The study introduces an integrated engineering framework that combines transcriptomic analysis with a transcriptome-constrained genome-scale metabolic model (GEM) to identify metabolic engineering targets for enhanced bioplastic production. Rather than relying on conventional trial-and-error strain engineering, the approach predicts genetic modifications that redirect metabolic flux toward product biosynthesis, providing a new strategy for agricultural waste valorization and sustainable biomanufacturing.

A research team led by HONG Sungwoo, Associate Director of the Center for Catalytic Hydrocarbon Functionalizations within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) and Professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), has developed a new molecular editing strategy that can directly convert pyridine compounds into their positional isomers. Instead of moving individual substituents around the molecule, the method relocates the nitrogen atom within the pyridine ring itself, allowing existing molecular structures to be reorganized while preserving their substituents.

Kyoto, Japan -- Close to a phase transition, very different materials can follow the same mathematical rules. The concept of universality, which groups seemingly distinct systems based on their common properties, was developed to describe this phenomenon. In magnetic systems, ferromagnets, ferrimagnets, and antiferromagnets fall into the same universality class when short-range interactions dominate and their spatial and spin dimensionalities coincide. However, this universality has not been established when long-range interactions dominate.

In insulating magnets, long-range coupling may originate from dipole-dipole interactions. However, dipolar-driven mean-field criticality has only been firmly established in ferromagnets, leaving the ferrimagnetic and antiferromagnetic cases unexplored. A collaborative team of researchers from Kyoto University, Tohoku University, and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), set out to bridge this gap.

"Near a phase transition, the microscopically strongest interaction is not always the one that sets the critical rules," explains corresponding author Yusuke Nambu. "Exchange interactions build the ferrimagnetic state, but because dipolar interactions reach much farther, they determine how the material approaches the transition."

A naturally formed water repellent coating on hydrochar could play an overlooked role in protecting carbon from chemical degradation, according to a new study examining hydrochar made from several common plant leaves. The findings suggest that hydrophobic alkyl carbon derived from plant waxes and cutin can act as a protective surface layer, potentially improving the ability of hydrochar to retain carbon in soil.

Acidic soils can make it difficult for crops to obtain nutrients and thrive. Now, researchers have developed a small, carefully selected community of native soil bacteria that can reduce acid stress while helping plants access essential nutrients.

A new study combines interpretable machine learning with laboratory experiments to uncover how the elemental composition of biochar influences persistent free radicals, offering a potential tool for predicting biochar reactivity and environmental risks.

A new imaging system produces clearer images taken through deep tissue, dense fog, or other environments where existing imaging systems struggle. Unlike standard near-infrared systems, it uses low-cost silicon-based detectors. The method could help improve cancer diagnosis and imaging systems used in self-driving cars.

SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) has received a $15,000 grant from the Health Forward Foundation to support an innovative research project aimed at improving the understanding of mechanical ventilation and advancing future respiratory care technologies.

UL Research Institutes today announced that Chao-Yang Wang, Ph.D., an internationally recognized leader in battery science, electrochemical energy systems, and energy storage safety, has been appointed vice president and executive director of its Electrochemical Safety Research Institute. Wang succeeds Judy Jeevarajan, Ph.D., who will continue with UL Research Institutes in a new role as vice president and distinguished scientific advisor.