Researchers at Lehigh University have developed one of the first comprehensive digital twins modeling the neural circuitry between the gut and brain. Funded by the NIH SPARC program, this quantitative computer model simulates how electrical signals travel via the vagus nerve to regulate digestion. By accurately modeling communication breakdowns that cause disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI)—such as irritable bowel syndrome and gastroparesis—the digital twin enables scientists to virtually test and optimize invasive and non-invasive neurostimulation therapies before advancing to costly animal and human clinical trials.

Researchers from Xinjiang University and East China University of Science and Technology have developed a novel iron-based single-atom catalyst (ZnS@Fe-NSC) that overcomes the long-standing trade-off between high activity and long-term stability in electrochemical CO₂ reduction. By integrating sulfur doping and zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanoparticles within the catalyst architecture, the team achieved exceptional CO production efficiency with over 98% selectivity and maintained stable operation for 30 hours, paving the way for more durable and efficient energy conversion technologies.

Microwave-assisted catalytic reactors can convert biomass into useful gases such as hydrogen much faster than conventionally heated ones, and researchers from Kyushu University, Japan have captured evidence of why. Using advanced X-ray techniques to observe the catalyst in real time, the team showed that microwaves create tiny, localized hot spots on nickel catalyst particles, accelerating the catalytic reaction. The team hopes to establish an electrified, high-efficiency pathway for carbon-neutral biomass conversion.