Researchers have developed a novel chemo-biological hybrid system that enables the direct synthesis of polylactic acid from CO₂, water, and renewable energy. By engineering Escherichia coli to utilize ethanol and acetate, this study establishes a sustainable route for bioplastic manufacturing that decouples agricultural feedstocks. The work highlights a synergistic cofeeding strategy that significantly enhances PLA titer, offering a promising solution to the environmental challenges associated with fossil-fuel and crop-based plastics.

A recent study published in Protein & Cell by researchers from the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) provides critical structural and functional insights into the UBR4-KCMF1-Calmodulin (UKC) complex, revealing its pivotal role in protein quality control, cancer cell survival, and stress adaptation. The work, led by Professors Renhong Yan and Baotong Zhang, elucidates how this complex assembles and functions as an E4 ubiquitin ligase, extending ubiquitin chains on pre-tagged substrates to regulate protein degradation.

This work was funded by Key Research and Development Program, Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2022YFA1103103), National Natural Science Foundation of China (32488101, 32330030, 32370870, and 32170801), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (22120250336), and Fundamental and Interdisciplinary Disciplines Breakthrough Plan of the Ministry of Education of China (JYB2025XDXM508). The authors thank the Peak Disciplines (Type IV) of Institutions of Higher Learning in Shanghai, and the Frontier Science Research Center for Stem Cells, Ministry of Education for their support.; 4) Method of Research: experimental study; 5) Subject of Research: cell.

A team from Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital reviewed 216 foot and ankle cases managed through a medical–engineering collaboration workflow powered by 3D printing and digital planning. Rather than treating 3D printing as a standalone tool, the researchers built an integrated system that connects imaging, virtual surgical planning, personalized guides, rehabilitation devices, and even patient-specific implants.

The results highlight a shift from “one-size-fits-all” surgery toward truly individualized treatment.

A 20-year field experiment in western Hungary compared conservation tillage with conventional ploughing across six crops and contrasting weather conditions. Researchers identified four stages, Transitional, Adapted 1, Steady and Adapted 2, showing that benefits developed gradually and required continued management. Although yields and profits initially declined, later improvements in equipment and farming practices reversed the trend. Over 20 years, conservation tillage raised average yields by 3.9%, reduced operating costs by 9.8% and increased profit by 13.0%, equivalent to almost €200 per hectare annually. The authors conclude it can be economically worthwhile, but farmers should expect a transition period rather than immediate returns.

A research team led by Dr. Young Il Park and Dr. Sang Hwan Nam of the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT, President Suk Min Shin), in collaboration with Professor Sung-Jin Park of the Georgia Institute of Technology, developed a polymerized version of the clinically approved NIR fluorescent dye indocyanine green (ICG) that exhibits greatly enhanced photostability.