Bacteria that multiply on surfaces are a major headache in healthcare when they gain a foothold on, for example, implants or in catheters. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have found a new weapon to fight these hotbeds of bacterial growth – one that does not rely on antibiotics or toxic metals. The key lies in a completely new application of this year's Nobel Prize-winning material: metal-organic frameworks. These materials can physically impale, puncture and kill bacteria before they have time to attach to the surface.

Researchers from The University of Osaka developed mirror-image semiconductor polymer molecules for organic solar cells. The new acceptor molecules prevent recombination of electrons and holes by generating currents with spin-polarization of about 70% in which one electron spin dominates. Solar cells containing the new acceptors showed three times higher efficiency than the non-mirror-image version. Using mirror-image acceptor molecules provides a new way of increasing efficiency in clean energy technology.

Researchers at the University of Sydney have cracked a long-standing problem in microchip-scale lasers by carving ‘tiny speed bumps’ into the devices’ optical cavity in their quest to produce exceptionally ‘clean’ light. This exquisitely narrow spectrum light could be used in future quantum computers, advanced navigation systems, ultra-fast communications networks and precision sensors.

In a significant stride towards cleaner water, researchers at the School of Resources and Environment, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China, have developed a novel material that effectively removes harmful pollutants from water. Professors Jianhua Qu and Ying Zhang lead the team behind the study titled "Synthesis of Polyvinyl Chloride Modified Magnetic Hydrochar for Effective Removal of Pb(II) and Bisphenol A from Aqueous Phase: Performance and Mechanism Exploration." This innovative research introduces a powerful new tool in the fight against water pollution.

Researchers have unveiled a promising new method that could transform how uranium is recovered from challenging wastewater streams. By combining a specially engineered covalent organic framework with an indirect electrochemical process, the approach delivers high efficiency, long term stability, and strong tolerance to chemically complex environments. The findings provide fresh insight into how advanced functional materials and optimized operating conditions can work together to support cleaner and more sustainable nuclear energy development.

Soybean oil, the most widely consumed cooking oil in the United States and a staple of processed foods, contributes to obesity, at least in mice, through a mechanism scientists are now beginning to understand.

Electric discharges have for the first time been recorded within the storms and whirlwinds of dust – known as dust devils – that sweep across the surface of Mars. Captured by the microphone of the SuperCam instrument on board NASA's Perseverance rover, the signals were analysed by a team of scientists from the CNRS, Université de Toulouse and the Observatoire de Paris – PSL, working as part of an international team. The discharges represent a major discovery with immediate implications for our understanding of the atmospheric chemistry, climate and habitability of Mars, as well as for future robotic and manned missions there. These findings are published in the journal Nature on November 26, 2025.