Reviews & Analysis

Significant process has been made in using one carbon sources toward biomanufacturing. Here, the authors explore how to strength its competitiveness, and highlight latest technologies and the released patents.

Physical sources of randomness are indispensable for information technology and modern cryptography. In this Perspective, the authors explore entropy as a key concept and the interdisciplinary work that utilizes randomness.

Normothermic machine perfusion could prolong and/or improve preservation of kidneys in transplantation, but the technology has yet to reach clinical realization. Here, the authors show the hurdles, but also the solutions, for this technology to become a reality in transplantation and beyond.

Biocatalysis is fundamental to biological processes and sustainable applications, and the emergence of nanozymes, nanomaterials with intrinsic biocatalytic activity, has broadened the field of biocatalysis. This review explores the fundamental definition and distinctive characteristics of nanozymes, and highlights the potential of nanozymes as biocatalytic materials in biomedical applications

This Review highlights recent progress in 2D-materials-based computational photodetectors, including neuromorphic vision sensors, computational spectrometers, and miniaturized polarimeters, toward multidimensional optical information perception of light intensity, spectrum, and polarization states.

Microbial consortia have attracted much recent interest in the conversion of lignocellulosic feedstocks into valuable chemicals. Here, the authors provide an overview of recent developments, identify limitations to commercialization, and summarize available strategies and tools for addressing such limitations.

Authors discuss the potential of conserving crop wild relatives, together with the associated communities of microorganisms, to unlock strategies for improving crop resilience and achieving food security.

Lack of standardization between biofoundries limits their operational efficiency. In this perspective the authors advocate for a common framework to improve interoperability and reproducibility.

As the adoption of electric vehicles continues to grow, the production and raw materials of lithium-ion battery electrolytes deserve further scrutiny. Here, authors share their perspective on the need to find alternatives to traditional carbonate solvent and fluorinated salt-based electrolytes.

Despite promises of Li-S batteries as high energy storage systems, a cohesive design framework, systematic performance analysis, and benchmarks remain absent. Here, authors map recent advancements in the literature to identify general patterns that apply universally across all cell formats and materials chemistry, outlining key areas for optimization and future development towards practical Li-S batteries.

Organic matter associated with reactive soil minerals is assumed to be the most persistent terrestrial carbon pool. This work introduces a novel mechanistic framework for the vulnerability of this vast carbon reservoir to disruption in the rhizosphere.

Plant-diversity effects on particulate and mineral-associated organic matter in soil remain underexplored. The authors propose that elucidating the mechanisms underlying these effects can help explain inconsistencies in plant-diversity–soil-carbon relationships across studies and better predict consequences of biodiversity loss/gain for soil carbon stocks.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is involved in several disease states, mitochondria transfer and transplantation have the potential to address this. Here, the authors review recent advancements and challenges with emphasis on the contribution and potential of biotechnology in mitochondria transfer and transplantation.

Symbiosis of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in evolutionarily novel “nodules” of diverse flowering plants including legume crops was assembled from pre-existing functions. Testing hypotheses of single vs. multiple origins is the focus of this Perspective.

Here, the authors propose how climate change archaeology can explain how cultural systems impact interactions between humans and the environment, and vice versa, presenting a framework based in complex systems modelling.

Experimental work in aquatic ecosystems has shaped the development of the field of ecology, and our ability to predict ecological dynamics in a changing climate. In this Perspective, the authors discuss the past, present and future role of experimental approaches in aquatic ecology.

We consider the shift from broad, population-level medicine to ultra-precise, individualized medicine using emerging therapeutic constructs, AI, deep phenotyping, and individual-centered trials to optimize health across diverse individual genetic and physiological profiles.

The implementation of one-carbon (C1) biomanufacturing is limited to laboratory or pilot scales. Here, the authors highlight the economic and technical challenges associated with scaling up C1 biomanufacturing and propose strategies to address these challenges.

Enzymatic depolymerization of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) towards monomer recycling is a promising strategy for a bio-based circular plastic economy, but progress is limited by the lack of standard guidelines for assessing and comparing the depolymerization efficiency catalysed by various PET hydrolases. In this Perspective, the authors identify critical research gaps in sourcing novel PET hydrolases and specify crucial requirements for selecting and optimizing them for specific application scenarios.