excellence and cross-border collaboration.