Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Archer’s biochip design validated by commercial foundry partner  Fabless semiconductor company Archer Materials has had its advanced graphene field effect transistor (gFET) chip design validated by an unnamed commercial foundry partner in the Netherlands with a whole four-inch wafer run. The new gFET device designs have been fabricated and the foundry process was successful, according…

UQ team works towards commercialisiation of plastics that break down in seawater

Researchers from The University of Queensland are developing novel plastic that the university says is affordable, can biodegrade in seawater, and could provide a solution to waste issues. According to a statement from UQ on Thursday, Dr Ruirui Qiao from the university’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology is leading work with AIBN colleague Professor…

We urgently need $100bn for renewable energy. But call it statecraft, not ‘industry policy’

By Elizabeth Thurbon, UNSW Sydney; Alexander M. Hynd, UNSW Sydney, and Hao Tan, University of Newcastle This week, a diverse group of organisations called on the Australian federal government to establish a A$100 billion, ten-year policy package to turbocharge Australia’s green energy transition. Proposed by groups including the Australian Council of Trade Unions, Australian Conservation…

Study shows black phosphorous nanoflakes promising against superbugs in wound care, devices

A study led by RMIT University and University of South Australia has shown the effectiveness of black phosphorus-based nanotechnology in battling “superbugs”, pointing the way to possible adoption in wound care products and implants. In a statement from UniSA on Thursday, the “nano-thin superbug-slaying material” is described as “effective against a broad range of drug-resistant…

RMIT student wins James Dyson Award for new electric motor retrofit solution 

RMIT University Sustainable Systems Engineering and Industrial Design student Alexander Burton has been named national winner of the James Dyson Award competition for his REVR invention, a retrofit allowing the simplified conversion of an internal combustion engine car into hybrid-electric. According to a statement from the James Dyson Foundation on Wednesday, REVR (Rapid Electric Vehicle…