Researchers at the University of Konstanz discover new ‘Pac-Man enzyme’ in bacteria that can degrade polyester plastic, as well as antibiotics like penicillin. This finding provides a new foundation for further research into microbial plastic degradation and for understanding the spread of antibiotic resistances in the environment, also with regard to their evolution.

Corneal disorders remain a leading cause of visual impairment worldwide, with limited treatment options for many conditions including severe dry eye disease, corneal ulcers, scarring, and dystrophies. Exosomes, nanoscale extracellular vesicles carrying diverse bioactive molecules, have emerged as a promising therapeutic modality for corneal disease. This comprehensive review examines the current landscape and future outlook of exosome-based therapies in ophthalmology, focusing on corneal disorders. The authors summarize the fundamental biology of corneal exosomes and their roles in maintaining corneal homeostasis and driving disease processes. Robust preclinical evidence demonstrates that exosomes can promote epithelial wound healing, modulate inflammation and fibrosis, and support tissue regeneration across major corneal conditions. Emerging clinical studies are beginning to assess safety and feasibility in human patients. The review also addresses critical aspects of exosome isolation, characterization, engineering, and delivery strategies relevant for clinical translation. Despite encouraging findings, major challenges remain in standardizing manufacturing and quality control, ensuring long-term safety, and achieving consistent therapeutic efficacy. Future research should prioritize optimization of exosome production and delivery, rational engineering to enhance performance, and exploration of exosomes as diagnostic biomarkers, collectively paving the way for transforming corneal disease management.

A new, international, community-led scientific review warns that major gaps in knowledge along Antarctica’s coast are now one of the biggest obstacles to reliably predicting future global sea level rise.

Most reservoir computers are built with fixed connections. Researchers have developed a 16-kb self-rectifying memristor array that can physically reconfigure those connections as dynamics change. The hardware predicts Lorenz chaos and improves 30-day atmospheric cloud-thickness forecasting by 7.6% over a fixed-topology reservoir.