Researchers have transformed lightweight balsa wood veneer into a flexible material that generates electricity when pressed. Using two eco-friendly solvent treatments, they removed rigid lignin and added zinc oxide nanoparticles, enabling a 1-mm-thick sample to produce 0.24 V, which over three times the output of untreated wood. Four stacked pieces in series reached 0.92 V, enough to power small smart-home sensors.

Decorative wood veneer bends much more easily when its rough “loose side” faces outward during shaping. By simply choosing the right bending direction—loose side as the tension surface—the reduced cracking and a minimum wrapping angle of 90° for beech veneer have achieved, making it suitable for right-angle curved furniture without costly reinforcements.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have demonstrated that directed evolution can dramatically improve the desiccation tolerance of Gram-negative bacteria during industrial spray-drying—without changing a single ingredient in the protective formulation. Published in Systems Microbiology and Biomanufacturing, the study shows that iteratively selecting survivors of the drying process boosted viable cell counts in the final powder by over 1,000-fold, reaching 3.07×10¹⁰ CFU/g.

Researchers have developed a modular chemoenzymatic platform that efficiently produces six major bioactive alkaloids from Coptidis Rhizoma (Huanglian), a cornerstone of traditional Chinese medicine. Published in Systems Microbiology and Biomanufacturing, the approach combines engineered enzymes with a simple chemical step to overcome longstanding bottlenecks in heterologous biosynthesis and chemical synthesis, achieving gram-scale preparation with yields up to 48%.

A temporally biosynchronized and physically transient peripheral nerve interface (NeuroSyn) is designed to continuously monitor nerve regeneration and decode movement intentions during the post-injury repair phase. In a rat model, it achieves excellent motor intention recognition using peripheral nerve signals, outperforming signals recorded from the primary motor cortex (M1), which holds promise for exoskeleton-based rehabilitation training. Once the nerve heals, the device harmlessly degrades, eliminating the need for a second surgery and holding potential for advanced neuroregeneration monitoring and adaptive neurorehabilitation.

An optimized methodological innovative workflow unlocks the potential of stored biobank whole-blood samples for multi-omics research and diagnostic and prognostic biomarker discovery.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) lacks optimal targeted therapies. This study evaluated Quzhou Fructus Aurantii ethyl acetate extract (QFAEE), a natural flavonoid-rich mixture. In both in vivo mouse models and in vitro hepatocytes, QFAEE significantly reduced hepatic lipid accumulation, inflammation, and oxidative stress. RNA sequencing and network pharmacology revealed that QFAEE exerts its anti-MASH effects primarily by activating the PPARα signaling pathway, upregulating CPT1A to promote fatty acid β-oxidation while downregulating lipogenic genes, offering a promising natural therapy for MASH.

This study investigates the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of pinoresinol diglucoside (PDG) from Eucommia ulmoides on diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). Using both in vivo db/db mice and in vitro high glucose-induced H9c2 cells, PDG effectively improved cardiac function and suppressed cardiac hypertrophy, inflammation, and apoptosis. The underlying mechanism involves the inhibition of store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) and the downregulation of the STIM1/Orai1/NFAT3 signaling pathway.

Researchers have developed a stretchable passive cooling interface that spontaneously self-stratifies into a sunlight-reflecting upper region and a liquid-metal heat-spreading lower region, reducing the temperature of wearable electronics by up to 12 °C outdoors while preserving the quality of physiological signals.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) affects approximately 25% of the global population and is typically linked to obesity. Notably, emerging evidence indicates that 12%–20% of MAFLD occurs in individuals with normal body weight or even in lean individuals, a condition termed lean MAFLD. These individuals often exhibit distinct clinical features, including lower insulin resistance but similar risks of liver fibrosis, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), and higher cardiovascular mortality. Despite its clinical significance, the underlying mechanism of lean MAFLD remains poorly understood due to the lack of representative animal models.