Published in Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, this study reports the first complete microbial route to produce fully bio-based long-chain polyester from renewable substrates. Using engineered Candida tropicalis and Escherichia coli, researchers achieved record monomer titers—150 g/L of 1,12-diacid and 68 g/L of 1,12-diol—later polymerized into bio-polyesters exhibiting thermal and molecular properties equivalent to petroleum analogs. Scalable to a 50 L pilot fermenter, this eco-friendly process marks a key advance toward a circular bioeconomy for sustainable plastics.

Researchers explore the human immune system by looking at the active components, namely the various genes and cells involved. But there is a broad range of these, and observations necessarily produce vast amounts of data. For the first time, researchers including those from the University of Tokyo built a software tool which leverages artificial intelligence to not only offer a more consistent analysis of these cells at speed but also categorizes them and aims to spot novel patterns people have not yet seen.

Superconductors are famous for carrying electricity without resistance, but a new study shows they can also reshape the crystals in which they are housed. Scientists at Okayama University, Japan, have discovered that the topological superconductor Cu_xBi₂Se₃ can distort its crystal lattice when it reaches the superconducting state. Using synchrotron X-ray diffraction, the team detected structural changes linked to the unusual spin-triplet pairing in this material, revealing a new way superconductivity interacts with crystal structure.

A new study examines nickel and urea in early microbial habitats, showing how ancient cyanobacteria adapted to their chemical surroundings. By recreating Archean conditions in the lab, researchers uncovered clues about the delicate balances that shaped early cyanobacterial life. These findings hint at the unseen factors that may have set the stage for Earth’s first oxygen surge, providing a fresh perspective on the environmental and chemical conditions that allowed oxygen to accumulate in the atmosphere.