Sand may seem simple, but for scientists it is one of nature’s trickiest materials to model. At the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), researchers are reimagining sand one grain at a time, showing how tiny changes in shape can make sand flow, pile up, resist pressure—or even withstand attacks like a fortified (sand)castle. The findings were presented at a leading computer graphics conference and published in ACM Transactions on Graphics.

Inspired by the sophisticated visual systems found in nature, bioinspired adaptive optical imaging technology is undergoing a profound transformation from static imitation to dynamic intelligence. A review article published online on March 30, 2026, in Volume 2 of Opto-Electronics Plus, titled "Bioinspired adaptive optical imaging technology," systematically outlines the landscape of this field. The review focuses on two core research directions and anticipates future trends. The study is led by Dr. Wang Qionghua, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at Beihang University, China.

Optical computing is attracting strong interest because light can carry and process information at extremely high speed while consuming less energy than many electronic approaches. In principle, optical systems can accelerate demanding tasks such as artificial intelligence inference, image processing, scientific simulation, and high-bandwidth signal processing. However, most proposed optical processors still depend on electronic memory to hold intermediate data. Each time information is converted between light and electronics, the system pays a penalty in speed, energy, and complexity.

A study in Chinese Medical Journal reports that SLC38A7, a lysosomal glutamine transporter, is overexpressed in gastric cancer and associated with poor prognosis. Using patient tissues, cell models, mutational analyses, and mouse xenografts, the researchers show that SLC38A7 binds MYH9, promotes GSK-3β ubiquitination and degradation, and activates Wnt/β-catenin signaling. The findings identify a metabolically linked oncogenic pathway, clarify a previously unrecognized disease mechanism, and suggest a potential therapeutic target for gastric cancer.