MELBOURNE, Australia, May 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Air Liquide has entered into an agreement with Manildra Group to build a new food and beverage grade carbon dioxide (CO₂) plant in Bomaderry, New South Wales. This facility will capture and purify the biogenic CO₂ produced naturally by Shoalhaven Starches from fermentation of wheat, and supply the purified CO₂ product to Australian industries.

Air Liquide will build, own and operate a new CO₂ plant with a production capacity of over 90,000 tonnes per year of food and beverage grade CO₂, which would make it the largest food and beverage quality CO₂ plant in Australia. Construction of the new Air Liquide facility is planned to commence in the second half of 2025, subject to regulatory approvals, and it is anticipated to be operational in 2027.

The biogenic CO₂ produced naturally from fermentation of wheat at Manildra Group’s Shoalhaven Starches site provides a biogenic CO₂ product offering to meet the growing needs of the food and beverage industry and other applications.

High quality food and beverage grade CO₂ serves the needs of Australian businesses in a broad range of industries where quality and reliability of supply are a necessity. This includes food, beverages, water treatment, desalination, hospitality, manufacturing and medical industries.

Tim Kehoe, Managing Director of Air Liquide Pacific said: “To address the critical need for increased supply and improved reliability in domestic CO₂, Air Liquide has partnered with Manildra to provide a biogenic CO2 solution. Air Liquide’s new CO₂ plant will boost local CO₂ supply and demonstrates our commitment to supporting the growth needs of Australian industries well into the future.”

John Honan, Managing Director of Manildra Group said: “Through our partnership with Air Liquide, we’re delivering 100% Australian, food-grade CO₂ for essential local industries – part of our broader commitment to closing the loop in our advanced manufacturing process. Together we’re building a long-term solution to strengthen local supply chains with high-quality, biogenic CO₂.”

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SOURCE Air Liquide Australia

As an automotive Cyber Security Expert, PlaxidityX partners with TIER IV to align self-driving vehicle software with UN-R155 regulatory requirements

TEL AVIV, Israel, May 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — PlaxidityX, a trusted expert in automotive cybersecurity today announced that it is providing cyber security consulting services to TIER IV, the pioneering force behind a leading open-source software for autonomous driving.

In June 2024, TIER IV was selected for a government project to develop and deliver low-speed autonomous buses for a field trial for terminal transfers at airport in Japan. A key prerequisite for commencing the Minibus service field trial was providing clear evidence that the autonomous mobility project complies with the UN-R155 regulation and ISO/SAE 21434 standard.

Recognizing the need for specialized cyber security expertise, TIER IV sought to collaborate with an automotive cyber security expert with proven experience in compliance consulting projects. “We chose to work with PlaxidityX based on its extensive experience, reliability and cyber expertise,” said Fumihito Ito, Manager, Cyber Security Team at TIER IV. “The technical proficiency and regulatory knowledge their team demonstrated in the initial pre-assessment gave us the peace of mind to move forward confidently.”

After performing a gap analysis of TIER IV’s current cyber security status vis-à-vis the regulation, PlaxidityX created a customized package of services designed to address the identified gaps. This package includes developing a cyber security plan, ongoing cyber security activities (e.g., vulnerability monitoring, incident response), Cyber security Interface Agreements (CIAs), test plans, TARA (Threat Analysis and Risk Assessment) support, and assistance in creating the cyber security case and validation reports. 

PlaxidityX’s team completed this project over a three-month period, and all deliverables were submitted to TIER IV to support their preparations for review from the airport authorities. The project was conducted primarily by PlaxidityX’s local cyber experts in Japan, which ensured quick response to TIER IV requests, smooth communications, and timely delivery of work materials.

Following the success of this initial engagement, TIER IV has also contracted PlaxidityX to assist in the implementation of a Cyber Security Management System (CSMS).

“We are honored to have been selected by TIER IV for this autonomous mobility project,” said Tomoyuki Goto, Country Manager Japan at PlaxidityX. “Compliance with cyber security regulations and standards is now a critical business requirement. With the completion of our joint cyber security activities and the ongoing CSMS project, TIER IV can be confident that its autonomous vehicles are developed in accordance with the highest cyber security standards.”

About TIER IV

TIER IV stands at the forefront of deep tech innovation, pioneering Autoware, the world’s first open-source software for autonomous driving. Harnessing Autoware, we build scalable platforms and deliver comprehensive solutions across software development, vehicle manufacturing, and service operations. As a founding member of the Autoware Foundation, we are committed to reshaping the future of intelligent vehicles with open-source software, enabling individuals and organizations to thrive in the evolving field of autonomous driving.

About PlaxidityX

PlaxidityX (formerly named Argus Cyber Security Ltd.) is a global leader in mobility cyber security, providing DevSecOps, vehicle protection and fleet protection technologies and services for automotive and mobility manufacturers. PlaxidityX’s solutions ensure that vehicle components, networks, and fleets are secured and compliant throughout their life cycle.

PlaxidityX’s innovative methods and solutions are based on decades of cyber security and automotive research and have culminated in over 80 granted and pending patents. Founded in 2014, PlaxidityX is headquartered in Israel, with a global footprint in USA, Germany, France, Japan, Korea, Poland and India.

Contact:

Rachel Pekin                                                            
Vice President Marketing     
E-Mail: rachel.pekin@plaxidityx.com

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Funding from the Kissick Family Foundation Expands Frontotemporal Dementia Data; New Partnership with The Michael J. Fox Foundation Enhances Parkinson’s Research

OAKLAND, Calif., May 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The 10,000 Brains Project today announced the launch of Path-ND, a groundbreaking digital brain banking program designed to digitize at least 5,000 neuropathology cases over the next two years. This major initiative will make ultra high-resolution brain tissue images more widely accessible for neurodegenerative disease research and on an unprecedented scale, enabling researchers to unlock critical insights into diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Unlike traditional approaches that study these disorders in isolation, The 10,000 Brains Project is leading the new era in neuroscience research, focused on connecting discoveries across the full spectrum of neurodegenerative disorders using recent breakthroughs in computer science. Path-ND is a critical step in moving the field forward. It embraces the complexity of these diseases and aims to rethink how we define, diagnose, and treat them. By breaking down silos and enabling large-scale comparative research, Path-ND seeks to catalyze the kinds of breakthroughs that have remained out of reach for too long.

“Path-ND is about more than digitizing brain tissue slides—it’s about transforming the entire approach to neurodegenerative research,” said Patrick Brannelly, CEO of The 10,000 Brains Project. “Just as tumor biopsies have revolutionized cancer treatment, we believe digitized brain tissue will enable researchers to take a new approach and crack the code of neurodegenerative disease.”

With $3 million in funding from the Kissick Family Foundation, the program will create the world’s largest FTD dataset, an area of urgent need due to the disease’s highly variable symptoms and complex pathology. Additionally, a new partnership with The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) will fund additional digitization of brain tissue from additional patients with Parkinson’s disease and related disorders.

Leading this initiative is Mukta Phatak, PhD, a highly accomplished bioinformatics expert with more than 15 years of experience integrating technology with scientific research. Dr. Phatak comes to The 10,000 Brains Project from Gates Ventures, where she served in a technical leadership role on the Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative.

Introducing Path-ND: A Next Generation Research Platform

For decades, researchers studying neurodegenerative diseases have faced a fundamental challenge: the examination of human brain tissue provides ground truth, but access to high-quality, well-characterized samples has been severely limited. These limitations have slowed progress in understanding the full biological complexity of neurodegenerative conditions.

Path-ND offers a powerful solution. By enabling more researchers to examine brain tissue directly, it opens the door to identifying new mechanisms and previously unrecognized disease subtypes. Analyzing this data with artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced data science techniques could fundamentally reshape our understanding of neurodegeneration—revealing that these diseases may be both more biologically diverse and more interconnected than we ever imagined. It enables the possibility of rethinking traditional diagnostic categories and creates opportunities to uncover novel therapeutic targets.

Path-ND will be the foundation for this change: a groundbreaking digital brain banking platform that aims to centralize and democratize access to neuropathology data. Built on the secure, cloud-based Verily Workbench, Path-ND will allow talented researchers from across the globe to explore high-resolution digital images of brain tissue without the constraints of geography.

Path-ND is designed with interoperability at its core, ensuring that the data will also be made accessible through other biomedical research platforms. This will create a truly connected ecosystem where open data sharing, large-scale analytics, and AI-driven discovery can thrive. By doing so, Path-ND will not only accelerate research but also drive a new era of cross-disease insight, reshaping the future of neurodegenerative disease science.

Advancing Research Through Collaboration

Through generous funding from the Kissick Family Foundation, Path-ND will expand its datasets to include FTD cases—a disease that remains among the most devastating and least understood. Unlike Alzheimer’s, which primarily affects memory, FTD strikes at the core of personality, behavior, and language, robbing individuals of their ability to communicate, connect, and function in daily life. It is the most common cause of dementia in people under 60, yet it remains one of the least understood neurodegenerative disorders, with no cure and limited treatment options. This investment is about expanding hope for FTD patients and families who desperately need answers.

“As advocates and funders, we see an urgent need for creative new approaches in neurodegeneration research,” said Kasey Kissick of the Kissick Family Foundation. “The Path-ND program is an important step in the transition to a more agile and productive research ecosystem. We are proud to support this effort.”

In addition, a new collaboration with The Michael J. Fox Foundation will be a major catalyst for Parkinson’s disease and related disorders, integrating its newly generated digital brain inventory into the Path-ND Data Hub. Parkinson’s is the fastest-growing neurodegenerative disease, affecting millions worldwide, yet there are still no definitive biomarkers and no way to stop its relentless progression. By incorporating MJFF’s digital brain inventory, Path-ND is expanding access to valuable data, enabling more cross-disease comparisons, and capturing significant cost savings through shared infrastructure.

“Finding new ways to provide researchers with the tools they need to accelerate Parkinson’s research is a key priority for The Michael J. Fox Foundation,” said Leslie Kirsch, vice president, head of research data resources at MJFF. “This collaboration with The 10,000 Brains Project expands access to high-resolution brain tissue, supporting the broader scientific community in uncovering insights into Parkinson’s disease and related disorders.”

Mukta Phatak joins The 10,000 Brains Project to Lead Path-ND

The 10,000 Brains Project has appointed Mukta Phatak, PhD, a seasoned leader in data science and bioinformatics, to lead Path-ND.

Dr. Phatak is an accomplished expert in biomedical innovation and data science. She earned her PhD in bioinformatics from the University of Cincinnati and has over 15 years of experience in data strategy, AI/ML model development, and scientific technology integration across academia, industry, and the nonprofit sector. Most recently, she served as Director of Data Science for the Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative, which is part of the Health and Life Sciences Division at Gates Ventures. During her time at Gates Ventures, Dr. Phatak played a pivotal role in designing data architectures, enhancing customer engagement, and leveraging advanced analytics to drive progress in Alzheimer’s research.

“Digitizing brain pathology is the next frontier in precision neuroscience,” said Dr. Phatak. “With Path-ND, we’re building an open, scalable, and interoperable resource that will unlock discovery at a whole new level. Path-ND will bring us closer to truly personalized care for patients everywhere.”

A Call to Action: Expanding the Future of Digital Brain Research

The 10,000 Brains Project invites researchers, institutions, and biobanks to contribute additional neuropathology datasets to expand the scope and impact of Path-ND. By increasing the diversity and scale of digitized brain tissue data, this initiative will unlock insights that no single dataset could reveal alone.

Forward-thinking philanthropic partners and investors are also encouraged to join the movement. Expanding Path-ND’s reach will allow the project to include more rare diseases, enhance AI capabilities, support more researchers, and accelerate the pace of discovery.

If you are a researcher interested in contributing data or a funder looking to make a lasting impact, visit 10kbrains.org to learn more.

About The 10,000 Brains Project

The 10,000 Brains Project is a nonprofit initiative that is leading the new era in neuroscience. We are dedicated to driving positive change for the millions of people affected by neurodegenerative diseases worldwide. By working across neurodegenerative diseases and harnessing the full potential of innovative tools and technologies, we aim to accelerate breakthroughs in earlier detection, better treatments, and more personalized care. To learn more about our priorities, programs, and partnerships, visit: https://10kbrains.org.

About The Kissick Family Foundation

The Kissick Family Foundation aims to catalyze change through bold and dynamic philanthropy. They provide critical early support for the leaders, researchers, and entrepreneurs who are finding cures, repairing catastrophic damage to the planet, and changing entire fields of study. The foundation invests in cutting-edge scientific research and awareness building for neurodegenerative diseases, with a focus on frontotemporal dementia. They are equally committed to backing transformative ideas in the climate space, specifically ocean-based solutions with the potential to mitigate and reverse harm to the planet. For more information, visit www.kissickfamilyfoundation.org.

Media Contact:

Chantelle Ferland-Beckham, PhD
chantelle@10kbrains.org
781-854-8703
MindMeld Consulting, LLC

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SOURCE The 10,000 Brains Project