Invention that makes renewable energy from rotting veg wins James Dyson prize

A novel material made from rotting fruit and vegetables that absorbs stray UV light from the sun and converts it into renewable energy has landed its designer the first sustainability gong in this year's James Dyson awards. From a record 1,800 entries – despite the challenges of Covid-19 – the award was given to 27-year-old Carvey Ehren Maigue, a student at Mapúa University in the Philippines, for his Aureus system which uses the natural scientific principles behind the northern lights. The other top prize in the international competition has been handed to the inventor of a low-cost biomedical device that can be used at home to detect breast cancer, harnessing artificial intelligence to analyse urine. Aureus is made from crop waste and can be attached in panels to windows and walls. It allows high energy particles derived from fruit and vegetables to be absorbed by luminescent particles, which re-emit them as visible light.