Giving AI a classic psychological test reveals an inherent weakness in LLM decision-making abilities.

A new study demonstrates that preloading plant-derived cellulose scaffolds with growth factors supports the cost-efficient proliferation and differentiation of bovine stem cells for cultivated meat. By binding these vital proteins directly to an anisotropic, directionally frozen framework instead of dispersing them in liquid media, this method achieves high-quality tissue development using up to ten times fewer expensive factors. Upon multi-week cultivation and subsequent pan-frying, the cell-bound constructs show partially similar mechanical and visual responses to traditional sirloin cuts

The new computer, co-funded by the European Commission and the Government of Spain with an investment of €9.8 million, adds new capabilities to the European supercomputing and quantum computing landscape by presenting an analog coding technology, complementary to the quantum system previously installed at BSC

Cytochrome P450 enzymes are promising biocatalysts for greener chemical manufacturing, but many remain difficult to study because their activity relies on unidentified partner proteins. Now, researchers from Japan have engineered the P450 enzyme CYP107J1 from Bacillus subtilis into a new hydrogen peroxide-driven form that no longer requires these partners. The modified enzyme exhibited 28-fold higher catalytic activity than its natural counterpart and efficiently produced indigo dye, demonstrating a promising strategy towards sustainable oxidation chemistry.

A pioneering technology capable of converting lignin, one of the world's most abundant organic compounds, into vanillin and biodegradable materials has been unveiled by the University of Alicante (UA), in collaboration with the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV). The study, published today in the prestigious journal Nature Communications, offers a sustainable method for repurposing plant waste and identifies viable alternatives to the fossil fuels that currently drive the chemical industry. For the first time, scientists have successfully processed this agricultural by-product into biodegradable plasticisers suitable for 3D printing.

While energy generation and transmission grids have traditionally been strictly protected as part of critical infrastructure, the cybersecurity of the energy retail sector has received far less attention. A new study in the field of industrial management, shows that the sector is increasingly targeted by hybrid threats and cyberattacks: retail organisations process sensitive personal, consumption and location data of millions of Europeans and are closely interconnected with broader energy systems that are essential for the continuity of societal functions.

ETH Zurich researchers are combining stem cells with magnetoelectric nanoparticles to create controllable microrobots. These microrobots can be precisely guided to the site of a spinal cord injury, where they apply an alternating magnetic field to stimulate cell development. In experiments on zebrafish and mice, the microrobots accelerated the regeneration of nerve cells, significantly improving motor function.