How Sound Waves Can Now Shield Living Crops From UV Damage
Affiliate Disclosure
Hey fellow impactful ninja ?
You may have noticed that Impactful Ninja is all about providing helpful information to make a positive impact on the world and society. And that we love to link back to where we found all the information for each of our posts.
Most of these links are informational-based for you to check out their primary sources with one click.
But some of these links are so-called "affiliate links" to products that we recommend.
Why do we add these product links?
First and foremost, because we believe that they add value to you. For example, when we wrote a post about the environmental impact of long showers, we came across an EPA recommendation to use WaterSense showerheads. So we linked to where you can find them. Or, for many of our posts, we also link to our favorite books on that topic so that you can get a much more holistic overview than one single blog post could provide.
And when there is an affiliate program for these products, we sign up for it. For example, as Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.
What do these affiliate links mean for you?
First, and most importantly, we still only recommend products that we believe add value for you.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission - but at no additional costs to you.
And when you buy something through a link that is not an affiliate link, we won’t receive any commission but we’ll still be happy to have helped you.
What do these affiliate links mean for us?
When we find products that we believe add value to you and the seller has an affiliate program, we sign up for it.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission (at no extra costs to you).
And at this point in time, all money is reinvested in sharing the most helpful content with you. This includes all operating costs for running this site and the content creation itself.
What does this mean for me personally?
You may have noticed by the way Impactful Ninja is operated that money is not the driving factor behind it. It is a passion project of mine and I love to share helpful information with you to make a positive impact on the world and society. However, it's a project in that I invest a lot of time and also quite some money.
Eventually, my dream is to one day turn this passion project into my full-time job and provide even more helpful information. But that's still a long time to go.
Stay impactful,
At Impactful Ninja, we curate positive and impactful news for you. Add Impactful Ninja as a preferred source on Google or sign up for our free newsletter to get these delivered straight to your inbox—just like our expert roundup below!
📰 The quick summary: Researchers at RMIT University have used high-frequency sound waves to coat living plant leaves with protective crystal layers, opening a new path for crop protection and advanced materials manufacturing.
📈 One key stat: Crystalline coatings formed in as little as 30 seconds, showing how fast this sound-based method can work compared to conventional multi-step processes.
💬 One key quote: “By using sound waves, we’re able to form and deposit the coating within minutes without heating or damaging the surface,” said Associate Professor Amgad Rezk.
1️⃣ The big picture: Scientists at RMIT University have developed a new way to apply protective crystal coatings to delicate surfaces using high-frequency sound waves, without heat or harsh chemicals. The process turns liquid into an ultrafine mist, allowing tiny droplets to form highly ordered crystals mid-air before settling gently onto a surface. Researchers tested the method directly on living plant leaves, successfully shielding them from ultraviolet damage while still allowing normal photosynthesis. The coating material belongs to a class of compounds called covalent organic frameworks, known for their ability to absorb light, filter molecules, and store gases. Plants treated with the coating continued growing normally after it was removed, confirming the process causes no lasting harm to living tissue.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: For the first time, highly ordered crystal coatings can be applied to fragile surfaces, including living plants, without any damaging heat or aggressive solvents. Crops could soon receive UV-protective coatings that still allow photosynthesis to continue, offering a practical tool to reduce sun damage as climate conditions become more extreme. Because the process combines crystal synthesis and coating into a single step, it could lower energy use and cut production costs for advanced materials at scale. Sensitive electronics, medical materials, and flexible membranes that have never been compatible with conventional coating methods may now become viable candidates for protective surface treatment. Future systems could even be mounted on drones for targeted agricultural applications, making the technology deployable directly in the field.
3️⃣ What’s next: The research team is exploring how to scale the compact, chip-based coating device for broader industrial use. Scientists see potential for drone-mounted systems that could apply protective coatings directly to crops in the field. Further research will likely focus on expanding applications in flexible electronics, medical materials, and environmental sensing technologies.
Read the full story here: The Brighter Side of News – Scientists use sound waves to create protective crystal coatings on crops
