For the first time, scientists have succeeded in artificially mimicking the ion signalling of heart muscle cells. To succeed, researchers at LiU, Sweden, have used organic electronics based on conductive plastics. The findings, published in Nature Communications, open up for new types of prostheses, heart implants and sensors in the long term.

In a new Nature Communications study, researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) and the Institute of Protein Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences have described in detail a structural adaptation supporting the survival of one of the Dead Sea’s few hardy inhabitants — a single-celled archaea called Haloarcula marismortui (H. marismortui). Using single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), the researchers characterized the proteins that form the archaeal filament (also known as archaellum), a long tail-like structure essential for movement.

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have developed a new, entirely bio-based material from a somewhat unexpected ingredient: yeast. The material is 3D printed and customised for use in architectural and interior design elements that are currently made from non-renewable or fossil-based materials, such as plaster, plastic or synthetic textiles. These may be daylight modulating and sunlight protecting screens, room partitions or wall systems.

Quasi-solid-state electrolytes (QSEs) are critical for ultrafast-charging yet high-safety sodium metal batteries (SMBs), yet their implementation is hindered by sluggish Na⁺ transport in bulk and at interfaces. Here, we propose dual interlocked mediator engineering that transcends conventional independent approaches by coupling cationic Sn²⁺ salt with anionic difluoro(oxalato)borate (DFOB⁻) salts to simultaneously regulating bulk ion transport and bilateral interface chemistry. During QSE preparation, Sn²⁺ initiates in situ cationic polymerization, while DFOB⁻ acts as a retarding agent to suppress runaway polymerization. The first interlocking effect in the Sn-FB QSE bulk builds a uniform network, enabling near-unity Na⁺ transference number (0.94) and robust puncture strength (8.5 kPa). During cell operation, Sn²⁺ is reduced to form a hybrid NaSn alloy-based solid-electrolyte interphase, while DFOB⁻ oxidizes to generate a robust yet thin cathode–electrolyte interphase, respectively. This second interlocking effect creates adaptable bilateral interphases that facilitate Na⁺ diffusion and mitigate interfacial degradation. As a result, the symmetric cells exhibit 6000 h stability, and full cells retain 80.1 mAh g^–1 at an ultrafast-charging rate of 15C and retain 90% capacity at 3C over 2000 cycles. Furthermore, high-mass-loading full cells and pressure-free pouch cells are demonstrated, underscoring the potential of dual interlocked mediator engineering for practical SMBs.

Chiral objects can behave differently depending on their handedness. However, existing methods cannot reveal how chirality varies across a material. Researchers from Chiba University developed a terahertz imaging technique that maps right- and left-handed chirality using spiral-shaped light. The researchers visualized different chiral regions on a moiré-type metasurface with a resolution of about 100 μm, marking the first direct observation of spatial chirality distributions within a material.

Food waste recycling is a growing priority for cities seeking to cut landfill use and build a circular bioeconomy. Anaerobic digestion can turn food waste into renewable energy, but it also leaves behind a wet, nutrient-rich residue known as food waste digestate. Composting this digestate can return nutrients to soil, yet the process often loses valuable nitrogen as ammonia and nitrous oxide, reducing compost quality and contributing to air pollution and climate change.

Rice is a staple food for more than half of the world’s population, but in some mining-impacted regions, paddy soils can contain elevated levels of arsenic and antimony. These toxic metalloids can move from soil into rice plants, raising concerns for food safety and human health. A new study published in Biochar reports a promising strategy: a magnetic silicon-enriched biochar gel that can immobilize both arsenic and antimony in contaminated paddy soil and reduce their accumulation in rice grains.