Tracing the evolution of ferns’ surprisingly sweet defense strategy

BOYCE THOMPSON INSTITUTE

 

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ANT FEEDING ON FERN NECTARIES.

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CREDIT: JACOB S. SUISSA

Plants and the animals that eat them have evolved together in fascinating ways, creating a dynamic interplay of survival strategies. Many plants have developed physical and chemical defenses to fend off herbivores. A well-known strategy in flowering plants is to produce nectar to attract “ant bodyguards.” Recent research explores the evolution of this same defense strategy in ferns.

Jacob Suissa, an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, led the study in collaboration with Boyce Thompson Institute's fern expert, Fay-Wei Li, and Cornell University’s ant expert, Corrie Moreau.

The study, recently published in Nature Communications, revealed that ferns and flowering plants independently evolved nectaries, specialized structures that secrete sugary rewards to attract ant bodyguards, around the same time in the Cretaceous period. This finding is significant as it suggests similar evolutionary dynamics shaped the development of ant-plant mutualisms across these two divergent lineages, separated by more than 400 million years.

"Our research highlights a fascinating example of convergent evolution, where ferns and flowering plants independently developed similar strategies to defend themselves against predation by recruiting ant defenders with nectaries," said Suissa.

By integrating phylogenetic data and comparative analyses, the research team discovered that nectaries originated concurrently in ferns and angiosperms, but ferns experienced a significant lag in diversification compared to their flowering plant counterparts. The study also revealed that ferns likely recruited ant defenders secondarily, tapping into pre-existing ant-angiosperm relationships as they transitioned from the forest floor to the canopy.

"The evolutionary history of fern nectaries not only demonstrates the complex relationships between plants and insects—relationships that have been previously underestimated—but also underscores the ability of ferns to adapt to ecological challenges,” explained Suissa.

The research offers new insights into the evolutionary dynamics that shape plant-animal interactions. By understanding how ferns and flowering plants independently developed similar defense mechanisms, scientists can better appreciate the underlying principles governing biodiversity and ecosystem function. This study opens new avenues for exploring the evolutionary history of other plant traits and their ecological impact, reinforcing the importance of mutualistic relationships in the natural world.

Learn more about this fascinating research in this related news story.

About the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI)
Founded in 1924 and located in Ithaca, New York, BTI is at the forefront of plant science research. Our mission is to advance, communicate, and leverage pioneering discoveries in plant sciences to develop sustainable and resilient agriculture, improve food security, protect the environment, and enhance human health. As an independent nonprofit research institute affiliated with Cornell University, we are committed to inspiring and training the next generation of scientific leaders. Learn more at BTIscience.org.

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JOURNAL

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-024-48646-x 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Cells

ARTICLE TITLE

Convergent evolution of fern nectaries facilitated independent recruitment of ant-bodyguards from flowering plants

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

24-May-2024

 

Cheap, dirty leftovers can produce pure oxygen

Oxygen is a critical component in many manufacturing processes. Researchers have discovered a way to produce this element in an energy efficient way

NORWEGIAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

 

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FRIDA HEMSTAD DANMO WITH A MATERIAL THAT SEEMS PROMISING FOR PRODUCING OXYGEN CHEAPLY. 

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CREDIT: PHOTO: PER HENNING, NTNU

New materials for producing oxygen may challenge traditional production methods. This is exciting news, because pure oxygen is in demand from many areas in industry and medicine.

“We have identified materials that can store and release pure oxygen much faster and at much lower temperatures than known materials currently used for this purpose,” says Professor Sverre Magnus Selbach at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU’s) Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

Oxygen is an element, so it cannot be made, only released. The most common method is to distil oxygen directly from the air, but it can also be extracted from materials that have oxygen bound in them.

Retrieving oxygen from materials

Many materials absorb oxygen from the air. When these materials are heated up, they release this oxygen, and small changes in the materials can change their properties.

As the chemical process speeds up, scientists refer to ‘the kinetics being faster’ in the material. The fact that this process can take place at low temperatures is a big advantage. Not only does it mean that less energy is required for heating, but also that reactors can be made from cheaper materials that will need less maintenance than if they had to be exposed to higher temperatures.

“Both of these improvements in material properties make the materials more competitive,” says Frida Hemstad Danmo. The research was part of her doctoral work.

The research results have now been published in the Chemistry of Materials journal.

The wonder material

So, what kind of wonder material are we talking about? It might be a little surprising. Have you heard of hexagonal manganites?

Probably not. Almost no one has heard of hexagonal manganites. Fortunately, the researchers at NTNU have. The material is not only very suitable for extracting oxygen, it can also be made quite cheaply and efficiently.

“Because oxygen is absorbed so quickly into the material, we can use bulk materials that can be made in large quantities using cheaper methods than those required to make nanoparticles,” explains Danmo.

If the oxygen transport was not already so rapid in these hexagonal manganites, the process would have required nanoparticles to increase surface area and provide the oxygen with a ‘shorter way’ in and out of the material.

Nanoparticles are more complicated to produce and cannot be made in large quantities as easily as bulk material.

Impurities in the material are unproblematic

The hexagonal manganites they have developed are so-called ‘high-entropy materials’. This means that they are neither pure nor have a particularly well-ordered crystal structure, and this is where the secret lies.

Not only are the materials quite cheap, they are also not that particular when it comes to chemical composition. Impurities and small defects in the material are therefore not a problem. Things don’t have to be so precise, the process works anyway, and it makes it possible to achieve cheaper production on an industrial scale.

The researchers used five to six different rare earth metals in the mix they experimented with, and the result was much better than when well-ordered materials with just one or two rare earth metals were used.

“The high-entropy materials are actually more stable than those with simpler chemical composition. The reason is the entropy, i.e. the disorder that comes from having many different elements in the crystal structure instead of fewer,” says Selbach.

Disorder is the natural state

“All spontaneous processes will increase the disorder of the universe. Interestingly, it is the disorder itself that also provides such rapid oxygen absorption, since our materials are not sensitive to precise chemical composition. Focusing on high entropy is a paradigm shift for this particular class of materials, and something that has given us exceptional properties,” says Danmo.

Using cheaper and available materials

These types of materials are not currently used in the industry, but a great deal of research is being done on them precisely because the potential for cheaper oxygen production is so great.

“Industry can use cheaper raw materials, such as oxides of recycled rare earth metals or low-quality ore. These raw materials remain after more expensive elements such as neodymium and dysprosium are extracted for use in electric motors in windmills and electric cars,” says Selbach.

Did you catch that? Industry may even be able to use waste materials from the production of electric motors.

In collaboration with Danmo, Aamund Westermoen conducted much of the experimental work. Senior Engineer Elvia Anabela Chavez Panduro contributed measurements at NTNU, and Kenneth Marshall and Dragos Stoian at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in France helped with the synchrotron measurements made at the Swiss–Norwegian Beamlines facility in Grenoble. Frida Hemstad Danmo now works at Norsk Hydro.

Reference: Frida Hemstad Danmo, Aamund Westermoen, Kenneth Marshall, Dragos Stoian, Tor Grande, Julia Glaum, and Sverre M. Selbach. High-Entropy Hexagonal Manganites for Fast Oxygen Absorption and Release. Chem. Mater. 36, 2711, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.3c02702

Hexagonal manganites. It's just as well to learn the name right away. 

CREDIT

Photo: Frida Hemstad Danmo

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JOURNAL

Chemistry of Materials

DOI

10.1021/acs.chemmater.3c02702 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

High-Entropy Hexagonal Manganites for Fast Oxygen Absorption and Release

 

Fast learning collaboration with BasCat leads to discovery of a new catalytic promoter on par with decades of study

FRITZ HABER INSTITUTE OF THE MAX PLANCK SOCIETY

 

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NEW CATALYTIC PROMOTER ON PAR WITH DECADES OF STUDY

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CREDIT: © DR. FREDERIK RÜTHER - BASCAT (UNICAT BASF JOINTLAB)

Addressing climate change demands rethinking of established chemical processes on a timescale of years rather than decades as in traditional R&D cycles. In collaboration with BasCat (UniCat BASF JointLab), a team of researchers from the Theory Department at the Fritz Haber Institute developed an accelerated discovery approach to identify a promising catalytic promoter formulation for the conversion of propane into the base chemical propylene. Discovered in a few weeks and with fewer than 100 experiments conducted, the novel promoted catalyst rivals those discovered through decades of research. The findings, published in ACS Catalysis, not only highlight the partnership's success but also open avenues for a more efficient and informed development of multi-promoter formulations.

Catalysis plays a crucial role in the chemical industry, influencing multiple aspects of everyday life, such as plastic production, drug development, and manufacturing of fuels and fertilizers. Catalysts accelerate chemical reactions and improve their selectivity to desired products, while reducing energy consumption and waste. Although performance and longevity of catalysts can be further boosted by using promoters, their identification and optimization are oftentimes tedious, time-consuming, and costly.

Our Institute's collaboration with BasCat focuses on fundamental research in the field of heterogeneous catalysis and especially on the catalytic transformation of hydrocarbons to value-added products.

The first results of this fruitful collaboration were recently published in ACS Catalysis. Here, the team´s research proposed an accelerated discovery approach which explores a multi-promoter design space with only a limited number of experiments, based on an efficient adaptive design-of-experiment (DoE) experiment planning and a throughput maximization through parallelized testing. The design space comprised on the order of 20000 possible promoter combinations for the non-oxidative propane dehydrogenation to propylene, using platinum on alumina as a catalyst. An exhaustive experimental testing would have required years of research. Instead, their discovery approach successfully identified a promising new promoter formulation by conducting less than 100 experiments in a few weeks.
Currently, propylene is a crucial feedstock chemical for polymer production and it is anticipated to see its demand reach 200 megatons by 2030. Existing cracking processes are unfortunately insufficient to meet this expected demand and more recent commercially applied processes still present limitations to reach high product yield.  Consequently, discovering new combinations of high-performance multi-promoters and gaining a deeper understanding of the chemical mechanisms behind their promoting effects are seen as crucial elements.

The findings not only offer insights into more efficient and informed methodologies for creating multi-promoter formulations but also stand as a testament to the successful collaboration between our Institute's Theory Department and BasCat.

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JOURNAL

ACS Catalysis

DOI

10.1021/acscatal.4c01740 

ARTICLE TITLE

Systematic Exploration of a Multi-Promoter Catalyst Composition Space with Limited Experiments: Non-Oxidative Propane Dehydrogenation to Propylene

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

29-May-2024

 

Sage launches a free collection of social science resources on global democracy and elections

SAGE

Sage has launched a free-to-read hub of social and behavioral science resources to foster evidence-based discussions about democracy and the 2024 elections inside and outside the classroom. The democracy and elections hub contains a curated selection of freely available resources, making evidence-based research accessible to students, librarians, faculty, researchers, and policymakers.   

"In a year where half the world's population will have exercised their democratic right to vote, the importance of social and behavioral science has never been more crucial.” said Ziyad Marar, Sage’s president of global publishing. “The word 'democracy' itself derives from 'demos,' meaning 'the people,' underscoring the primacy of understanding voters, voting, politics, and politicians. In this era of charged and polarized political debate, these resources—along with the ability to discern evidence-based information from misinformation—are essential in strengthening democracy and ensuring an informed and engaged electorate.”   

The collection will help educators stimulate critical thinking on key subjects shaping politics in a significant election year, where many countries, including South Africa, Mexico, India, Pakistan, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States are heading to the polls. It contains articles, reports, videos, and more, grouping resources into four subject areas. Examples include: 

•  Democracy  

  • “Seeing democracy like a city”   

  • “Can Teacher Education Save Democracy?”   

  • “Artificial Intelligence and Democracy: A Conceptual Framework”  

• Elections   

  • “Inside Campaigns: Elections through the Eyes of Political Professionals”   

  • “Fair Elections and Democracy: Research about Voting”  

  • “Election Fraud Report: Will doubts about electoral integrity impair the 2024 election?”  

• Teaching and Politics  

  • “Making Statistics Accessible and Relevant in Politics and IR”   

  • “Civic Education in a Time of Democratic Crisis”   

  • “Tips for teaching World Politics”  

• International Politics  

  • “World Politics in the 21st Century: The New Cold War?”   

  • “Exploring Identity and Politics: Northeast India’s Muslim ‘Othering’”  

  • “Do internet and mobile usage affect the democracy-economic growth nexus in Africa?”  

Explore the free resources available on the democracy and elections hub now.   

Social Science Space, a Sage-supported community site, has also curated free-to-access content on U.S. and U.K. elections from across the community featuring blogs, webinars, and podcasts.

AMERIKA

Violence, aggression against educators grew post-pandemic

After lull during COVID-19 lockdowns, incidents rebound beyond pre-pandemic levels, surveys say

AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

While threats and violence against pre-K to 12th-grade teachers and other school personnel in the United States declined during the pandemic, after the restrictions were lifted, incidents rebounded to levels equal to or exceeding those prior to the pandemic, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. 

As a result, the percentage of teachers expressing intentions to resign or transfer rose from 49% during the pandemic to 57% afterward, the researchers found. 

“Aggression and violence against educators and school personnel are major concerns that affect the well-being of school personnel and the students and families they serve. This study highlights a growing crisis in our schools that needs to be addressed nationally,” said lead author Susan Dvorak McMahon, PhD, of DePaul University, chair of the APA Task Force on Violence Against Educators and School Personnel. The task force conducted two surveys in collaboration with national education and related organizations. The results were published in the journal American Psychologist.

The study reported on two surveys. The first, conducted during the height of the pandemic (August 2020 to June 2021) asked approximately 15,000 educators and school personnel to report their experiences prior to and during the pandemic. APA reported on the findings in 2022. 

The second survey, conducted in 2022 after many schools had lifted COVID-19 restrictions, polled approximately 12,000 educators and school personnel. Both waves had participants from all 50 states and Puerto Rico, and the racial/ethnic distribution of both samples was similar to the racial/ethnic distribution of teachers and school personnel in the U.S. The American Psychologist article compares the two surveys, showing the trends. 

Respondents were asked about their encounters with various forms of violence (including verbal harassment, threats, cyberbullying and physical violence) from students, parents/guardians, colleagues and administrators. They were also asked if they had intended to quit, retire early or transfer to another position within the school system, and had the opportunity to respond to a series of open-ended questions asking them to share details of their experiences, expand on their concerns and offer recommendations for solutions.  

Sixty-five percent of teachers in the first wave reported at least one incident of verbal harassment or threatening behavior from a student prior to the pandemic and 53% reported at least one incident from a parent or guardian of a student. Those numbers decreased to 33% and 29%, respectively, during the pandemic, when remote and hybrid schooling were common, but rebounded to 80% and 63%, respectively, in the second survey post-COVID-19.

Teachers also reported a similar pattern when it came to physical violence, with 42% reporting instances with students prior to the pandemic, 14% during the pandemic and 56% after the pandemic restrictions lifted. And while only 1% reported violent encounters with parents prior to the pandemic and less than 1% during the pandemic, that number jumped to 26% post-pandemic.

All of these encounters may be leading to an exodus of education professionals. 

“Teacher and staff turnover creates additional challenges for schools and students and makes the job more difficult for those who stay,”  said McMahon. 

While teachers reported the highest numbers in all categories, other school personnel were not immune. School psychologists, social workers, counselors, administrators and other school staff reported similar patterns, with threats and incidents of violence decreasing during the pandemic but rebounding to equal or higher levels after restrictions were lifted.

Across all categories, participants also reported notable increases in anxiety and stress during the pandemic, and while levels decreased slightly post-pandemic, they failed to return to pre-pandemic levels.

“These findings point to a desperate need for a comprehensive approach by policymakers to address violence and aggression against educators and build positive and safe schools,” said McMahon. “Educators need to be well trained in addressing psychological, social and emotional needs of students.”

The researchers identified several areas where educators need training, including trauma-informed practices, socioemotional learning approaches, working with diverse groups, de-escalation strategies, and behavior and classroom management. They also recommended district and school leaders engage educators and school personnel in discussions regarding school practices, discipline, placement, staffing and school climate.

Policies should also address supporting the mental and behavioral health of students and educators, the researchers said. 

“Our research has demonstrated that violence and aggression against teachers – from students, parents, colleagues, and administrators – lead to anxiety and stress, which in turn lead to intentions to transfer schools or quit the profession,” said McMahon. “We need to address the entire ecology of the school, as well as engage with parents and communities in order to improve school climate, work environment and student learning.” 

Article: “Violence and Aggression Against Educators and School Personnel, Retention, Stress, and Training Needs: National Survey Results,” by Susan McMahon, PhD, Taylor Swenski, MA, and Kailyn Bare, MA, DePaul University; Frank Worrell, PhD, University of California, Berkeley; Linda Reddy, PhD, and Christopher Dudek, MEd, Rutgers University; Andrew Martinez, PhD, New York Center for Justice Innovation; Dorothy Espelage, PhD, and Alberto Valido, BS, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Ron Astor, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles; and Eric Anderman, PhD, and Andrew Perry, PhD, The Ohio State University. American Psychologist, published online May 30, 2024.

Contact: Susan D. McMahon, PhD, can be contacted via email at smcmahon@depaul.edu or via Russell Dorn, DePaul University Media Relations at rdorn@depaul.edu. 

The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA’s membership includes over 157,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people’s lives.

 

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JOURNAL

American Psychologist

DOI

10.1037/amp0001348 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Survey

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Violence and Aggression Against Educators and School Personnel, Retention, Stress, and Training Needs: National Survey Results

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

30-May-2024

 

Novel vaccine concept generates immune responses that could produce multiple types of HIV broadly neutralizing antibodies

NIH-funded animal model results will inform vaccine development in humans

NIH/NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES

 

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TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROGRAPH OF HIV-1 VIRUS PARTICLES (PINK/TAN) BUDDING AND REPLICATING FROM A SEGMENT OF A CHRONICALLY INFECTED H9 CELL (TEAL). PARTICLES ARE IN VARIOUS STAGES OF MATURITY; ARC/SEMI-CIRCLES ARE IMMATURE PARTICLES THAT HAVE STARTED TO FORM BUT ARE STILL PART OF THE CELL. IMMATURE PARTICLES SLOWLY CHANGE MORPHOLOGY INTO MATURE FORMS AND EXHIBIT THE CLASSIC “CONICAL OR SPHERICAL-SHAPED CORE.” IMAGE CAPTURED AT THE NIAID INTEGRATED RESEARCH FACILITY (IRF) IN FORT DETRICK, MARYLAND.

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CREDIT: NIAID

WHAT:
Using a combination of cutting-edge immunologic technologies, researchers have successfully stimulated animals’ immune systems to induce rare precursor B cells of a class of HIV broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs). The findings, published today in Nature Immunology, are an encouraging, incremental step in developing a preventive HIV vaccine.   

HIV is genetically diverse making the virus difficult to target with a vaccine, but bNAbs may overcome that hurdle because they bind to parts of the virus that remain constant even when it mutates. Germline targeting is an immune system-stimulating approach that guides naïve (precursor) B cells to develop into mature B cells that can produce bNAbs. A class of bNAbs called 10E8 is a priority for HIV vaccine development because it neutralizes a particularly broad range of HIV variants. The 10E8 bNAb binds to a conserved region of the glycoprotein gp41 on HIV’s surface involved in its entry into human immune cells. Designing an immunogen—a molecule used in a vaccine that elicits a specific immune system response—to stimulate production of 10E8 bNAbs has been challenging because that key region of gp41 is hidden in a recessed crevice on HIV’s surface. Prior vaccine immunogens have not generated bNAbs with the physical structure to reach and bind to gp41. 

To address this challenge, the researchers engineered immunogens on nanoparticles that mimic the appearance of a specific part of gp41. They vaccinated rhesus macaque monkeys and mice with those immunogens and elicited specific responses from the 10E8 B cell precursors and induced antibodies that showed signs of maturing into bNAbs that could reach the hidden gp41 region. They observed similar responses when they used mRNA-encoded nanoparticles in mice. The researchers also found that the same immunogens produced B cells that could mature to produce an additional type of gp41-directed bNAb called LN01. Finally, their laboratory analysis of human blood samples found that 10E8-class bNAb precursors occurred naturally in people without HIV, and that their immunogens bound to and isolated naïve human B cells with 10E8-like features. Together these observations suggest that the promising immunization data from mice and macaques has the potential for translation to humans.

The research was conducted by the Scripps Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development, one of two consortia supported by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The research also was supported by collaborating partners including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other NIH Institutes and Offices. According to the authors, these findings support the development of the immunogens as the first part of a multi-step vaccine regimen for humans. Their work further supports research in developing a germline-targeting strategy for priming the immune system to elicit a bNAb called VRC01. This bNAb was discovered by NIAID researchers almost 15 years ago. The goal of this line of research is to develop an HIV vaccine that generates multiple classes of bNAbs to prevent HIV. 

ARTICLE:
Schiffner et al. Vaccination induces broadly neutralizing antibody precursors to HIV gp41. Nature Immunology DOI: 10.1038/s41590-024-01833-w (2024).

WHO: 
Angela Malaspina, program officer in NIAID’s Division of AIDS, is available to discuss this study. 

CONTACT:
To schedule interviews, please contact NIAID News & Science Writing Branch, (301) 402-1663, niaidnews@niaid.nih.gov.

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NIAID conducts and supports research—at NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwide—to study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID website.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit https://www.nih.gov/. 

NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health®

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JOURNAL

Nature Immunology

DOI

10.1038/s41590-024-01833-w 

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are n

 

“Anyone can make products easily in virtual reality” KIMM and LG Electronics join hands to assist the digital transformation of Korean small and medium-sized enterprises

KIMM plans to distribute six (6) variants of “KIMM Cyber Lab,” a convenient virtual engineering platform, to small and medium-sized corporations free of charge

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

 

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DONG-CHEON BAEK, HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF RELIABILITY OF THE KIMM’S VIRTUAL ENGINEERING PLATFORM RESEARCH DIVISION, AND SENIOR RESEARCHER YOUNG-KI KIM OF THE KIMM ARE GIVING AN EXPLANATION ON THE “KIMM-CAD” WHICH ALLOWS FOR 3D DESIGNING.

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CREDIT: KOREA INSTITUTE OF MACHINERY AND MATERIALS (KIMM)

Virtual engineering technology, a critical component of digital transformation, involves using technology to conduct simulation experiments and manufacture products in a virtual setting, which helps save time and costs. In this context, the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (President Seog-Hyeon Ryu, hereinafter referred to as KIMM) is leading the way in expanding its newly developed “virtual engineering platform*” to promote digital transformation among small and medium-sized enterprises that are less advanced in virtual engineering technologies.
*Virtual engineering platform: A virtual engineering platform is a comprehensive software system designed for a range of tasks including design, simulation, analysis, and optimization tasks performed in a virtual environment in the engineering and manufacturing sectors.

The initiative is spearheaded by the research team led by Jong-Won Park, head of DX Strategy Reaserch Center, and Dong-Cheon Baek, head of the Department of Reliability at KIMM’s Virtual Engineering Platform Research Division. The team has effectively developed six (6) variants of the “KIMM Cyber Lab,” a versatile engineering software* program. This program features “KIMM-CAD” for 3D design, “KIMM-Structure” for structural analysis, “KIMM-Flow” for flow analysis, “KIMM-CAM” for CNC path creation, “KIMM-Motion” for multi-body dynamics simulation**, and “KIMM-SYS” for system interpretation.
*Engineering software: An engineering software is a computer program used for performing design, analysis, and simulation tasks in various engineering disciplines.
**Multi-body dynamics simulation: Multi-body dynamics simulation is an engineering method used for predicting the movement of interconnected parts and modules.

Despite the critical role of engineering software in the manufacturing processes of Korean machinery parts manufacturers, about 90 percent of this software is imported. Consequently, small and medium-sized enterprises are hesitant to invest in costly foreign engineering software, the cost of which exceeds KRW 50 million annually*. This reluctance significantly impedes the digital transformation of these companies.
* The cost to introduce one (1) software is approximately KRW 100 million, with an annual repair and maintenance cost ranging from KRW 30 million to 40 million. The software typically has a usage period of five (5) years, bringing the total cost to KRW 250 million over this period.

The open-source solver* which includes six (6) variants of the “KIMM Cyber Lab” developed by the KIMM is freely usable and distributable under its licensing terms. This is poised to significantly advance the digital transformation of Korean small and medium-sized enterprises. To date, the KIMM has assisted companies on 214 occasions, saving an average of KRW 16 million in development costs and reducing the development timeline by approximately three (3) months.
* Solver: A solver is an algorithm or software designed to solve problems by optimizing a goal within the given constraints.

The “KIMM Cyber Lab” software performs with 95 percent accuracy, matching the capabilities of costly foreign software. It will be distributed free of charge to small and medium-sized enterprises. Going forward, the KIMM intends to introduce an annual subscription fee for companies requiring ongoing technical support.

This research was facilitated by the virtual engineering platform construction project of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT). The project focuses on the “establishment of a theme for reliability prediction and verification of electric and hydrogen vehicle mechatronics modules using digital twin three-stage technologies.”

Meanwhile, on May 30, 2024 (Thursday), at LG Smart Park located in Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, the KIMM will sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with LG Electronics Inc. (Representative Director Joo-Wan Cho) and LG Electronics’ H&A Research Center (Center Head Sai-Kee Oh) for the utilization and expansion of virtual engineering platforms, with Industry Policy Deputy Minister Seung-Ryeol Lee of the MOTIE and Vice President Chan-Young Lee of the KIAT attending the signing ceremony. The KIMM and LG Electronics have agreed to introduce the “KIMM Cyber Lab” and continue mutual cooperation to bolster the competitiveness of the domestic machinery industry and accelerate technological innovation for digital transformation.

The key points of the MOU are as follows: ▲ Joint verification and technology advancement of the “KIMM Cyber Lab” for the improvement of virtual engineering technologies; ▲ Development of best practices for the provision of customized solutions for industrial sites; and ▲Mutual sharing and maintenance of confidentiality of the information necessary for the application of the “KIMM Cyber Lab.”

President Seog-Hyeon Ryu of the KIMM remarked, “This initiative presents an excellent opportunity to promote the adoption of locally developed software by first integrating it within major corporations. Subsequently, this will facilitate the distribution of the software to small and medium-sized enterprises in the materials, parts, and equipment sectors via a trickle-down effect.” President Ryu further noted, “Through our collaboration with LG Electronics, we are committed to fostering a symbiotic relationship that also benefits small and medium-sized businesses.”

(From left to right) Virtual design screens of “KIMM-Flow,” “KIMM-CAM,” “KIMM-CAD,” and “KIMM-Structure” of “KIMM Cyber Lab”

CREDIT

Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM)

The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) is a non-profit government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT. Since its foundation in 1976, KIMM is contributing to economic growth of the nation by performing R&D on key technologies in machinery and materials, conducting reliability test evaluation, and commercializing the developed products and technologies.

This research was facilitated by the virtual engineering platform construction project of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT). The project focuses on the “establishment of a theme for reliability prediction and verification of electric and hydrogen vehicle mechatronics modules using digital twin three-stage technologies.”