RODIN - Cell-mediated Sculptable Living Platforms-, is set to revolutionize the field of biomaterials and tissue engineering by shifting the focus from designing materials for cells to empowering cells to design their own environments. The team composed by Professor João Mano at the Associate Laboratory CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials from University of Aveiro (Portugal) - The Biomaterials Engineer, Professor Tom Ellis at Imperial College London (UK)- The Synthetic Biologist and Professor Nuno Araújo at Faculty of Sciences, from the University of Lisbon (Portugal)- The Physicist, will combine expertise to rethink how living systems interact with materials.

The limited fast-charging capability and safety concerns caused by lithium dendrite growth have long hindered the development of high-performance graphite anodes in lithium-ion batteries. While various interface engineering strategies have been proposed, a solution that simultaneously facilitates lithium-ion desolvation and enhances ion transport remains elusive. A recent study published in National Science Review introduces a glassy metal-organic framework (MOF glass) coating developed by a team at China's Central South University, offering a solution to both challenges. The designed MOF-coated graphite anode enables selective pre-desolvation of Li⁺ ions and establishes a highly conductive interface for Li⁺ ions, leading to remarkable cycling stability under high-current conditions. This work opens a transformative strategy toward fast-charging and high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today officially launched the International Coordination Office for Urban-PREDICT, a flagship initiative of the United Nations' World Meteorological Organization (WMO), cementing its position as a global leader in urban climate science. The inauguration ceremony, attended by prominent international scientists, policymakers, and industry experts, was followed by the Urban Climate Prediction and Resilience Roundtable, marking a momentous step in global efforts to address urban climate risks through cutting-edge science and cross-sector collaboration.

Recently, Professor Baowen Zhou’s team at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, in collaboration with Professor Fenglong Wang’s team at Shandong University, proposed a design strategy for the efficient utilization of plasmon-derived energy by confining densely neighbored Ru nanoparticles within a dielectric shell. In this work, the researchers employed porous SiO₂ (pSiO₂) as a transparent dielectric matrix to confine Ru nanoparticles in close proximity while preserving nanoscale interparticle gaps, thereby constructing a photothermal nanoreactor (Ru_m@pSiO₂). This architecture synergistically integrates strong plasmonic coupling, electromagnetic field confinement, and nanoscale thermal management. In photo-thermal CO₂ methanation, the optimized Ru_m@pSiO₂-2 catalyst exhibits exceptional CH₄ production with nearly 100% selectivity, surpasses conventional surface-loaded (Ru_m/pSiO₂) and isolated (Ru₁@pSiO₂) catalysts, and retains high activity under low ambient temperatures and natural sunlight. This study comprehensively elucidates the mechanism underlying the efficient utilization of plasmon-derived energy in photo-thermal catalysis and offers new insights and theoretical guidance for the rational design of next-generation high-performance photothermal catalysts. These findings have been published in Science Bulletin under the title: “Densely-neighbored-Ru nanoparticles confined in porous-SiO₂ shell for efficient CO₂ methanation via plasmon-coupling-enhanced photo-thermal catalysis”.

Single-crystal materials, characterized by structural uniformity and exceptional intrinsic properties, are crucial for high-performance device applications. A research team has now developed a universal method to produce large-scale single-crystal metal foils by establishing a fundamental correlation among strain, stored energy, texture, and single-crystal formation. The study reveals that sufficient deformation-stored energy is essential for generating a uniform cubic recrystallization texture, which reliably guides foils toward single-crystal conversion. This approach is compatible with cast, rolled, and electrodeposited precursors, and enables the scalable fabrication of single-crystal copper and nickel foils with both low- and high-index surfaces. These findings present a new paradigm for single-crystal metal manufacturing and lay a critical materials foundation for future industrial applications.

A new study led by researchers at the University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa published today in Nature Communications is the first of its kind to show that waste discharged from deep-sea mining operations in the Pacific’s biodiverse Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) could disrupt marine life in the midwater “twilight zone” — a vital region 200-1,500 meters below sea level that supports vast communities of zooplankton, tiny animals that serve as the ocean’s basic food building blocks. Specifically, it finds that 53% of all zooplankton and 60% of micronekton, which feed on zooplankton, would be impacted by the discharge, which could ultimately impact predators higher up on the food web.