By simulating the life cycle of a minimal bacterial cell — from DNA replication to protein translation to metabolism and cell division — scientists have opened a new frontier of computer vision into the essential processes of life.

RMIT University engineers in Australia have built a remote-controlled minibot that hoovers up oil spills using an innovative filtering system inspired by sea urchins.

Oil spills are still a serious problem around the world. They can badly damage oceans and coasts, kill or injure sea animals and birds, and cost billions of dollars to clean up and repair the damage.

The development of drug resistance, a natural consequence of cancer progression, has become a major obstacle to effective treatment. Due to the overexpression of drug resistance-related proteins and the distinctive properties of resistant cell membranes, achieving efficient internalization of nanomedicines into these cells remains highly challenging. Surface charge engineering has proven pivotal in nanomedicine design, with electrostatic interaction–mediated membrane anchoring of nanocarriers representing a critical breakthrough for advancing drug-resistant cancer therapy.