A review by researchers from the Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University, ShanghaiTech University, and collaborators outlines recent progress in ocular gene therapy, covering molecular tools, delivery platforms, and disease applications. The article highlights that successful clinical translation will depend not only on the ability to edit or regulate genes, but also on matching the right therapeutic strategy, vector system, delivery route, and disease mechanism.

Researchers have engineered a multifunctional gallium-doped bioactive glass that selectively kills osteosarcoma cells and prevents bacterial infections while promoting bone regeneration. By localized delivery of gallium ions, this innovative biomaterial disrupts iron metabolism in cancer cells, triggering programmed cell death without harming healthy bone tissue. It simultaneously provides a robust defense against hospital-acquired pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Rice grown on the Moon? No, this is not something out of science fiction, but a future possibility thanks to a plasma technology developed by Tohoku University and JAXA. The plasma technology synthesizes gas from atmospheric air and turns it into a nitrogen-based fertilizer. Researchers also tested the fertilizer on rice seedlings planted in a lunar soil simulant, finding that the fertilizer released critical minerals from the Moon's soil while suppressing harmful ones. The technology is portable and energy-efficient, meaning it can even be used here on Earth for a more sustainable form of rice farming.

As the world marks 1,000 days since the October 7 attacks, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Edut 710 (Testimony 710) have announced a partnership to create a first-of-its-kind AI-powered living archive of nearly 2,000 survivor, witness, first responder, bereaved family, and released hostage testimonies. Launching in October 2026, the archive will allow users to search, translate, and explore thousands of first-hand accounts through natural language while preserving the authenticity and integrity of each testimony. Designed for educators, researchers, museums, artists, and the public, the project aims to ensure that the voices of October 7 remain accessible for learning, remembrance, and historical documentation for generations to come.

Paddy soils are a major opportunity for climate change mitigation, but not all organic amendments help soil store carbon in the same way. A new study published in Biochar shows that rice straw and straw-derived biochar take very different routes once they enter the soil, largely because they favor different microbial “life strategies.”

Plastic mulch films are widely used in agriculture to conserve water, regulate soil temperature, and improve crop production. Yet after repeated exposure to sunlight, weathering, and mechanical stress, these films can fragment into polyethylene microplastics, which persist in soils and surrounding waters for decades or even centuries.

Wave energy has long been seen as a promising source of clean electricity. The ocean is always moving, and that motion carries a huge amount of energy. But many wave energy devices have one important limitation: they do not naturally move in sync with ocean waves. When that happens, they capture less power.

Researchers from ESPOL, Stevens Institute of Technology, and partner institutions tested a simple passive way to tune a wave energy device so it can respond better to changing sea conditions. Their idea uses submerged cones attached to the sides of a floating platform. As the platform moves, the cones trap water and change the system’s motion, helping it adjust more naturally to long ocean swells.