A team of international experts has published a roadmap for creating a digital twin of the immune system. Patterned after digital twins used in industry to test innovations on a model, the digital twin would create a virtual immune system tailored to individuals. Physicians could use this model to develop precision treatments based on a person's genetics and personal history. It could answer questions why some people react differently to COVID-19 infection, for example, or design precise immunosuppressant therapy for transplant patients, or allow pharmaceutical companies to more quickly bring drugs to market.

As the public grows more concerned about plastic pollution, some elected officials are getting onboard with “advanced recycling,” which is being promoted by industry groups. Although this process might sound like a good way to deal with the plastics problem, environmental advocates warn that it’s not all it’s cracked up to be, according to a cover story in Chemical & Engineering News, an independent news outlet of the American Chemical Society.

Newly developed flexible, porous and highly sensitive nitrogen dioxide sensors that can be applied to skin and clothing have potential applications in health care, environmental health monitoring and military use, according to researchers.