New in Nature Communications, an international team of researchers overcomes limitations of working with individual atoms with careful design. Through on-surface synthesis enabled by atomic-resolution scanning probe microscopy techniques, the scientists made one-dimensional organic polymers capable of selectively binding metal atoms at well-defined coordination sites. It is the first time that such a polymer-based architecture has been achieved, using periodic side extensions that are carefully designed to provide tunable active sites.  The platform marks a major advance in single atom catalysis, paving the way towards more efficient and sustainable next-generation catalysts.

Rechargeable batteries get a supercharged boost from newly developed RAMOFs that don’t break down in water, which was previously a major problem for this material.

Naveen Dhar and his collaborators aimed to develop a lightweight gunshot detection neural network that can accompany sensors and process signals in real-time to minimize false positives. The model works with autonomous recording units, which are power-efficient microphones that capture continuous, long-term soundscapes. The proposed system utilizes a web of ARUs deployed across the forest, each performing real-time detection, with a central hub that handles more complex processing.

Music makes people move, but whether musicians intentionally induce specific movements, such as vertical bouncing or horizontal swaying, or what musical features would contribute to these, is more complex. Four musicians composed short excerpts intended to elicit either “tate-nori” (vertical movement), “yoko-nori” (horizontal movement), or neither movement type, and in a listener-rating experiment, participants heard each excerpt and rated the extent to which it made them feel like moving vertically and horizontally. The researchers found that the listeners’ directional dancing inclinations matched the musicians’ intended expressions.

Professor Dongsheng Liu of Tsinghua University, Professor Ziyang Hao of Capital Medical University, and Researcher Yuanchen Dong of the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, have collaborated to develop a circular single-stranded DNA molecule capable of simultaneously silencing multiple miRNAs. This molecule can be used for multi-gene synergistic tumor therapy. Based on the KIMU principle, the circular single-stranded DNA molecule, an anti- miRNA oligonucleotide (circAMO), can be synthesized with high selectivity and high yield by adjusting the length of the DNA clamp. The unique covalently closed circular structure endows circAMO with high biostability, allowing long-term intracellular gene regulation without any chemical modifications. By designing multiple miRNA binding sites in circAM, one circAMO can simultaneously inhibit multiple oncogenic miRNAs and upregulate the levels of downstream mRNAs, ultimately inhibiting tumor cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, as well as increasing apoptosis. This strategy provides a new research tool and platform for multi-target gene therapy. The article was published as an open access research article in CCS Chemistry, the flagship journal of the Chinese Chemical Society.

A mathematician who has helped transform our understanding of population genetics, one of the most eminent chemical engineers in China, and leading international innovators in biotechnology and retail marketing have been awarded Honorary Degrees from Heriot-Watt University as part of its 2025 winter graduation programme.