An international team led by Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany, has used state-of-the-art cryo-electron microscopy to visualize electrical synapses (gap junctions) inside living cells. In doing so, they discovered a surprising additional structure: a previously unknown circular “cap” that is connected to the channel from the inside of the cell. It appears to be formed by the protein UNC-1, whose protein family is associated with various diseases. The results were published in Science Advances.

Synchrotron radiation sources generate highly brilliant light pulses, ranging from infrared to hard X-rays, which can be used to gain deep insights into complex materials. An international team has now published an overview on synchrotron methods for the further development of quantum materials and technologies in the journal Advanced Functional Materials: Using concrete examples, they show how these unique tools can help to unlock the potential of quantum technologies such as quantum computing, overcome production barriers and pave the way for future breakthroughs.

Electrochemists Rutha Jäger of the University of Tartu and Eneli Härk of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin mapped the atomic structure of this iron-nitrogen-carbon catalyst, demonstrating how it might compete with costly precious metals in fuel cell technology. The article “Small-Angle X-ray Scattering Monitoring of Porosity Evolution in Iron–Nitrogen–Carbon Electrocatalysts” was published in ACS Nano, a ranked in the top 5 in the Nanoscience & Nanotechnology and the Multidisciplinary Materials Science.

To achieve compact yet high-quality imaging, scientists in Tongji University and Stanford University, have developed a neural array meta-imaging system that overcomes long-standing optical trade-offs. The 2.76-mm single-metalens camera captures real-time full-color video at 25 Hz with image quality comparable to commercial lenses. This breakthrough paves the way for ultrathin, high-performance, and intelligent imaging systems, advancing next-generation optical technologies for mobile, industrial, and aerospace applications.

Italian scientists melt-blend lignin scorched in a gliding-arc tornado into polypropylene, doubling toughness and keeping 98 % of strength after two re-extrusions without any chemical compatibilizer.

Reporting in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, researchers show that a 30-second argon-plasma whirl cuts hydroxyl groups on lignin by one third, spawns phenoxy radicals and forges stronger bonds with polypropylene, yielding recyclable, high-performance green composites.

Reporting in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, a China-led team cultivated the cellulose-secreting bacterium Taonella mepensis inside thin silicone tubes, producing hollow hydrogel cylinders of extraordinary purity. After a 30 % strain twist and overnight drying, the resulting fibers reached 1.06 GPa tensile strength—higher than any previously reported bacterial-cellulose thread—while remaining light enough to lift 342,000 times their own mass. Exposure to water vapor triggers a rapid untwisting motion that peaks at 884 revolutions per minute per metre, a speed unmatched by existing biopolymer actuators. No synthetic additives are required; the response emerges from reversible hydrogen-bond rearrangement between nanofibrils. Stored fibers retain 86 % of their rotational speed after eight months, and prototypes already function as remote rain sensors, on–off switches and self-opening curtains. The work, supported by China’s National Key R&D Program, points toward low-carbon, biodegradable hardware for soft robotics and environmental monitoring.

The latest issue of Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts (2025, 10, 295-309) surveys four millennia of cellulose sutures and concludes that newly engineered nanocellulose and oxidized regenerated cellulose fibers lose more than half their tensile strength in only seven days—fast enough to qualify as absorbable under ISO standards. The Chinese–Iranian team behind the survey demonstrates wet-spun cellulose nanofibril (CNF) threads reaching 1 877 MPa when blended with chitosan, while interfacial polyelectrolyte complexation (IPC) embeds antibiotics or growth factors directly into the filament core. In vivo rodent data reveal smaller inflammatory footprints and 1.7-fold higher collagen deposition than silk or Vicryl controls, suggesting the plant-based threads could soon move from bench to bedside.