Virtual game day? UGA study explores sports in the metaverse

Interacting with others, unique virtual experiences valued in shared digital spaces

University of Georgia

Virtual reality and the metaverse are setting the stage for new ways to watch sporting events. A new study from the University of Georgia suggests that users value the unique virtual interactions with others offered by digital events.

The metaverse refers to digital shared spaces that operate in real time. It’s highly immersive and allows people from all over the world to interact in the same virtual space.

The study focused on a metaverse-based stream of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, how it was viewed by participants and what would drive them to join a similar event again.

It’s an experience you cannot get in real life …. the metaverse allows more people to access this type of content.” —Sam Chen, College of Education

The researchers found that spectators enjoyed interacting with others, the ability to easily change seats and locations and customizing their avatars. Metaverse-based events were also easier to join than those in real life.

“It’s an experience you cannot get in real life because that’s the World Cup, right? It’s very expensive if you want to get front-row tickets,” said Sam Chen, lead author of the study and doctoral student at UGA’s Mary Frances Early College of Education. “This immersive feature of the metaverse allows more people to access this type of content.”

Connecting with others a major draw of the metaverse

Participants watched the World Cup in a virtual stadium and saw the players on the field, mirroring the experience of watching the game in real life.

But in the metaverse, users could also switch seats or move to other locations, such as a virtual sports bar. That’s typically not an option at in-person events.

The researchers found that interacting with others in the metaverse was the most important thing to participants.

“In the metaverse, we can communicate and use our own voice, and the people nearby will hear,” said Chen. “We can also communicate by typing text or emojis, and other users can see those above our avatars. And we can communicate via our avatar’s body language, such as waves.”

The ability to communicate with others in the experience was a driving force for participants who said they would participate in similar events in the future.

Users also enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect with distant friends and build new friendships in the virtual space.

Spectators can watch events in ways they can’t in the real world

Metaverse-based events let people experience sports in new ways, not only through communication but through the digital space itself.

When going to an event in real life, audiences are bound to the ticket they’ve purchased. Attendees can only sit in their assigned seat, and they often aren’t able to reenter the venue if they leave.

In the metaverse, users can sit wherever they wish in the stadium and even go on the field.

“They can take a selfie with their avatar and their favorite player,” said Chen. “This kind of experience you cannot get from other online digital platforms.”

Participants can also change environments rather than staying in the stadium. If they wanted to go to another location to watch the game, they could leave at any time and return to the stadium later.

And users can customize their avatars, such as having their virtual figure wear their favorite team’s jersey. This increases fans’ sense of belonging and engagement.

The experience is as important as the game

Previous research on sporting events suggested that the game itself was the main factor driving attendance. If the game was enjoyable, researchers thought participants would be more likely to come back for another one in the future.

But the present study suggests that in the metaverse, the game itself may no longer be the primary motivator for attendance; instead, organizers must focus on the entire user experience.

“Users expect more than the game itself in the metaverse,” said Chen. “The environment of the metaverse — like the use of avatars, the virtual interactions, the stream quality — they’re all equally important as the core product.”

The study was published in Sport Management Review and co-authored by James J. Zhang of UGA’s Department of Kinesiology.

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Journal

Sport Management Review

DOI

10.1080/14413523.2024.2401640 

Article Title

Market demand for metaverse-based sporting events: a mixed-methods approach

 

Spanish-language social media increases Latinos’ vulnerability to misinformation

University of California - San Diego

A new study shows that Latinos who rely on Spanish-language social media for news are significantly more likely to believe false political narratives than those who consume English-language content. The research – published in PNAS Nexus and led by political scientists at the University of California San Diego and New York University – highlights growing concerns over misinformation targeting Spanish-speaking communities in the United States.

“Latino voters are heavily courted in U.S. elections, and there has been much speculation on the reasons behind their increase in Republican support in the 2024 Presidential contest. Understanding their news and information sources on social media, especially as it pertains to political misinformation, is an important factor to consider, ” said Marisa Abrajano, the study’s corresponding author and a professor of political science at UC San Diego.  “Our study, which we believe to be the largest of its kind to examine Latinos’ self-reported social media behaviors, finds that Spanish-speaking Latinos who access their news on social media are more vulnerable to political misinformation than those who use English-language social media.”

The research team, convened by NYU’s Center for Social Media and Politics (CSMaP), surveyed more than 1,100 Latino Facebook and Instagram users in the United States. The team offered participants a small monetary incentive to join the study, and included English-dominant, bilingual and Spanish-dominant respondents. The participants were tested on their belief in seven false political narratives, including the claim that Venezuela is intentionally sending criminals to the U.S., the claim that the majority of Planned Parenthood clinics closed after Roe v. Wade was overturned, and the claim that the COVID-19 vaccine makes breast milk dangerous to infants.

The results reveal that Latinos who use Spanish-language social media for their news were between 11 to 20 percentage points more likely to believe in these false stories compared to those who rely on English-language platforms. The relationship persisted even when controlling for factors such as the primary language spoken at home, and the findings remained robust even after testing for acquiescence bias, where respondents might agree with survey statements regardless of their truth.

“While there's been widespread concern about the prevalence of Spanish-language misinformation on social media, our study is the first to empirically demonstrate its impact on political knowledge among Latino communities in the United States,” said Jonathan Nagler, co-author of the paper and co-director of NYU's CSMaP. “We've established a crucial link between the consumption of Spanish-language social media and a less informed electorate. This research fills a critical gap in our understanding of how misinformation affects different linguistic communities and highlights the urgent need for more robust fact-checking and content moderation in Spanish-language social media spaces.”

Additional insights on WhatsApp and YouTube

In a related study forthcoming in the journal Political Research Quarterly, Abrajano, Nagler and colleagues show that Latino online political engagement is very similar to that of non-Hispanic whites across major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X, formerly Twitter.

WhatsApp, however, stands out as a unique space for Latino users, who engage in political conversations on the platform far more often than non-Hispanic whites. Latinos rely on WhatsApp as a daily source for sharing news, discussing politics, and staying updated, highlighting its importance in Latino political digital life.

This study, based on a survey of 2,326 U.S.-based Latinos and 769 non-Hispanic whites, also used digital trace data – information that reflects real online behaviors, such as which social media accounts people follow or what videos they watch. This data helps researchers understand not just what people self-report about their online behaviors but what they actually do.

Findings from the digital trace data showed that both Latinos and whites frequently turn to YouTube for political news, raising concerns about misinformation given YouTube’s challenges with content moderation.

Spanish-speaking Latinos were also found to engage frequently with Spanish-language political pages from Latin America, creating a unique cross-border information environment.

The combined research findings have serious implications for U.S. democracy, the authors conclude. Their work also highlights the need for additional research efforts on how Latino news consumption helps to explain their political attitudes and beliefs.

The research is part of CSMaP's Bilingual Election Monitor, a project supported by Craig Newmark Philanthropies, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and NYU's Office of the Provost and Global Institute for Advanced Study.

In addition to Abrajano and Nagler, co-authors of the PNAS Nexus and PRQ studies are: Marianna Garcia from UC San Diego; Aaron Pope, formerly of CSMaP and now at the University of Copenhagen; Robert Vidigal, formerly of CSMaP and now at Vanderbilt University; and Joshua A. Tucker, co-director of CSMaP.

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Journal

PNAS Nexus

DOI

10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae442 

Method of Research

Survey

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

How reliance on Spanish-language social media predicts beliefs in false political narratives amongst Latinos

Study reveals importance of student-teacher relationships in early childhood education

Researchers explored data from one of the first nationally representative samples in the United States

Society for Research in Child Development

Are student-teacher relationships critical to early childhood education? With roughly 33 million students enrolled in public elementary school education throughout the United States, (National Center for Education Statistics, 2022), there is an acute need to more comprehensively understand the ways in which children’s development can be promoted through student-teacher relationships.  

In a new Child Development study, researchers at The Ohio State University and University of Pennsylvania explored the significance of student-teacher relationships between kindergarten and third grade. Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Kindergarten Class of 2010-2011, a nationally representative sample of approximately 14,370 children in the United States (51% Male; 51% White; 14% Black; 25% Hispanic; 4% Asian; 6% Other), researchers examined whether student-teacher relationships, as measured by closeness and conflict, matter more in specific grades, last over the early elementary school years, and have accumulating effects over time. The outcomes of these relationships included students’ achievement, absenteeism, executive function, and social behavioral development. Additionally, this study considered whether different groups of students benefit more or less from these relationships. 

To address their study questions, researchers used data from the surveys administered to parents and teachers along with direct assessments of students between kindergarten and third grade. Kindergarten through third grade was focused on because teachers in fourth and fifth grade did not report on their relationships with students. The findings show that the quality of relationships between students and teachers between kindergarten and third grade may have a significant benefit for children’s overall early learning and development. There was also evidence that these relationships matter across the early elementary school years and have cumulative effects over time. All of the children benefited from a close rapport with their teachers and girls tended to fare worse socially than boys when faced with conflict and less closeness in their teacher relationships. 

Findings from the study highlight the importance of student-teacher relationships for children’s development during the early elementary school years and provide valuable information for teachers, school administrators, families and researchers. 

The Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) had the opportunity to discuss this research with Dr. Arya Ansari, Associate Professor in the College of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University.  

SRCD: What led you to study the quality of student – teacher relationships in early childhood education?  

Dr. Arya Ansari: The topic of student-teacher relationships has received a great deal of attention in developmental and educational research. Despite this attention, there has been no nationally representative investigation into the cumulative, timing-specific, and enduring outcomes of these relationships. Additionally, previous research has often overlooked the patterns that emerge across different grade levels and important outcomes, resulting in a lack of comprehensive insight into the importance of these relationships and how they may vary among different populations. Accordingly, we viewed this study as an important next step toward filling these gaps in knowledge.

SRCD: Could you please expand upon the significance of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Kindergarten Class of 2010-2011? 

Dr. Arya Ansari: The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Kindergarten Class of 2010-2011 (ECLS-K) is one of the few longitudinal and nationally representative samples of children in the United States, providing much needed insight into the home and school experiences of young children between kindergarten and fifth grade. The ECLS-K is a critical resource for understanding the role of student-teacher relationships in the early learning and development of young children. By providing regular information on children’s relationships and outcomes, the ECLS-K can be used to pinpoint effective points of intervention that can enhance relationships among students and teachers.

SRCD: How can these findings be useful for teachers, school administrators, families and researchers?

Dr. Arya Ansari: The results of this study have several potential implications for teachers, administrators, families, and researchers. For teachers, our findings underscore the importance of developing strong connections with students across the early elementary school years. By recognizing the importance of a close and conflict free relationship, teachers can better support student success. For administrators, our findings highlight the importance of supporting teachers so that they have the time and space to cultivate stronger relationships with students. For families, our findings highlight the importance of collaborating with teachers to better support their children. Finally, for researchers, our findings provide a basis for continued exploration into the different aspects of relationships that shape student learning, and how these relationships may vary across populations and contexts.

SRCD: Were you surprised by any of the findings? 

Dr. Arya Ansari: The most surprising finding is the consistency with which student-teacher relationships mattered for a broad range of outcomes across different student populations, both in the short- and long-term. We were also surprised that relationships formed as early as kindergarten matter for development not only in that year, but through the end of third grade. Moreover, these early connections significantly influence not only academic achievement, but also social and emotional development and executive functioning skills, which are critical for educational success.

SRCD: How can teachers strengthen their relationships with young children, particularly young girls who rely on this close relationship to help develop socially?

Dr. Arya Ansari: Teachers can strengthen their relationships with young children, and in particular young girls, in several ways. Teachers should try to create an environment of open communication and actively listen to their students. Additionally, showing empathy and understanding by validating emotions, encouraging collaboration, and personalizing interactions based on individual student interests can help build stronger connections. At the same time, however, it is important that we provide teachers with the support needed to allow them to develop these stronger and more individualized relationships. 

SRCD: What’s next in this field of research? 

Dr. Arya Ansari: We need more information on what contributes to closer and less conflictual relationships between students and teachers and how that drives student achievement and social-emotional development. Identifying these factors is critical so we can develop more targeted interventions and strategies that address the unique needs of different student groups. 

Summarized from an article in Child Development, “The Cumulative, Timing-Specific, and Enduring Associations Between Student—Teacher Relationships and Early Elementary Outcomes” by Ansari, A., Buckley, M.N., (The Ohio State University) and Woods, S.C., Gottfried, M. (University of Pennsylvania). Copyright 2024 The Society for Research in Child Development. All rights reserved. 

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Journal

Child Development

DOI

10.1111/cdev.14177 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

The cumulative, timing-specific, and enduring associations between student–teacher relationships and early elementary outcomes

Article Publication Date

20-Nov-2024

 SOCIAL ORIGINS OF MENTAL HEALTH

Do area-wide social and environmental factors affect individuals’ risk of cognitive impairment?

Wiley

Research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society has identified several community-level factors that may increase people’s risk of experiencing cognitive impairment.

In the study of 2,830 dementia-free US individuals aged 65+ years, 23.2% of participants were categorized as having mild cognitive impairment. People who lived in areas with higher neighborhood disadvantage, higher air pollution, higher homicide rate, and less greenspace had elevated odds of having mild cognitive impairment. Completing schooling in a Southern US state was also associated with a greater likelihood of mild cognitive impairment. After adjusting for age, race, sex, and education level, the link between mild cognitive impairment and higher neighborhood disadvantage remained statistically significant.

“As clinicians and researchers, we routinely consider older adults’ individual risk factors for cognitive impairment, but we also need to consider the influence of the social and environmental factors where they live and work.  If planners and policymakers want to reduce disease burden in our communities, they too need to take into account the social determinants of health,” said corresponding author Mary Ganguli, MD, MPH, of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jgs.19251

 

Additional Information
NOTE: The information contained in this release is protected by copyright. Please include journal attribution in all coverage. For more information or to obtain a PDF of any study, please contact: Sara Henning-Stout, newsroom@wiley.com.

About the Journal
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society is the go-to journal for clinical aging research. We provide a diverse, interprofessional community of healthcare professionals with the latest insights on geriatrics education, clinical practice, and public policy — all supporting the high-quality, person-centered care essential to our well-being as we age.

About Wiley      
Wiley is one of the world’s largest publishers and a trusted leader in research and learning. Our industry-leading content, services, platforms, and knowledge networks are tailored to meet the evolving needs of our customers and partners, including researchers, students, instructors, professionals, institutions, and corporations. We empower knowledge-seekers to transform today’s biggest obstacles into tomorrow’s brightest opportunities. For more than two centuries, Wiley has been delivering on its timeless mission to unlock human potential. Visit us at Wiley.com. Follow us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.

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Journal

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

DOI

10.1111/jgs.19251 

Article Title

Social Determinates of Health and Mild Cognitive Impairment in a Diverse Community Sample

Article Publication Date

20-Nov-2024

Empowering global solutions: Universities lead the charge in entrepreneurship and sustainability

 STATE CAPITALI$M EVOLVES INTO WOKE CAPITALI$M

Zhejiang University

A recent study emphasizes the critical role of entrepreneurship education within universities as a catalyst for addressing urgent global challenges. By integrating the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their curricula, higher education institutions are uniquely positioned to foster innovation and cultivate the skills necessary for students to become effective change agents. This research underscores the potential of university-wide entrepreneurial initiatives to drive societal progress in areas such as climate change mitigation, poverty reduction, and technological advancement.

We live in an era marked by both extraordinary challenges and opportunities. As climate change intensifies, poverty and inequality persist, and AI raises new ethical dilemmas, our world demands innovative solutions. Despite technological advancements and global interconnectedness, traditional university education often fails to prepare students to take meaningful action. Higher education systems must evolve to teach skills that drive social and environmental impact. Faced with these challenges, researchers stress the need to reimagine how universities teach entrepreneurship, making it a force for global good.

On August 31, 2024, Fernando M. Reimers and his research team at Harvard Graduate School of Education published a transformative study (DOI: 10.1007/s41959-024-00127-4) in Entrepreneurship Education. The research examines how embedding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into entrepreneurship programs can transform universities into hubs of real-world innovation. It showcases a vision where students are empowered to become changemakers, tackling crises like climate change and poverty with entrepreneurial vigor. By combining academic rigor with hands-on experiences, these programs are laying the foundation for a new era of impactful, socially-embedded higher education.

The study paints a vivid picture of how universities can reinvent themselves to address humanity’s greatest challenges. At the heart of this transformation is the idea of university-wide entrepreneurship education inspired by the SDGs. Institutions like Amrita University in India immerse students in real-life challenges, requiring them to apply their skills in rural health projects or renewable energy initiatives. Tec de Monterrey’s strategy of integrating SDGs into every aspect of campus life exemplifies this shift, aligning student projects with pressing societal needs.
Harvard’s President’s Innovation Challenge offers another inspiring narrative. Students from diverse fields collaborate on groundbreaking projects, from developing sustainable agricultural practices to creating educational tech solutions. This interdisciplinary approach emphasizes learning beyond textbooks, preparing students to lead impactful change. Yet, the research highlights a major gap: in Asia, universities still struggle to provide effective, hands-on entrepreneurial training. The story here is clear—by embracing university-wide initiatives and embedding sustainability, higher education can transform students into the innovators our world needs.

Fernando M. Reimers, a leading voice in global education reform, shares, “The stakes have never been higher. Universities have the chance to redefine education, nurturing leaders ready to tackle crises head-on. Integrating the SDGs into entrepreneurship education isn’t just a curriculum update—it’s a call to action. When students are empowered to create solutions that impact lives, we lay the foundation for a better, more equitable world.”

The study’s implications reach far and wide. Universities that adopt SDG-driven entrepreneurship education can spark innovations in crucial sectors, from sustainable technology to public health. Imagine graduates launching startups that provide clean energy to underprivileged communities or developing platforms that improve social equity. This transformation in higher education goes beyond academic achievement; it cultivates a generation ready to shape the world. The research calls on universities to act boldly, making education a catalyst for sustainable change and empowering students to dream, create, and lead.

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References

DOI

10.1007/s41959-024-00127-4

Original Source URL

https://doi.org/10.1007/s41959-024-00127-4

Funding information

The financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (#42430107 and #42250710150), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2022YFC3104903), Fujian Satellite Data Development, Co., Ltd., and Fujian Haisi Digital Technology Co., Ltd. We thank NASA for the distribution of SeaWiFS and MODIS ocean color products. Comments and suggestions from 2 anonymous reviewers are greatly appreciated.

About Entrepreneurship Education

This journal is dedicated to exchanging the latest academic research and practical findings on various aspects of entrepreneurship education. It serves as a forum for the exchange of ideas among academic researchers, policy makers, and entrepreneurs, in order to explore practical experience and summarize theoretical reflections. The journal draws on high-quality work in social sciences, particularly in education, with an interdisciplinary and peer-reviewed approach. The journal primarily focuses on entrepreneurship education with a wide spectrum of sub-fields such as innovative education, technical and vocational education and training, maker education, lifelong learning and skill development, social entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial universities, curriculum and instruction, policy and governance. We welcome original research, review article, book review, and other types of manuscripts based on the method of international and comparison, policy analysis, case study, quantitative and qualitative study, etc.

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Journal

Entrepreneurship Education

DOI

10.1007/s41959-024-00127-4 

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Entrepreneurship education to improve the world: The role of the sustainable development goals to stimulate innovation in higher education

 

Researchers eliminate the gritty mouth feel: How to make it easier to eat fiber-rich foods

Peer-Reviewed Publication

University of Copenhagen - Faculty of Science

 

image: 

Coated fiber particle seen through a microscope

view more 

Credit: Gabriele D'Oria

Fiber is something that most of us get far too little of. To change that, we need to actually enjoy eating it. Food researchers from the University of Copenhagen have now invented a "disguise" that solves the problem of the dry and gritty mouth feel of fibers.

Think of how it would be to drink a juice with wheat bran in it – you may imagine an unpleasant gritty sensation which would make you less prone to enjoy it.

Unfortunately, this feeling is often associated with insoluble dietary fibers. Those are the kind of fibers found in e.g. wheat bran, vegetables, and whole grains. The unfortunate feeling is a problem as the majority of the world’s population doesn’t consume enough fibers, which are crucial for our bodies. This negatively affects human health in several ways. For example, fibers help prevent cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and colon cancer. In fact, a lack of fiber intake leads to roughly one million deaths annually.

“If we don't like it, we don't eat it. It's that simple. And no one would enjoy eating grainy flour – but that's roughly what the sensation of insoluble dietary fibers often produces, especially added to  more liquid foods like  yogurt, juices and beverages,” says Professor Lilia Ahrné of the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Food Science.

While insoluble fibers work well in breads, there are many other types of products where this isn’t the case. This is due to the dry (similar to the sensation known from red wine and green tea) and grainy-like feeling in the mouth that most people find unappetizing.

“This is why there is such a limited selection of fiber-rich foods and beverages. And that’s why it’s important to figure out how to incorporate fibers into more foods without causing a bad eating experience. The more variety there is in fiber-rich products, the greater the likelihood that people will increase their fiber intake. And now, we have a potential solution,” says Lilia Ahrné.

From rough to velvet

Ahrné and a team of research colleagues from both Denmark and other countries have developed a way to 'disguise' fibers, by making them – quite literally – more palatable.

Inspired by foods like chia seeds, which are naturally enveloped in a soft, gel-like layer, the researchers encapsulated pea cell-wall fibers in a gel that forms a soft coating around the fiber particles.

“The gel coating makes the fibers feel velvety, like cream on the tongue, where you can't feel the individual particles because the gel prevents contact between the particles and the tongue. Since the gel is at least as soft as tongue tissue, it doesn’t trigger the sensory receptors, and we don’t perceive the gritty texture,” explains Gabriele D’Oria, former PhD student at the Department of Food Science, now postdoctoral researcher at INRAE - Université Paris-Saclay and first author of the research article on the study.

The gel-coated particles were put to the test with a trained tasting panel, where the results demonstrated that the test subjects perceived up to 52% less fibers, while the gel reduced the sensation of grittiness by 42% and dryness in the mouth by 36%.

“We have now demonstrated that gel coating works. The gel can be refined and adjusted depending on the purpose. And in principle, the method can be used for all types of foods and beverages,” says Gabriele D’Oria.

The gel is both flavor- and odor-free and is based on gellan gum, which is produced by bacteria and already deployed in the production of foods for other purposes. Furthermore, the process is also quick and simple.

“In lab trials, it took me seven minutes to produce thousands of coated fiber particles. And this can definitely be upscaled once operating on a larger scale. One could imagine giant silos producing tons of coated fiber particles,” says Gabriele D’Oria.

Beneficial for elder health – and climate

In the long run, the researchers hope that the idea could help solve an increasingly widespread health dilemma:

“We are dealing with a global nutritional issue that will only grow as the world’s population ages. Elderly people who consume too little fiber are more prone to, among other things, digestive issues, unintended weight loss and general frailty. Therefore, there will be a need to develop fiber-rich products that people actually want to eat,” says Lilia Ahrné.

The researchers believe that it makes sense to use gel coating in liquid foods like juice and drinkable yogurt.

Furthermore, the camouflaged fibers have the potential to become a climate-friendly diet option, as Ahrné points out:

“We are all aware of the need to shift to more plant-based diets. If we can understand how to address the negative experiences of eating dietary fibers, we can better utilize fiber-rich by-products, such as bran from grains, in a sustainable way.”

  

Gel coated fibers 

Credit

Gabriele D'Oria

WE EAT TOO LITTLE FIBER

• In its Official Dietary Guidelines, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration recommends that people consume at least 75 grams of whole grains per day. In 2019, 56% of the Danish population met this recommendation.
• A major study from 2017 shows that out of the 11 million people who died that year due to nutritional factors, low whole grain intake accounted for one million of the deaths (source: Health effects of dietary risks in 195 countries, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 - ScienceDirect).
• The study, which covers 195 countries, also shows that on average, fiber intake was below 25 grams per day in all regions.

 

ABOUT THE STUDY

• The research article about the study has been published in the journal Food Hydrocolloids.
• The project has received support from Nestlé.

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Journal

Food Hydrocolloids

DOI

10.1016/j.foodhyd.2024.110366 

Article Title

Designing gel coatings for oral soft perception of fiber particles

 

Light-altering paint for greenhouses could help lengthen the fruit growing season in the UK

University of Bath

 

video: 

Professor Petra Cameron from the University of Bath explains the new technology.

view more 

Credit: University of Bath

Researchers in the UK have developed a new spray coating for greenhouses that optimises the wavelength of light shining onto the plants, improving their growth and yield. The technology could in the future help extend the growing seasons in less sunny countries like the UK in a more sustainable way.

Since the growing season in the UK is relatively short due to its climate and latitude, we rely on European imports for most of our fruit and vegetables, grown in vast artificially lit greenhouses, which use huge amounts of electricity.

Now scientists at the Universities of Bath and Cambridge, working with commercial partner Lambda Agri, have developed a spray coating for greenhouses that could help UK farmers to produce more crops in the future using the same or less energy.

The development is being heavily backed with two UK Government grants, including a DEFRA project worth £500k and a second project worth £750k within DESNZ’s Net Zero Innovation Portfolio.

Photosynthesis – the process used by plants to capture sunlight and use the energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugars – is most efficient at the wavelength of red light. Green light is the least efficient which is why plants don’t absorb it and so appear green.

Sunlight is a mixture of all the colour spectrum so much of the light that shines on plants is not used.

The new spray coats existing greenhouse glass like a varnish; this layer absorbs blue light from sunlight and converts it to red light, increasing the fraction of red light that can be used by the plants which increases the crop yield.

More sustainable technologies

Whilst other researchers in the USA have previously achieved an increase in growth using similar technologies, they use rare earth materials such as indium. This metal is used in phone screens but is very expensive and difficult to recycle.

The Bath/Cambridge collaboration with Lambda Agri have replaced indium with a patent-pending lower cost, more abundant material.

In addition, they can make the materials using a chemical flow reactor, speeding up the manufacture process and making it more easily scalable.

Sweeter fruit

Professor Petra Cameron, from the University of Bath’s Institute of Sustainability and Climate Change (ISCC), said: “The way our coating works is similar to when you go to a night club and your gin and tonic drink glows under the UV light – the quinine chemical in the tonic water is absorbing the UV and re-emitting it as visible light.

“Our coating contains molecules that absorb UV light from the sun and converts around 80-90% of it into red light, making photosynthesis more efficient, meaning we can grow more with less light.

“In field trials we’ve seen a nine per cent increase in crop yield when growing basil in treated greenhouses.

“This means our technology could in the future be used to extend the growing seasons for produce and use less artificial light to get the same results, saving money and reducing the associated carbon emissions.

“As well as changing the wavelength of the light coming into the greenhouse, the coating also scatters the light, which also increases the yield.

“There is even some evidence that suggests it improves the taste by raising the sugar content in the fruit.”

Professor Dominic Wright from the University of Cambridge, Inorganic and Materials Section in Chemistry, said: “This is a nice application of fundamental molecular science to an important, real-world problem, one that is particularly important in regards to the backdrop of food security and global warming.

“There is a very real prospect of this having a significant impact on the availability and cost of soft fruit and salad vegetables for consumers in the future, especially in northern European countries like the UK where the weather conditions are far from ideal.”

Dr Monica Saavedra, from Lambda Agri, said: "Lambda stands for fighting food poverty, sustainably. The UK is already suffering from climate change, which is why the UK Government is heavily funding and supporting our mission. Both Cambridge University, where we are currently based, and the University of Bath are strong collaborators and share our vision.”

The team has submitted a patent for the technology and published their research in the journal Advanced Materials Technologies. They hope to make the technology commercially available for growers in a few years.

Growth of plants in greenhouses sprayed with the paint (right) was compared with that of plants in untreated greenhouses (left).

Credit

Lambda Agri

Journal

Advanced Materials Technologies

DOI

10.1002/admt.202400977 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Transparent, Sprayable Plastic Films for Luminescent Down-Shifted-Assisted Plant Growth