Kyoto, Japan -- Respiratory infections such as COVID-19 have been responsible for numerous pandemics and have placed a substantial burden on healthcare systems. Such viruses can cause significant damage to our lungs, especially to the proximal region, or airway, and distal region, also known as the alveoli.

The responses of different lung regions to such infections are varying and complex, so accurately replicating them using traditional models, such as animals and simple in vitro systems, poses a challenge.

To solve this problem, a team of researchers at Kyoto University has developed a micro physiological system, or MPS, capable of emulating different regions of human lungs. Specifically, their device can simulate the airway and alveoli to investigate viral pathologies. Coupled with isogenic iPSCs, the team is preparing for more personalized and accurate treatment of respiratory diseases.

To address these questions, a research team from Mansoura University, the Agricultural Research Center, and the University of Reading conducted a study in the agricultural provinces of Dakahlia, Giza, and Minya. The study involved 300 farmers using four types of plastic agriculture systems: open-field films, low tunnels, high tunnels, and net houses. Through stratified random sampling and face-to-face interviews, the team analyzed plastic usage characteristics, disposal methods, recycling barriers, and key motivations. The article was recently published in Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering (DOI: 10.15302/J-FASE-2025621).

A team of researchers from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid has developed a groundbreaking technique that maps temperature in three dimensions within biological tissue, using invisible light and artificial intelligence.

The approach, just published in Nature Communications, could transform how we monitor temperature inside the human body, potentially improving early disease detection and treatment monitoring, without the need for costly or invasive imaging technologies.

The world's first thousand-ton-scale ionic liquid-based regenerated cellulose fiber project has officially commenced operations in Henan Province, China. Developed by the Institute of Process Engineering (IPE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the project marks the first large-scale global production of regenerated cellulose fibers using ionic liquids.

In the midst of the co-development of artificial intelligence and robotic advancements, developing technologies that enable robots to efficiently perceive and respond to their surroundings like humans has become a crucial task. In this context, Korean researchers are gaining attention for newly implementing an artificial sensory nervous system that mimics the sensory nervous system of living organisms without the need for separate complex software or circuitry. This breakthrough technology is expected to be applied in fields such as in ultra-small robots and robotic prosthetics, where intelligent and energy-efficient responses to external stimuli are essential.

This article reviews recent advances in flexible electrochromic (EC) devices for wearable electronics, offering in-depth insights into material innovations, device structures, performance metrics, and practical applications. It also highlights the key challenges and future prospects of flexible EC technologies, aiming to bridge the gap between materials research and real-world implementation in smart wearable systems.