Biobots are fascinating tiny self-powered living robots built exclusively using frog embryonic cells. Developed in the laboratories of Wyss Institute Associate Faculty member and Tufts University Professor Michael Levin and his collaborators, they are remarkably motile, moving autonomously through aqueous environments, and exhibit other exciting properties, including the ability to self-replicate and respond to sound stimuli. 

Now, Levin’s team endowed biobots with a nervous system by creating the first “neurobots.” Their new study shows that novel types of nervous systems self-organize within neurobots, with neuronal processes extending in between neurons as well as towards non-neuronal cells lining the surface of the bots. The study is published in Advanced Science.

Next-generation thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) must operate beyond 1200 °C to protect hot-end components in gas turbines and aircraft engines, yet conventional yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) suffers from phase instability and rising thermal conductivity above 900 °C. Researchers at Kunming University of Science and Technology have designed tantalate high-entropy ceramics (HECs) coatings synthesized via air plasma spraying (APS), that withstand thermal shock at 1500 °C for 614 cycles and thermal fatigue at 1150 °C for 12,830 cycles. Two failure mechanisms are identified, advancing the design of high-performance TBCs for extreme-temperature service.

Dielectric ceramics are essential for high-power energy storage, yet their applications have long been limited by low energy density and efficiency. In a new study, researchers from Guilin University of Technology, China, developed a high-entropy tungsten bronze ceramic with synergistic bandgap engineering, achieving a recoverable energy density of 7.93 J·cm^-3 and an ultrahigh efficiency of 94.25%. The material also delivers ultrafast discharge (1.56 µs) and excellent thermal stability, positioning it as a strong candidate for advanced pulsed power capacitors.

A recent study 413 forest sites across Sichuan Province, China, shows that temperature is the main factor controlling forest floor bryophyte biomass. Colder forests, especially at higher elevations, support more moss, while warmer temperatures, nitrogen deposition, and dense vegetation reduce it. Soil nutrients and sunlight also influence growth but to a lesser extent. The findings highlight that bryophytes, though small, play key roles in water retention, carbon and nutrient cycling, and biodiversity, and are highly sensitive to climate change. Researchers emphasize the need for detailed field studies to improve predictions and incorporate bryophytes into forest ecosystem models.

A global analysis of 239 tree species reveals that biomass allocation among leaves, stems, and roots follows a universal scaling pattern as trees grow larger, consistently shifting investment from leaves to stems. However, this fixed rule is finely modulated by local environment and evolutionary history. Angiosperms primarily adjust their allocation based on soil conditions, while gymnosperms respond most strongly to temperature. The findings published in Forest Ecosystems integrate two competing ecological theories, allometric partitioning theory (APT) and optimal partitioning theory (OPT), showing that trees operate with a built-in rule that is dynamically optimized for their habitat.