A research team at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, has introduced a downstream analytical framework for STAMP (Single-cell Transcriptomics Analysis and Multimodal Profiling), an emerging technology that preserves cell morphology alongside gene and protein expression. In a perspective published in EXO – Beyond the Cell, the team demonstrates how STAMP data can be analyzed using standard Python-based single-cell tools to link molecular profiles directly with image-derived phenotypes—such as cell area, shape, and marker localization.

Drought is one of the most damaging environmental stresses facing forests, but the genetic switches that help trees withstand water shortage remain only partly understood. 

A new study uses 3D tumor spheroid models to screen 365 human cytokines, finding TGFB1 inhibits pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) growth specifically in 3D cultures. Researchers also identify PADI2 as a critical survival factor induced by TGFB1 in 3D, offering potential therapeutic targets for this lethal cancer.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding is transforming biodiversity monitoring by allowing scientists to identify fish species from diverse aquatic ecosystems. To assess reliability of the method, researchers from South Korea analyzed 59 mock community datasets from 30 independent studies, comparing the performance of universal fish primers and reference databases. They found that eDNA metabarcoding is highly effective for detecting fish diversity, but quantitative estimates of fish biomass remain challenging due to methodological biases and database limitations.

Researchers at Kanazawa University, in collaboration with Diamond and Carbon Applications (Germany), have developed a buried-growth process for nitrogen–vacancy (NV) centers in diamond using microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD). By employing nitrogen-radical selective etching, which simultaneously enhances metal-mask durability through nitridation, the team enabled a continuous etching–growth sequence within a single MPCVD process. Optical measurements confirmed highly aligned NV centers selectively buried in predefined regions. This integrated approach provides a stable and scalable platform for orientation-controlled diamond qubits and future room-temperature quantum technologies.

Heavy metals, an indispensable part of many industries, are serious environmental and public health threats. Detecting these contaminants, which is essential for tackling them effectively, often requires sophisticated equipment and expensive testing procedures. To tackle this, researchers have used five commonly available medicinal plants in India and presented a simple and time-efficient approach to developing highly sensitive, eco-friendly carbon nanoparticles (CNPs), which contain nanosized carbon elements. Other than the optical and sensing features, these CNPs also exhibited biomedical capabilities.