To achieve the European Green Deal’s goal of 25% organic agriculture by 2030, researchers argue that new genomic techniques (NGTs) should be allowed without pre-market authorization in organic as well as conventional food production. NGTs—also known as gene editing-—are classified under the umbrella of GMOs, but they involve more subtle genetic tweaks. In an opinion paper publishing May 30 in the Cell Press journal Cell Reports Sustainability, the researchers describe how NGTs could enable rapid development of crops that are climate resilient, produce higher yields, and require less fertilizers and pesticides. 

Phase reconstruction, as a key technology in the field of optics, aims to recover phase information from the intensity information of light waves. The phase of light waves contains crucial information such as the shape, thickness, and refractive index distribution of transparent objects, which is indispensable for many fields, including holographic imaging, optical microscopy, laser interferometry measurement, and even adaptive optical systems. However, since most detectors can only capture light intensity data, directly measuring the phase of light waves has always been technically challenging and remains unachievable. There are various traditional phase reconstruction methods, including interference-based measurement techniques, Fourier transform-based phase recovery techniques, and iterative phase recovery techniques. Although phase reconstruction technology has shown great application potential in many fields, it still faces a series of technical difficulties. In complex light field environments, the accuracy and stability of phase reconstruction may be affected by noise interference and algorithm convergence issues.

The optimized extraction of sugars, organic acids, and phenolic compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties uses only water, making it promising for applications in the biofuels, pharmaceutical, and food industries.

Understanding the fundamental energy configuration of thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) materials, the key material that make OLEDs, is critical in developing new more advanced OLEDs. However, current analytical methods have been occasionally unreliable due to its inherent subjectivity and conditional assumptions. Now, researchers have developed a new analytical model that details the kinetics and state dynamics of excitons in TADF materials.

Ten proposals were selected for the 2025 round of funding from the LAUNCH: Center for New Ventures' program that supports faculty in advancing the life-changing potential of technology emerging from their research.

Haptophytes—the unicellular photosynthetic marine algae—are one of the major contributors to marine biomass. Scientists at Okayama University, Japan, unveil the first high-resolution structure of the photosystem II–FCPII (photosynthetic supercomplex) in a marine haptophyte, Chrysotila roscoffensis. This discovery sheds light on the unique approach of sunlight capture and energy management by the complex, offering new insights into marine biology and potential advances in artificial photosynthesis technology.