Researchers at Capital Normal University and the Henan Academy of Sciences have found that random SERS fluctuations are more than experimental noise: the full intensity distribution evolves systematically with analyte concentration. By combining these concentration-encoded statistical patterns with a compact ResNet4 model, the team accurately identified concentration levels for a model dye, methamphetamine, pesticide residues, and a drug in artificial serum, opening a new route to reliable ultrasensitive SERS quantitation.

YouTube is a popular source of sports content among college students, but engaging with sports videos does not necessarily translate into greater physical activity. Researchers at Seoul National University of Science and Technology surveyed university students, examining whether their motivations and perceptions of YouTube sports content could encourage greater use and physical activity. The findings reveal a gap between online sports engagement and real-world participation, highlighting the need for content that turns interest into action.

When we treat animals better, we feel better, indicates a new study from the UC Davis Green Care Lab with mini horses, donkeys and teens.  

The biologic drug interferon-alpha can benefit patients with blood cancers called myeloproliferative neoplasms by forcing mutant blood stem cells to become shorter-lived white blood cells, according to a study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. Because the broad activity of interferon-alpha can induce significant side effects, developing new focused strategies based on these mechanistic findings could meet an important need in cancer therapy.

Fungi represent a cornerstone of industrial biotechnology, serving as indispensable platforms for the production of enzymes, organic acids, and high-value pharmaceuticals. In the era of synthetic biology and green manufacturing, the engineering of fungal cell factories offers unparalleled opportunities to address global challenges in sustainability, human health, and the circular bioeconomy. This article collection aims to capture the cutting-edge advances in fungal biomanufacturing, ranging from foundational metabolic engineering to the development of robust industrial strains.

Filamentous fungi and yeasts are powerful platforms for sustainable chemical production. As industries shift away from petrochemical-based processes, engineered fungal cell factories offer a renewable route to high-value compounds—from therapeutic alkaloids to biodegradable polymers. By integrating cutting-edge tools like CRISPR-Cas9, biosensors, and dynamic pathway regulation, we can overcome long-standing bottlenecks in titer, rate, and yield. Furthermore, linking fungal biomanufacturing with medicinal plant biomass valorization directly supports the circular bioeconomy, reduces agricultural waste, and enables the sustainable production of bioactive natural products that are otherwise difficult to source.

This collection will serve as a platform for presenting innovative strategies that bridge the gap between laboratory-scale design and industrial-scale application, emphasizing the critical role of fungi in shaping a sustainable manufacturing future. We invite contributions that explore the full spectrum of fungal biotechnology, with a focus on leveraging the unique metabolic versatility of yeast and filamentous fungi. Topics of interest include the design and optimization of fungal cell factories for the sustainable production of biofuels, biopolymers, and high-value natural products. We particularly welcome studies that integrate systems biology, CRISPR-based genome editing, and process engineering to overcome current bottlenecks in titers, yields, and rate of products. Additionally, given the growing significance of traditional medicine and functional foods, this issue will highlight the role of fungal systems in the herb bioprocessing to produce bioactive compounds.

Topics of Interest in details:

Development and optimization of Saccharomyces, Yarrowia, and non-conventional yeasts for industrial applications.

Pathway construction, flux optimization, and dynamic regulation in fungal hosts.

Development of genetic parts, CRISPR-Cas9/12 tools, and biosensors for fungal systems.

Heterologous biosynthesis of terpenoids, flavonoids, alkaloids, polyketides, and fungal secondary metabolites.

Biotransformation, valorization, and sustainable production of bioactive compounds from medicinal plant biomass.

Morphology engineering and harnessing Aspergillus, Trichoderma, and Basidiomycetes for enzyme and chemical production.

Bioprocess design, scaling-up strategies, and techno-economic analysis for fungal-based manufacturing.

 keywords:

Yeast cell factories

Metabolic engineering

Synthetic biology

Natural products

Herb bioprocessing

Filamentous fungi

CRISPR-Cas9

Sustainable bioprocesses

Neurons express many extra-long genes exceeding 100 kb, but how they are accurately read remains unclear. We found that the RNA-binding protein SFPQ uses long RNAs as scaffolds to form meshwork-like nuclear condensates—membraneless assemblies of molecules. These condensates gather factors needed to read genes and process RNA, allowing them to work together. When this system is disrupted, extra-long gene expression decreases, with potential implications for neurological disorders.