Scientific innovation is accelerating across multiple domains, from renewable energy and sustainable materials to advanced therapeutics and AI-driven discovery. In our recent webinar, CAS Lead Scientists explored some of the most promising emerging technologies poised to make significant real-world impacts this year.
I was pleased to host this webinar, which brought together three members of the CAS Insights senior writing team:
- Jean-Marc Pecourt (Lead Information Scientist for Chemistry at CAS)
- Leighton Jones (Lead Information Scientist for Materials at CAS)
- Janet Sasso (Lead Information Scientist for Life Sciences at CAS)
Together, we discussed breakthrough research in solar energy, battery technology, and AI-guided biomarker discovery, three of the eight trends featured in our recent CAS Insights article, Scientific breakthroughs: 2026 emerging trends to watch.
The panel discussion revealed not only the remarkable technical advances driving these trends but also the practical challenges and opportunities for commercialization that lie ahead.
Perovskite solar cells moving from breakthrough to commercial reality
Jean-Marc opened the discussion by highlighting why perovskite solar cells ranked among his most exciting trends to follow in 2026. Traditional silicon-based solar cells have long dominated the market, but they're approaching a conversion efficiency limit and remain relatively energy-intensive to manufacture. Perovskite solar cells, particularly hybrid tandems that combine perovskite with silicon, have emerged as a game changer.
Research on these cells has exploded, with an 86-fold increase in publications since 2015. More importantly, the commercial interest has risen rapidly, with the patent share among publications increasing from 2% to 15%. This technology has become a strategic area for many countries. The efficiency improvements are also remarkable. While silicon cells currently max out around 27% efficiency, hybrid perovskite-silicon cells have achieved over 34% efficiency. This comes from advances in crystallization and passivation of the perovskite layers, interface engineering between the perovskite and silicon subcells, and scalability of deposition methods.
During the Q&A, Jean-Marc addressed questions about stability, which is one of the historical challenges with perovskite materials. He noted that while pure perovskite cells still face degradation issues, the hybrid silicon-perovskite tandems have made substantial progress in this area, which combined with their far superior conversion efficiency, have made them viable for commercial deployment.
Alternative battery technologies addressing the energy storage challenge
From solar energy, Leighton Jones moved the conversation into battery innovation, noting that webinar attendees had voted alternative battery technologies as their most anticipated topic. The discussion focused on why the energy transition depends not just on generating renewable power but on storing it effectively.
Lithium-ion batteries have dominated the market, but supply chain constraints, material costs, and safety concerns are driving research into alternatives. Leighton highlighted two promising categories that are approaching commercialization in 2026:
Metal-air batteries represent a significant departure from conventional designs. Zinc-air batteries, for example, offer high energy density and long shelf life while using environmentally friendly and widely available materials. Iron-air batteries have also reached manufacturing scale, with companies like Form Energy producing systems capable of storing electricity for up to 100 hours—long enough to replace fossil fuel-based plants and stabilize renewable-heavy grids. Zinc-air batteries can be scaled up for grid applications and scaled down for devices like hearing aids and medical implants, demonstrating their versatility.
Metal-ion batteries using abundant materials like sodium, zinc, and magnesium are also reaching commercial viability because their properties are starting to outcompete traditional lithium-ion. Sodium-ion technology has hit a tipping point, offering higher discharge rates and lower fire risk than others while functioning well in extreme temperatures.
When asked about charging rates compared to lithium-ion batteries, Leighton noted that while lithium still leads in this metric, alternative battery technologies are improving rapidly. The charging rates for zinc and sodium systems are becoming competitive, especially for applications where multi-day storage capacity matters more than rapid charging.
The panel also touched on solid-state batteries, which may have huge potential, despite development challenges related to safety and oxygen sensitivity. Some companies are already implementing solid-state batteries in electric motorbikes, with production expected within weeks of the webinar.
AI-guided biomarker discovery transforming cancer treatment
Janet Sasso brought the discussion to biotechnology, focusing on how artificial intelligence is reshaping biomarker discovery for cancer treatment. The shift, she explained, represents a fundamental change in how we think about diagnosis, moving from simply identifying a disease to accurately predicting a treatment response.
Traditional biomarker discovery has focused on detection, which already improves cancer survival rates. However, recent breakthroughs demonstrate how AI-driven technology can help the industry move beyond detection into prediction. A collaboration between AstraZeneca and Tempus AI developed the Predictive Biomarker Modeling Framework (PBMF), which uses contrastive learning to forecast treatment response.
This framework incorporates large-language models (LLMs), generative AI, and traditional machine learning in an ensemble approach. In retrospective immuno-oncology clinical trials, it improved patient selection and yielded a 15% survival benefit over traditional trial designs.
Janet highlighted how researchers are also making progress using machine learning models to predict responses to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) immunotherapy. These predictive capabilities could fundamentally change how oncologists make therapeutic decisions, ensuring patients receive treatments most likely to benefit them while avoiding ineffective therapies with serious side effects.
The integration of AI into biomarker discovery is accelerating rapidly, and Janet noted that 2026 would likely see continued investment in these predictive tools as they move from research settings into clinical practice.
Cross-cutting themes: From laboratory to real-world application
Throughout the discussion, several common themes emerged across these diverse scientific fields. First, all three panelists emphasized how these technologies are moving from laboratory breakthroughs to commercial viability in 2026. Whether it's Oxford PV's perovskite solar cell production facilities, Form Energy's iron-air battery manufacturing, or AI platforms enriching clinical trials, the gap between scientific discovery and real-world application is narrowing.
Second, the panelists highlighted how material availability and supply chain considerations are driving innovation. The shift from lithium to more abundant metals like iron, zinc, and sodium in batteries, and the use of widely available materials in perovskite solar cells, reflects a broader recognition that scalability depends on resource accessibility.
Finally, the role of AI was included across multiple trends, not just in biomarker discovery but also in optimizing battery performance and potentially in materials discovery for solar cells. This cross-pollination of AI capabilities across scientific domains suggests we're entering an era where computational approaches accelerate progress in traditionally experimental fields.
Looking ahead
The webinar concluded with audience questions ranging from technical details of manufacturing processes to broader questions about regulatory frameworks and commercialization timelines. However, Jean-Marc noted that science has "just begun scratching the surface" of what these technologies can achieve, and the coming year promises to be transformative. The convergence of scientific innovation, manufacturing capability, and market demand is creating conditions for rapid deployment of technologies that were recently only laboratory curiosities.
Watch the full webinar
To explore the complete discussion and additional insights from our expert panel, watch the full webinar recording here. You'll gain a deeper understanding of these emerging trends and learn more about the five additional scientific breakthroughs covered in the original CAS Insights article.
