A research team has outlined how synthetic biology can accelerate discoveries in plant–microbe interactions, offering strategies to enhance disease resistance, engineer synthetic symbioses, and manipulate root microbiomes.

A research team has reviewed how machine learning (ML) is revolutionizing fermentation design and process optimization by providing powerful simulation and prediction tools.

A research team has proposed a new approach to improve photosynthesis by replacing the enzyme ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxidase (RuBisCO) with phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC).

In a study published in MedComm - Oncology, researchers report that the enzyme O-GlcNAc Transferase (OGT) plays a key role in driving liver cancer linked to Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD-HCC). The team found that OGT levels increase as the disease progresses. They also discovered that OGT modifies the tumor suppressor protein PTEN in a way that disrupts its normal function, this modification leads to PTEN degradation and reduced phospholipase activity, triggering a cancer-promoting signaling pathway and accelerating tumor growth. The findings suggest that targeting OGT could offer a new therapeutic approach for treating MASLD-related liver cancer.

A recent study published in Life Metabolism by researchers from the Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University has identified the gut commensal bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila (AKK) as a potent modulator of liver fibrosis (Figure 1). The study reveals that AKK alleviates hepatic fibrosis by promoting propionate-driven antioxidant defense across the gut–liver axis, thereby offering new mechanistic insights and therapeutic opportunities for chronic liver disease.

Tiny aquatic organisms can pass microplastics and heavy metals up the food chain. In zebrafish, this long-term transfer led to stunted organ growth and hormone imbalances, showing how hidden pollution may disrupt development. The study warns that such pollutants can build up across species, posing risks not only to ecosystems but also to food safety.

In a new study titled “Granular beds with asymmetric wettability promote the migration and separation behavior of petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants: Migration rate and pressure drop distribution,” published in Water & Ecology, a research team led by Wenjie Lv from East China University of Science and Technology develop a novel granular beds with asymmetric wettability microchannel structure combining oleophilic and oleophobic surfaces to enhances oil migration and separation the oil phase in oil-in-water emulsions. This study provides an efficient, low-energy pretreatment strategy in treating refinaery wastewater containing highly viscous, easily emulsified petroleum hydrocarbons that are difficult to separate.