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Nuclear Technology Aids Pest Control: Sterile Insect Technique Achieves Results in Multiple Countries

The application of nuclear technology is not limited to power generation and heating. In areas such as agricultural pest control, animal health, and disease vector management, the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) based on cobalt-60 gamma rays is playing an important role. The core approach of SIT involves mass-rearing target pests in specialized facilities, separating males, and then irradiating them with a cobalt-60 gamma ray source. The radiation causes DNA breaks in the reproductive cells of male insects, leaving them able to fly and mate with wild females but unable to produce viable offspring. As large numbers of sterile males are continuously released, the proportion of ineffective matings in the wild population increases, pest numbers decline generation after generation, and under certain conditions...

2026-08-13

Study Reveals Three-Dimensional Pore Networks Inside Uranium-Zirconium Metallic Nuclear Fuel

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in collaboration with Idaho National Laboratory (INL), conducted three-dimensional imaging studies on irradiated uranium-10 zirconium metallic fuel, revealing the internal pore networks within the fuel and their relationship with chemical changes and fuel-cladding interactions. The researchers believe these results will help improve metallic fuel performance models, providing references for extending the operating cycles of certain reactors and for the design of next-generation sodium-cooled fast reactor fuel systems. Uranium-10 zirconium (U-10Zr) is a uranium-zirconium alloy metallic fuel containing 10% zirconium, which has been extensively tested in sodium-cooled fast reactors such as Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) and the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF). As advanced reactor research and development progresses, this type of metallic fuel has regained attention, but the details of pore formation, swelling, heat transfer, and interactions with cladding materials under reactor irradiation conditions still require further clarification.

2026-08-13

Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee Demands Enhanced Security for Energy and Nuclear Facilities

On August 12, Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAK) held a meeting chaired by Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Federal Security Service, to discuss security issues at transportation, fuel-energy complex, and nuclear energy industrial facilities. The Committee emphasized the need to strengthen comprehensive security safeguards and respond more effectively to sabotage and terrorist threats. The meeting proposed that protecting energy and nuclear industrial facilities should not remain at the institutional level alone, but rather should develop more targeted priority tasks based on evolving actual risks. Damage to fuel-energy systems and nuclear industrial facilities could affect the stability of energy supply and trigger broader security risks, which is why their level of protection is regarded as...

2026-08-13

US Valion Bio Initiates Safety Study of Entolimod for Radiation-Induced Gastrointestinal Injury

US biotechnology company Valion Bio announced on August 12 that the safety study of its investigational therapeutic candidate Entolimod for radiation-induced gastrointestinal injury is scheduled to commence this week. The study is being advanced by the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI) under a contract with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), as part of a government-funded research program. According to the company's disclosure, Entolimod has been delivered to AFRRI, the study has received approval from the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), and the experimental animals are currently in the pre-dosing acclimation phase. The safety study will confirm the tolerability of Entolimod in the animal strain used by AFRRI...

2026-08-13

Czech Republic Proposes Amendments to Low-Carbon Act, Key Dukovany Nuclear Contracts May Exit Public Registry

The Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade recently published a draft amendment to the Low-Carbon Act, proposing adjustments to the Act on Measures for the Transition to Low-Carbon Energy and related energy laws and contract registration regulations. On the surface, this legislative change is primarily aimed at unifying the support mechanisms, contract signing procedures, and compensation settlement rules for new nuclear power projects. However, the most notable change is that certain key contracts involving the construction and financial support of nuclear power units may no longer be required to be disclosed in the public contract registration system. The draft proposes the "compensation mechanism contract" as the basic model for supporting new nuclear projects, with a nature similar to a bilateral contract for difference—providing compensation when market electricity prices fall below agreed levels, and requiring repayment or settlement when prices exceed agreed levels.

2026-08-13

Vietnam accelerates nuclear power workforce training, Ninh Thuan 1 project targets commercial operation in 2037-2038

On the afternoon of August 12, Vietnam's Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Quang Hung held a working meeting with Vietnam Electricity (EVN) to focus on the implementation of human resource training plans in the nuclear power sector. EVN Deputy General Director Nguyen Tai Anh stated that the group has preliminarily identified 120 key positions required for nuclear power plant operation, as well as 320 core personnel who currently need training and reserve development. As Vietnam plans to build a workforce meeting nuclear power operation requirements by 2035, relevant training must be planned as early as possible and accelerated. The Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Project is Vietnam's first nuclear power project, with EVN as the investor. The project was suspended in 2016 due to national resource coordination needs, and was restarted at the end of 2024 in accordance with...

2026-08-13

Jingye Intelligent Increases Capital to Take Controlling Stake in Hefei Zhenggeng, Extending into High-End Equipment Materials for Nuclear Fusion

Jingye Intelligent recently disclosed that it has completed a capital increase to take a controlling stake in Hefei Zhenggeng Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Hefei Zhenggeng"). On August 8, Jingye Intelligent, Hefei Zhenggeng, and the Chaohu Municipal People's Government signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement, under which the three parties will cooperate on high-end equipment industry chain synergy, technological innovation, and industrial project implementation. Public information shows that Hefei Zhenggeng focuses on high-performance alloy materials and precision components, with main products including nickel-based alloy parts for high-temperature and new energy equipment, special materials and components for nuclear power and nuclear fusion equipment, as well as precision cobalt-chromium-molybdenum alloy products, with applications covering high-end nuclear industry equipment, energy industry, and healthcare. ...

2026-08-13

Anhui Juhe Haizhi Settles in Hefei, to Release Radiation-Related Maintenance Robots

Anhui Juhe Haizhi Technology Co., Ltd., jointly established by Jianghuai Laboratory, the Institute of Energy at Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Keda Silicon Valley, and Anhui Penggong Intelligent Equipment Technology Co., Ltd., has officially settled in Hefei. The company focuses on the industrialization of embodied intelligent equipment for extreme environments, with key deployments in high-risk operational scenarios such as nuclear radiation, deep sea, and specialty chemicals. Juhe Haizhi plans to release two embodied intelligent robots for extreme environments by the end of August 2026. Among them, the commercial fusion radiation-resistant maintenance robot is one of the key products to be released, providing unmanned intelligent maintenance solutions for nuclear radiation-related scenarios, with neutron target maintenance for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) devices being one of its core application scenarios...

2026-08-13

Maistop Completes Pre-A Round Financing to Advance Medical Radionuclide Industrialization via Electron Accelerator Method

August 12 news, Xi'an Maistop Technology Co., Ltd. recently completed its Pre-A round of financing, with investors including the Central Enterprise Strategic Emerging Fund and Guoxin Venture Capital Fund, both under China Reform Holdings Corporation. The proceeds from this round will primarily be used for site construction, equipment procurement, technology R&D, and daily operations. Founded in 2019, Maistop is a technology enterprise engaged in the R&D and production of medical radionuclides as well as nuclear medicine technical services. The company focuses on the preparation of medical radionuclides via the electron accelerator photonuclear reaction method, with core products including Actinium-225, Lead-212, Copper-67, and Molybdenum-99. Among these, Actinium-225 is a scarce radionuclide of significant interest in alpha-emitting nuclide targeted therapy, with relatively strong global clinical demand...

2026-08-13

Southwest University of Science and Technology Releases Medical Radioactive Waste Treatment Technology Covering Liquid, Gas, and Solid Waste Management

On August 10, the Mianyang Science and Technology City Strategic Development Research Center held an online innovation achievement release conference, unveiling a medical radioactive waste treatment technology developed by the School of National Defense Science and Technology / School of Nuclear Science and Technology at Southwest University of Science and Technology. The technology targets radioactive contaminants including liquid waste, off-gas, and solid waste generated during nuclear medicine diagnosis and treatment, offering a full-chain comprehensive treatment solution. The conference attracted 87,000 experts in the nuclear medicine field, departmental representatives, and enterprise users. With the rapid development of the domestic nuclear medicine industry, insufficient radioactive waste disposal capacity has gradually become a key issue facing the industry's safe expansion. Relevant data show that over 96% of nuclear medicine departments nationwide are constrained by decay tank capacity...

2026-08-13

U.S. Company Proposes Americium-241 Radioisotope Heating Solution for Spacesuits, Receives Early NASA Research Support

U.S.-based Zeno Power Systems has proposed a radioisotope heating concept for lunar extravehicular activities, planning to use Americium-241 (Am-241) to provide continuous passive warmth for astronauts during lunar nights and in permanently shadowed regions. The proposal has been selected for this year's NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program, with the potential to receive up to $175,000 in early-stage research funding. The lunar surface environment is one of the key challenges for long-duration crewed missions. Data shows that lunar nights can last approximately two weeks, and extreme low temperatures will limit the duration of astronaut extravehicular activities in shadowed areas and at night. Even with new-generation spacesuits, their cold resistance remains limited...

2026-08-13

25 experimental stations of the PIK high-flux nuclear reactor at the Kurchatov Institute to be commissioned in December 2026

At a meeting of the Science and Education Committee, Mikhail Kovalchuk, Director of the National Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute," announced that 25 experimental stations of the PIK high-flux nuclear reactor at the Konstantinov Nuclear Physics Institute in Gatchina, Leningrad Oblast, Russia, will be commissioned in December 2026. According to reports, the project is being implemented pursuant to a presidential decree. Currently, construction of these 25 experimental stations is nearing completion, and the associated waveguide hall is planned to open in December of the same year. As a large-scale research facility, the PIK reactor will provide experimental conditions for related nuclear physics research once its experimental stations are commissioned...

2026-08-13

India plans to build at least five domestically designed small modular reactors by 2033, and reports on nuclear power plant safety assessments

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha on August 12, Jitendra Singh, India's Minister of State for Atomic Energy, stated that a key objective of the Indian government under its nuclear energy mission is to develop and operationalize at least five domestically designed small modular reactors by 2033. According to the briefing, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is advancing the design and development of indigenous small modular reactor (SMR) technology, with projects including the 220 MWe Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR-200) and the 55 MWe SMR-55 for power generation. BARC is also developing a High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGCR) with a capacity of up to 5 MW, which can be coupled with suitable thermochemical cycles for hydrogen production. Singh stated that India...

2026-08-13

Russian Scholars Discuss Prospects and Limitations of Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation in Agriculture

Russian researchers have recently proposed a rapid bacterial detection method for determining optimal doses of ionizing radiation for animals. Related studies suggest that low-dose radiation in the range of tens to hundreds of milligrays (mGy) may activate physiological processes such as metabolism, growth, and biomass accumulation, offering new technical approaches for livestock farming, veterinary medicine, and related fields. The ionizing radiation food processing center at the L.Ya. Karpov Institute of Physical Chemistry in Obninsk. Photo: Kaluga Region State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company. In response to this direction, the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute)...

2026-08-13

IAEA Expert Team Acknowledges Safety Progress of Philippine Research Reactor

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conducted a follow-up Integrated Safety Assessment of Research Reactors (INSARR) mission to the Philippine Research Reactor-1 (PRR-1) Subcritical Assembly for Training, Education and Research (SATER) facility in Quezon City, approximately 10 kilometers northeast of Manila, Philippines, from August 10 to 12, 2026. The review was conducted at the request of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) to examine the implementation status of safety recommendations made during the initial INSARR mission in 2023. The mission team consisted of two experts from Romania and the United States, along with one IAEA official. During the visit, they conducted an on-site inspection of the assembly facility, reviewed relevant documents, and engaged with the facility's management, operations, and technical staff...

2026-08-13