In a Nature publication, scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and the National University of Singapore introduce an innovative optofluidic 3D micro- and nanofabrication technique that overcomes the material limitations of traditional two-photon polymerization. Inside a liquid, the team utilizes a femtosecond laser to generate localized thermal gradients and fluid flows that drive a wide range of micro- and nanoparticles into pre-printed microtemplates. This light-driven assembly enables the printing of structures made from a wide range of materials, sometimes even combined, overcoming the previous limitation to polymers. This technology can now be used to construct tiny micro-robots that can be controlled magnetically or by using light.

Small enough to fit in a smartphone, the optical amplifier developed at Stanford could not only improve fiber optic networks that are the backbone of the internet, but also spur new technologies such as biosensing for environmental toxin detection and medical diagnostics.

Bone and skeletal injuries cause extensive and long-term functional impairments worldwide. In a new study, researchers at Lund University in Sweden show how a cell-free cartilage structure can safely guide bone repair without triggering strong immune responses. The transplant has been successfully tested in animal models, and the next step is to evaluate the tissue engineering approach in humans.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is proud to announce that Prof. Guy Kindler, Dean of the School of Engineering and Computer Science, has been awarded the Michael and Sheila Held Prize by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS). This $100,000 prize is one of the most prestigious honors in computer science and discrete mathematics, presented annually to recognize outstanding, innovative, and influential research in combinatorial and discrete optimization and complexity theory.

The Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS) has received a $199,884 grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to lead a multi-year initiative developing education standards for laboratory automation. The project, Standards for Automated Science Education, will create open, evidence-based guidelines to help educators align training with the real-world demands of automated, data-driven laboratories. Led by Kennedy McDaniel Bae, PhD, with collaborators from academia and industry including Carnegie Mellon University and the Acceleration Consortium, the effort aims to bridge gaps between rapid technology adoption and formal workforce training. Public resources will begin releasing in late 2026.

According to Hui Yang, Gary and Sheila Bello Chair in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at Penn State, and Kevin Mekulu, an industrial engineering and operations research doctoral candidate, artificial intelligence (AI) could be used to better understand and detect neurodegenerative diseases like dementia and Alzheimer's. In a Q&A, Yang and Mekulu shared how AI-powered screening methods could contribute to cognitive care, helping clinicians intervene sooner and improve patient outcomes.