Fluorescent markers are extremely useful in science as tools to track molecules or processes as they carry out their unique activities, revealing unknown facts along the way. However, physically introducing fluorescent markers into targets can result in strong background signals, and even when chemically bound, the target’s hydrophobicity may increase, making the process far from straightforward. Moreover, fluorescent markers are often affected by the properties of the solvent in which they operate. To address these challenges, researchers have developed a method to track the behavior of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) by conjugating water-compatible fluorescent amino acids to the CNFs. As a result, observers can now microscopically visualize CNFs by following the blue fluorescence emitted from them.

Professors Juan Tu, Dong Zhang, Jingning Zhu, and Academician Ning Gu from Nanjing University developed an ultrafast ultrasound localization microscopy algorithm combining velocity constraints and motion compensation. This breakthrough technique achieves super-resolution imaging of microvascular networks in organs like the rat brain and kidney, producing high-definition “microscopic maps of life pathways”. It provides a powerful new imaging tool for medical research and the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular and microcirculatory diseases. The work, titled “Velocity-Constraint Kalman Filtering for Enhanced Bubble Tracking in Motion Compensated Ultrasound Localization Microscopy”, was recently published in Research (2025, 8:0725, DOI: 10.34133/research.0725).

The Energy & Environment Materials Research Division of the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), led by Dr. Dong-chan Lim and Dr. So-yeon Kim, has developed a highly durable flexible perovskite solar cell material and fabrication process that remains stable even under high humidity conditions.