Can we leverage research being conducted in engineering and medicine to create commercially viable solutions?

Astronauts on long Mars missions will face serious mental health challenges—isolation, confinement, disrupted sleep, and months of communication delays with Earth. At the same time, millions of people on Earth struggle with depression, anxiety, and limited access to mental health care. This research explores an innovative two-way exchange: how can we share mental health technologies between space and Earth to help both groups?

Scientists have developed a breakthrough optical technology by combining silicon with a special crystal called barium titanate (BTO). This innovation could transform both high-speed data transmission and chemical detection. Traditional silicon optical devices have major limitations: silicon can’t easily control light with electrical signals, and existing designs only work in narrow wavelength ranges. This new platform solves both problems. The BTO crystal layer enables ultra-fast optical switching, while remaining transparent across a much broader range of mid-infrared light than previous technologies.

Thyroid cancer diagnosis currently relies on fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsies, which have significant limitations: 21% false-negative rates and 30% indeterminate results that often lead to repeat biopsies, expensive molecular testing, and unnecessary surgeries. This creates substantial physical, psychological, and financial burdens for patients. Researchers have developed an AI-powered solution using second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy—a label-free imaging technique that detects cancer by revealing changes in collagen structure around thyroid tissue.