Scientists from Ocean University of China have crafted a 3D bimetallic MOF array material for electrocatalytic air sterilization, detailed in Engineering. The 0.3Co-MOF/Cu@Cu electrode boasts strong water stability and conductivity, killing 99.51% of E. coli in just 0.0026 s at 24 V and 1.5 m·s⁻¹ airflow, via electroporation and ROS generation, offering a promising indoor air purification solution.

A newly engineered biochar material may offer a powerful and sustainable way to clean up toxic metals from polluted water and soil, according to a recent study published in Biochar.

Necrotic cell death is a fundamental biological process, yet the terminal execution mechanisms of necrosis are still not fully understood. The team dissected different types of cell death at single-cell resolution and unexpectedly discovered that, even under identical death-inducing conditions, the execution of individual cells can be mediated by either apoptosis or necrosis, suggesting that we might need to consider cell death regulation with single-cell resolution. Further mechanistic analysis of necrosis demonstrated the role of extracellular proteases in the final execution of necrosis by entering the necrotic cells after the rupture of plasma membrane to mediate widespread and highly specific protein cleavage patterns distinct from apoptosis, thereby defining the terminal stage of necrosis. These cleavage events promote phagocytic clearance of necrotic cell remnants, helping to limit autoimmune pathology. Building on these findings, the authors developed monoclonal antibodies capable of specifically recognizing necrosis-associated protein cleavage products, providing a powerful new molecular tool for the precise detection and investigation of necrotic cells in animal models and human pathological samples.

Recently, a research team led by Prof. ZHANG Tao, Prof. HUANG Yanqiang from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), in collaboration with Prof. LIU Wei from DICP and Prof. WANG Yanggang from the Southern University of Science and Technology, has tracked the oxygen spillover in catalysts using environmental transmission electron microscopy and observed for the first time bulk oxygen spillover in Ru/rutile-TiO₂ catalysts. Their findings provide new approaches for using the catalyst bulk.

A new study in Engineering unveils the diameter-transformed fluidized bed reactor, a tailored design optimizing catalytic reactions for cleaner gasoline and more efficient chemical production. It breaks down the reactor’s scientific foundations, engineering solutions to key flow and reaction challenges, and its wide industrial applications—plus future AI and kinetic research to advance this game-changing technology further.

Machining, involving the precise cutting and shaping of materials, is a key manufacturing process. As industries increasingly adopt the use of high-performance materials with high strength and hardness, traditional machining methods often fall short in delivering the required precision. A research team at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has developed a ground-breaking machining technology that combines laser and magnetic fields during diamond cutting, enhancing cutting smoothness and surface quality while reducing a material’s subsurface damage and tool wear. This dual-field approach demonstrates exceptional manufacturing capabilities that surpass existing field-assisting cutting techniques, making possible ultra-precision machining of a range of challenging advanced materials.

A new study published in Big Earth Data systematically evaluates the data quality of Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) in ecological conservation applications. Focusing on red-crowned crane habitats in Hokkaido, Japan, the research compares VGI data from eBird and OpenStreetMap (OSM) against authoritative datasets from GBIF and CASEarth. The findings indicate that while VGI demonstrates higher thematic accuracy and broader spatial coverage for vector-based species distribution data, OSM exhibits significant classification errors and coverage gaps in raster-based land use data, particularly for croplands and grasslands. This study underscores the critical need for tailored validation strategies across different VGI types to enhance their utility in ecological research.

Curious about how 6G will blend sensing and communication? A new Engineering study breaks down cooperative ISAC, the key tech for 6G’s ubiquitous sensing. It unpacks core features, critical technologies, real-world trials and future research, with field tests proving its feasibility for low-altitude economy and urban sensing scenarios.

A joint research team led by Professor Shiqi (Shawn) Ou, Associate Professor Yahui Jia, and Associate Professor Yuan Lin from South China University of Technology, together with Associate Professor Zhixia Li from the University of Cincinnati, proposed a cross-temporal electric vehicle battery health assessment framework called D2B (Drive-to-Battery), aiming to establish a link between daily driving behavior and long-term battery health.