A research team has proposed a provocative shift in how some of the hardest-to-treat cancers might be understood and managed. 

Traditional computing architectures struggle to support the complex, real-time demands of modern autonomous robots. A team of researchers has published a comprehensive review in SmartBot, detailing how neuromorphic electronic devices that mimic the biological nervous system can provide the necessary hardware foundation for the next generation of "embodied intelligence".

Photonically structured colors, characterized by high resolution and dynamic responsiveness, hold promising prospects in the field of information security. However, conventional patterning methods are often limited by high equipment costs and monotonous color outputs, which restrict their widespread adoption. To address these issues, this paper proposes a novel multi-color patterning method based on light-induced chemical crosslinking. By introducing light-initiated crosslinking molecules into anti-opal hydrogels, we developed a film that can be further regulated by photo-curing, enabling a “film formation first, then patterning” approach. The structural color hydrogels created using this method can display multi-color patterns, with a minimum line width of 15 μm, significantly enhancing their information-carrying capacity. Moreover, ultraviolet radiation can increase the degree of cross-linking, thereby inhibiting swelling behavior, enhancing tensile strength, reducing elongation at break, and causing the color of the inverse opal structure to shift toward blue or disappear. With inherent responsiveness to stress, temperature, and solvents, this approach enables dynamic information display and has excellent stability (able to cycle stably for more than 100 times). This work introduces a new method for patterning stimulus-responsive structural colors and opens up new possibilities for their use in applications such as ink-free printing, information encryption, and anti-counterfeiting.

As semiconductor scaling pushes beyond 3 nm, backside power-delivery networks become essential to ease wiring congestion. A new study in Engineering introduces a ruthenium-based nano through-silicon via technology paired with an all-dry SOI wafer thinning process. The scheme delivers low-resistance, highly reliable interconnects with precise wafer uniformity, offering a practical route to efficient 3D integrated circuit design.

Childhood epilepsy lacks reliable non-invasive biomarkers for precise diagnosis. A new study in Engineering reveals that N-glycans on serum extracellular vesicles act as a promising liquid-biopsy signature. Researchers optimized extracellular vesicle isolation and used mass spectrometry combined with machine learning to identify 47 key glycans that clearly distinguish healthy children from those with focal or generalized epilepsy, offering a new path for better clinical detection and monitoring.

Tiny robots just a few centimeters long could change how we explore narrow spaces and gather information. Researchers have created a new type of piezoelectric robot with a built-in ceramic driving unit, delivering impressive speed and strong load capacity. These modules connect magnetically to form flexible structures, adapting to grooves, slits and narrow channels easily. They can also carry cameras for wireless image capture, opening new possibilities for small-scale robotic applications.

A new study in Engineering introduces a precise way to evaluate biological aging by absolutely quantifying two key IgG N-glycans, GP3 and GP8. These glycans show clear changes with age and can be reversed by calorie restriction. The abGlycoAge model built from these markers reliably estimates biological age, while youthful IgG-Ny treatment eases age-related inflammation and organ senescence, offering new clues for aging research and intervention.