Protonic ceramic cells (PCCs) are emerging as highly efficient devices for power generation, hydrogen production, and chemical synthesis at intermediate temperatures. However, their advancement depends on a deeper understanding of proton transport, hydration mechanisms, and surface catalytic reactions. This review highlights how diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) provides a powerful, surface-sensitive approach to uncover these mechanisms in real time. By probing hydroxyl formation, carbonate species, reaction intermediates, and proton migration pathways, DRIFTS enables researchers to decode key phenomena that govern PCC performance. The study also outlines major challenges and proposes strategies to expand DRIFTS capabilities for improving materials design and accelerating PCC development.

Comorbidity—the co-occurrence of multiple diseases in a patient—complicates diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Understanding how diseases connect at a molecular level is crucial, especially in aging populations and complex conditions like COVID-19, where comorbidities worsen outcomes. While network medicine has used the human interactome—a map of protein-protein interactions—to study these links, accurately predicting comorbid pairs remains challenging.

For decades, cancer research has highlighted angiogenesis—the growth of new blood vessels—as a critical process that tumors hijack to fuel their growth. Mathematical models, particularly the classic Keller-Segel system, have been instrumental in simulating how endothelial cells (ECs) migrate toward a tumor driven by chemical gradients. However, most models assume a closed, no-flux boundary at the tumor, which may not reflect the "leaky" nature of real tumor vasculature.

In November 2025, a team led by Dr. Yuting Guo at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences revealed how mitochondria-ER contact sites (MERCS) decode proteotoxic stress via calcium nanodomain regulation, activating adaptive mitochondrial responses. Published in Protein & Cell, the work proposes new therapeutic avenues for neurodegenerative diseases.

Artificial intelligence becomes a predictive tool that can provide assistance in defining a nutritional plan for preterm infants. This is the concept of an innovative study recently published in the Journal of Perinatology, part of the Nature portfolio. It is the joint work of researchers from the IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori Foundation (FSGT) and the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering (DEIB) of the Politecnico di Milano.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and the unfolded protein response are often implicated in the progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), from simple steatosis to inflammation-driven metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis and, ultimately, hepatocellular carcinoma. A new review paper from Hanyang University ERICA sheds light on the mechanisms underlying these processes, advocating for precise hepatic ER stress control to maintain normal hepatocyte function and develop therapeutic strategies against MASLD.