3D printing could change how we build parts for jet engines and power plants, but the process leaves microscopic holes that cause the materials to shatter. Publishing in International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing, Prof. Fangyong Niu's team in Dalian University of Technology have fixed the problem by doing something unconventional: they added a microwave.

Publishing in International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing, Prof. Yanquan Geng's team in Harbin Institute of Technology have devised a way to carve variable-depth, three-dimensional trenches into gallium antimonide, a notably brittle semiconductor, using a microscopic tip vibrating thousands of times per second.

Researchers have developed an ultrasoft, breathable, and multichannel “ear-computer interface” patch. This discreet wearable, made with high-tech MXene materials, can monitor mental fatigue with 90.5% accuracy and even allow users to steer unmanned vehicles using only their thoughts, offering a “burden-free” alternative to traditional brain-mapping caps.

Inspired by Pavlov’s classical conditioning, researchers propose a bio-inspired optical neural network trained via associative learning. Using a dual-color photoresist, sequential UV and visible light exposure encodes memory directly into the material’s fluorescence response, enabling in-situ, computation-free training for pattern recognition—bypassing conventional backpropagation and offering a scalable route to low-cost, edge-compatible photonic AI hardware.

Active environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling via water filtration is a powerful tool for biodiversity monitoring, particularly in aquatic environments with low DNA concentrations. However, its practical performance is often constrained by low capture efficiency, poor molecular selectivity, and contamination risks arising from the weak DNA affinity of conventional membrane materials. A research team led by City University of Hong Kong (CityU) developed a tailored MoS₂ membrane that can “grab” DNA more effectively and species detection sensitivity. This new strategy unlocks new opportunities for the application of two-dimensional material in environmental biotechnology.