In the COCOBIN project, coordinated by the University of Oulu, coating materials are being developed from suberin, a natural compound found, for example, in birch bark. In plants, suberin acts as a protective layer and prevents the loss of water. Up to 1,500 meters of a bio-based coating material prototype have been produced at semi-pilot scale.

The transition to electric vehicles in Brazil and Mexico has been driven by domestic politics and global pressures, a new study says. Decisions have been made in both countries shaped by factors beyond emissions, costs or efficiency.

The elevator display reads "433", the number of meters below ground. The doors slide open, revealing the entrance to what is expected to be the world's first permanent repository for radioactive spent nuclear fuel.