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Category: chemistry

Fluorescence imaging technique reveals hidden magnetic chemistry in living systems

A research team at the University of Tokyo has developed a new microscopy platform that can observe a previously hidden layer of biomolecular chemistry linked to weak magnetic fields. The work, led by Project Researcher Noboru Ikeya and Professor Jonathan R. Woodward at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, addresses a long-standing technical gap in life-science measurement: Many important intermediates in spin-dependent reactions are “dark” molecules that do not emit light directly and therefore escape conventional fluorescence imaging.

To solve this, the team combined two precisely timed light pulses with a synchronized nanosecond magnetic pulse. The approach, called pump-field-probe fluorescence microscopy, compares signals as the magnetic field switches at different points in time. This comparison isolates the spin-dependent part of the chemistry and reveals precisely how magnetically sensitive intermediates appear and disappear. The findings are published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

The researchers validated the method in flavin-based model systems that are widely used to study biologically relevant photochemistry. They showed that the platform can recover reaction lifetimes and magnetic responses with high sensitivity, including at low concentrations matching cellular conditions. The system was capable of detecting very small signal changes under practical low-damage single-experiment per frame settings, an important step toward future live-cell studies.

Advancing synthetic cells: A more flexible system to replicate cellular functions

Creating artificial systems that mimic the functioning of cells is one of the goals of what is known as synthetic biology. These models, known as synthetic or biomimetic cells, allow some of the basic processes of life to be reproduced in the laboratory to better understand how natural cells work and develop new technologies. In this context, a study involving a team of researchers from the Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS) of the University of Santiago (USC) proposes a more flexible chemical strategy to create this type of system.

The objective, explain the researchers, is to design structures that mimic certain cellular functions and that can be used as small chemical reactors. The study is published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

“The idea is to try to replicate cellular functions at the level of encapsulation of communication enzymes,” explains researcher Lucas García, referring to artificial systems capable of recreating processes that in real cells allow, for example, different reactions to take place within the same compartment.

Stitching precise patterns—with lasers

Just as embroiderers, with needle and thread, can transform plain fabric into an intricate pattern, engineers can use lasers and polymers to create flexible, complex structures that could transform life-saving sensing technology. An interdisciplinary team at the University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering has developed a new manufacturing strategy that reveals where and how laser-induced graphene (LIG) forms on polymers.

The research opens new opportunities for flexible microelectrodes and neurochemical biosensors.

“Miniaturizing Laser-Induced Graphene for Biosensors by Spatial Control of Initiation and Side-Selective Microfabrication on Commercial Polymers” was selected as a cover feature in Issue 7 of the Advanced Materials Technologies, published in April 2026.

New detector triples the speed of electron camera, enabling higher sensitivity

An instrument that uses high-energy electrons to take “snapshots” of ultrafast chemical processes at the atomic and molecular level just got a major upgrade. Researchers have conducted the first experiment using a new detector, installed in the megaelectronvolt ultrafast electron diffraction (MeV-UED) instrument, at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.

This detector is the first to keep pace with the MeV-UED’s maximum electron production rate of 1,080 electron pulses per second. Compared to the previous detector’s maximum rate, the new detector collects three times more data over the same time span, drastically improving the instrument’s efficiency and sensitivity.

“With this new detector, we’re able to read out each individual pulse of electrons from the instrument,” said Alexander Reid, MeV-UED facility director. “That gives us a much more powerful way of examining the experimental data to answer our science questions.”

Advancements in organoid models emulating metastatic niches

Metastatic niche in organoid models.

The mortality rate of cancer patients remains high, mainly due to the lack of metastasis-tailored treatments, highlighting the need for alternative experimental approaches that capture metastatic development in a human context.

Human-induced pluripotent stem cell derived organoids cocultured with cancer cells (‘chimeroids’) have the potential to emulate aspects of colonized organ specific microenvironments and offer an alternative platform for target identification and drug discovery, as these models are amenable to scalable genetic and chemical perturbation screens.

Conceptually, organoid models have progressed from epithelial-only organoids to multilineage, niche enriched systems incorporating stromal, vascular, and tissue-resident immune components, thereby bringing in vitro models closer to organ-specific metastatic microenvironments.

Yet no single organoid model fully recapitulates the entire complexity of an organ in vivo; thus, model selection must be driven by the specific scientific question, ensuring that the relevant stage of metastatic development and organ microenvironment are appropriately represented. ScienceMission sciencenewshighlights https://sciencemission.com/organoid-models-emulating-metastatic-niches

Metastases cause most cancer-related deaths, underscoring the need for therapies targeting metastatic stages, including the tumor microenvironment. Yet translating biological insights into treatments remains difficult. Preclinical metastasis research largely relies on rodent models, which have species-specific limitations and are incompatible with large-scale perturbation screens in a human context. Human organoids aim to emulate organ microenvironments in vitro and, when cocultured with cancer cells, can provide complementary models. These ‘chimeroids’ may enable scalable studies of cancer–microenvironment interactions and support genetic and pharmacological screens to discover new targets, offering insights into the final, often lethal step of metastasis—tissue colonization.

Continue reading “Advancements in organoid models emulating metastatic niches” | >

Restoring mitochondrial function in dendritic cells to treat cancer

To counteract this effect, researchers introduced dendritic cells with high mitochondrial activity into tumors in preclinical mouse models, restoring immunogenic activity and improving tumor control.

Immunotherapies for cancer, such as immune checkpoint blockade, have greatly improved care for many malignancies, but have not been successful in all cancers. To determine if their findings could help make immunotherapy more effective in tumor-bearing mice, the investigators compared the therapeutic effects of administering dendritic cells with high mitochondrial activity in combination with immune checkpoint blockade with those of either treatment alone.

“We saw the most pronounced therapeutic effect in mice treated with the combination of dendritic cells that had high mitochondrial activity and immune checkpoint blockade,” said co-first author. “Those combinations synergistically slowed or stopped tumor growth and extended survival far more than either treatment alone.”

To test one combination therapy’s long-term effects, the researchers exposed treated mice to a new tumor months later. Those mice also stopped the new tumor’s growth, indicating durable, long-term immune memory was successfully established.

To better understand the relationship between mitochondrial function and dendritic cells, the researchers examined key metabolic pathways affected by the tumor microenvironment. They identified a signaling axis composed of two proteins, OPA1 and NRF1, that regulate communication between mitochondria and the nucleus. Their expression was greatly downregulated in dendritic cells during tumor progression. Within tumors, that circuit’s downregulation acts as a metabolic switch, in effect telling the cell that it is in an energy crisis, leading dendritic cells to shut down their nonessential functions, including immunogenic activity. Science Mission sciencenewshighlights.

Scientists have discovered how tumors disable immune “gatekeeper” cells that alert the rest of the immune system to the presence of cancer — and how restoring their energy production can improve immunotherapy. Dendritic cells activate the cytotoxic immune cells that destroy cancer. The researchers found that tumors reduce dendritic cell function by decreasing their mitochondrial fitness, thus preventing formation of the anticancer immune response.

Continue reading “Restoring mitochondrial function in dendritic cells to treat cancer” | >

MXene breakthrough boosts conductivity 160x with perfect atomic order

A new technique known as the GLS method takes a very different approach. Instead of relying on harsh chemicals, it starts with solid materials called MAX phases and uses molten salts along with iodine vapor to form MXene sheets. This process allows researchers to control which halogen atoms, including chlorine, bromine, or iodine, attach to the surface.

The result is a much cleaner material. The surface atoms are arranged in a uniform and highly ordered way, and unwanted impurities are greatly reduced. The team demonstrated the versatility of this approach by successfully producing MXenes from eight different MAX phases.

Breaking fuel cell barriers: New platinum catalyst brings high-efficiency hydrogen vehicles closer to commercialization

A research team has developed a next-generation platinum-based catalyst that improves both activity and durability in hydrogen fuel cells. The study is published in Advanced Materials. The team was led by Professor Sang Uck Lee of the School of Chemical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University, with Ph.D. candidate Jun Ho Seok as a co-first author and Dr. Sung Chan Cho, in collaboration with Professor Kwangyeol Lee’s team at Korea University and Dr. Sung Jong Yoo’s team at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST).

Hydrogen fuel cells generate electricity through the electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen and are considered a promising clean energy technology. However, their broader commercialization has been hindered by the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the cathode and by catalyst degradation during long-term operation.

Conventional platinum-based intermetallic catalysts are known for their structural stability, but their atomic composition and arrangement are difficult to tune precisely. This has limited efforts to optimize their electronic structure and has made it challenging to achieve both high catalytic activity and long-term durability under demanding operating conditions, such as those required for hydrogen-powered vehicles.

High-throughput platform helps engineer fast-acting covalent protein drugs

A team led by principal investigators Bobo Dang and Ting Zhou at Westlake University/Westlake Laboratory have developed a high-throughput platform for engineering fast-acting covalent protein therapeutics. Their study, titled “A high-throughput selection system for fast-acting covalent protein drugs” published in Science, opens new avenues for next-generation biologics.

Covalent small-molecule drugs have shown great success in cancer therapy by forming irreversible bonds with their targets. This has inspired efforts to extend covalent strategies to protein therapeutics, especially engineered miniproteins. However, their development is limited by a kinetic mismatch: Miniproteins are rapidly cleared in vivo, whereas covalent bond formation is typically slow. In addition, high-throughput platforms for systematically optimizing covalent protein reactivity have been lacking.

To address this challenge, the researchers proposed that precise spatial positioning of chemical warheads within protein scaffolds could enable molecular preorganization, thereby accelerating covalent bond formation without increasing intrinsic reactivity.

World’s largest quantum circuit simulation for quantum chemistry achieved on 1,024 GPUs

A joint research team between the Center for Quantum Information and Quantum Biology (QIQB) at The University of Osaka and Fixstars Corporation has demonstrated one of the world’s largest classical simulations of iterative quantum phase estimation (IQPE) circuits for quantum chemistry on up to 1,024 GPUs, surpassing the previous 40-qubit limit. The result expands the scale of molecular systems available for the development and validation of quantum algorithms for future fault-tolerant quantum computers, supporting progress toward industrial applications in drug discovery and materials development.

The paper was presented at NVIDIA GTC 2026, held in San Jose, California, March 16–19, 2026.

Overcoming unresolved challenges in drug discovery and developing new materials to address climate change will require advanced quantum chemical calculations beyond the reach of current technology. Against this backdrop, fault-tolerant quantum computers (FTQC) are widely anticipated as a key enabling technology, making it increasingly important to develop and validate, ahead of their deployment, the quantum algorithms that will eventually run on such systems.

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