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Tech News
A commentary argues that healthcare systems should stop delaying whole genome sequencing for certain patients, saying rare disease diagnoses often take years to reach. It contends the cost of that delay should be counted not just in time but in dollars, clinical capacity, and missed chances for better treatment.
Seoul Viosys has begun mass producing a white light-emitting chip, called WICOP 3, that uses gallium nitride instead of rare-earth materials like YAG. The chip can be made as small as 10 micrometres and the company says it costs roughly half as much to produce as conventional white LEDs, which currently rely on rare-earth coatings over blue LED chips.
Seoul Biosys announced on October 28 that it has begun mass-producing white micro LEDs built on its third-generation WICOP technology, which skips rare earth phosphors and conventional packaging. The initial product is a 25µm x 10µm chip delivering 0.015 lumens at roughly 100 lm/W efficiency, with a target of 200 lm/W within two years. The company says cutting rare earth materials and packaging components like silicone resin and lead frames could halve production costs.
TSMC has reportedly begun asking its equipment suppliers whether they can build factory automation machinery using motors that avoid rare-earth materials, according to a Reuters report citing people familiar with the matter. The move targets electric motors in TSMC's fabrication plants that typically rely on permanent magnets made from elements like neodymium, dysprosium and terbium.
Tomás Villalón Jr., an MIT-trained materials science engineer, cofounded Phoenix Tailings in 2019 after working at MIT spinoff Boston Metal on decarbonizing steelmaking. The company has developed a process to extract rare earth metals from mining waste rather than through conventional mining.
Katie Zacharia, who briefly served as White House press secretary before being fired, was named in a June 24 press release as joining the advisory board of NRED Intelligent Mining alongside former DHS secretary Kristi Noem. Zacharia now says the announcement was fake and never consented to it, with an associate claiming the release was issued without her approval even though discussions about her joining had occurred.
A joint Foreign Policy/IEEE Spectrum report details how China's dominance in rare-earth elements relies heavily on monazite ore, much of it from the Bayan Obo mine near Baotou, Inner Mongolia. The report notes that decades of processing monazite for rare earths produced the Weikuang Dam tailings lake, a highly polluted, radioactive site, and that China now bans stand-alone monazite mining due to the environmental damage it caused.
A joint report from Foreign Policy and IEEE Spectrum examines efforts by mining firms and governments in North America, Australasia, and Europe to challenge China's roughly 90 percent control of rare-earth oxide and metal markets. The report highlights monazite, a radioactive ore, as a resource that some rare-earth experts believe could help build alternative supply chains outside China's dominance.
Since China imposed rare earth export controls in October 2025, Beijing has repeatedly granted only short-lived reprieves tied to US concessions, most recently extending a truce to January 2027 while still restricting sales. In June, China added MP Materials and USA Rare Earth—the two firms central to US efforts to build a non-Chinese supply chain—to an export control list, even as a suspension was in effect.
A commentary highlights how families affected by rare or genetic diseases often endure months or years of appointments, tests and referrals before receiving a diagnosis. It argues that once clinicians obtain a clear diagnosis, they can tailor treatment approaches and connect patients with appropriate specialists and resources.
A writer recounts their son's diagnosis at 18 with a disease typically seen in patients in their late sixties, describing how the experience reshaped their view of AI's role in medicine. The essay argues that despite growing public backlash against AI, the technology holds promise for personalizing healthcare, especially for patients whose conditions don't fit standard patterns.
Rare Beauty founder Selena Gomez and chief impact officer Elyse Cohen appeared in a Fast Company-moderated conversation about the brand's growth strategy. The discussion centered on how the company built its business around authenticity, community, and the Rare Impact Fund, which supports youth mental health access.