Programmable optical particle transport based on structured light plays a crucial role in microscale manipulation. Scientists in China have developed a multi-prior physics-enhanced neural network (MPPN-RW) that enables high-fidelity generation of arbitrary optical conveyor belts without training data. This technique allows precise and stable transport of microparticles along complex trajectories, offering new opportunities for optical micromanipulation, targeted delivery, and reconfigurable light-field engineering.

This study demonstrates an experimentally feasible scheme to achieve robust strong coupling between a single quantum dot and a plasmonic nanocavity integrated with a one-dimensional photonic crystal cavity. A Rabi splitting exceeding 170 meV is observed in dark-field scattering spectra. We further demonstrate that the stronger localized electric field within the hybrid cavity not only enhances the coupling strength but also, owing to the more uniform field distribution, reduces the sensitivity of the coupling strength to the quantum dot position within the cavity, thereby improving the uniformity of the device's coupling performance. The robustness of such a strongly coupled system will advance the development of room-temperature quantum devices based on single emitters for potential applications.

Tokyo, Japan – A team led by researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University, in collaboration with Tohoku University and Orbray Co., Ltd., using heteroepitaxial diamond materials developed by Orbray, have shown that lab-grown diamonds might realize a radiation dosimeter compatible with both medical diagnosis and radiation therapy. They demonstrated that a diamond-based dosimeter could accurately measure doses in the same energy range as diagnostic X-rays, with far better sensitivity per volume than conventional detectors. Using the same device for dosimetry during both diagnosis and therapies could enable improved consistency.

A new review shows how PEDOT:PSS, a flexible conductive polymer, enables tactile sensors that mimic human touch. These sensors detect pressure, strain, and temperature, opening doors for smarter healthcare monitoring, robotics, and wearable electronics.

Liver organoids, three-dimensional structures derived from stem cells or hepatic progenitors, have emerged as a transformative technology. Unlike traditional two-dimensional cultures or animal models, organoids faithfully recapitulate the complex architecture and functionality of native liver tissue. This review summarizes recent advancements in liver organoid technology, detailing their development, classification, and key applications.

The studies ‘Unmasking Hidden Androgen Rhythms with a Real-Time AI-Enhanced Testosterone Patch’ and ‘Endocrine Rhythm Integrity: A Novel AI-Derived Metric of Menstrual Cycle Health of the Cycle Length’ will be available as a poster /e-poster from Saturday 9 May 2026 at the European Congress of Endocrinology at the Prague Congress Centre (PCC) in the Czech Republic.

Dissolved organic matter, a complex mixture of carbon-containing molecules found in soils, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and sediments, plays a central role in how carbon moves through the environment. It can feed microbes, bind pollutants, influence nutrient availability, and affect how much carbon is stored or released as carbon dioxide. Yet scientists are still working to understand why some dissolved organic matter is quickly consumed by microbes, while other portions persist much longer.

Researchers have developed a new biochar-based composite that can capture uranium from water while also converting part of it into a less toxic chemical form, offering a potential strategy for recovering uranium from seawater and supporting future nuclear energy resources.

Environmental scientists and water resource managers need precise, high-resolution maps to reveal areas that farmers should avoid when planting crops, to limit polluting waters with phosphorus from fertilizer or manure. Making those maps has depended on an expensive, sometimes unavailable technology, but a team led by Penn State researchers has developed a cheaper approach that can be just as effective.