New research introduces a contactless way to see how mirror-image materials respond differently to circularly polarized light, without first building them into a complete electronic device. The researchers developed a novel method based on light-induced charge separation  that allows to directly probe how the material’s structure acts like a microscopic filter, influencing how electrons separate and move. The advance is important because it gives scientists a faster, cleaner way to test promising materials without metal contacts and other parts of a finished device affecting the results. The approach could ultimately help researchers develop new mirror-image materials for technologies that use circularly polarized light, electrical charge, and electron spin.

New computational framework combines architectural expertise, computer vision and phylogenetic modelling to uncover hidden relationships among shophouse styles and support more nuanced heritage conservation.

Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have engineered baker’s yeast to sense and respond to red and blue light. This breakthrough enables scientists to control cell behaviour using light, opening exciting new doors for programmable and predictable biological manufacturing. This is the first time that a single strain of yeast has been engineered to respond to multiple colors of light. Now, the NUS team is boosting its light sensitivity to help produce valuable chemicals and materials.

A renewable polymer with agricultural potential

Modern agriculture faces a difficult balance: raising productivity while reducing dependence on petrochemical fertilizers, pesticides, and plastics. In a review published in Carbon Research, authors led by Hongliang Wang of China Agricultural University examine how lignin, the most abundant natural aromatic polymer, could serve as a versatile platform for eco-friendly agricultural inputs. The article positions lignin valorization within a broader push toward low-carbon, circular agriculture.

The review explains that lignin’s appeal comes from a combination of structural and functional traits. Its phenolic and aliphatic hydroxyl groups, aromatic backbone, antioxidant activity, UV-shielding capacity, antimicrobial behavior, and tunable degradability make it suitable for multiple agricultural uses. Rather than treating lignin as a low-value industrial by-product, the authors describe it as a candidate feedstock for materials that can improve nutrient efficiency, crop protection, and soil performance while reducing pollution.

Engineered a DHB prodrug-based oral nano-emulsion with enhanced bioavailability, dramatically improving the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade therapy