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Category: engineering

Hybrid ‘super foam’ uses 3D-printed struts to absorb up to 10 times more energy

Aerospace engineering and materials science researchers at Texas A&M University and the DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory have developed a “super foam” that can absorb up to 10 times more energy than conventional padding.

The composite, published and described in the journal of Composite Structures, combines an ordinary foam with 3D-printed injections of stretchy, plastic columns known as struts.

The result? An affordable, lightweight and ultra-durable hybrid foam poised to redefine the defense, automotive, aerospace and consumer industries.

A CRISPR-based mitochondrial gene therapy tool derived by engineering guide RNAs

Wang et al. systematically analyzed mitochondria-localized lncRNAs to reveal that RBP-motif recognition drives RNA mitochondrial translocation, leading to the engineering of an RNA mitochondrial targeting sequence (RMTS). Fusing RMTS with sgRNA promotes sgRNA mitochondrial entry, establishing a CRISPR-based mitochondrial DNA editing system that ameliorates heteroplasmic mtDNA mutation diseases.

Copper Single-Atoms Loaded on Molybdenum Disulphide Drive Bacterial Cuproptosis-Like Death and Interrupt Drug-Resistance Compensation Pathways

111. Wenqi Wang, Xiaolong Wei, Bolong Xu, Hengshuo Gui, Yan Yan*, Huiyu Liu* & Xianwen Wang* Nano-Micro Lett. 18,111 (2026).

This work is led by Prof. Dr. Xianwen Wang (Anhui Medical University) and co-workers. Prof. Wang’s research centers on burn wounds and tissue regeneration, burn infection, design and development of antimicrobial nanomaterials, development of anti-inflammatory nano-formulations and study on their anti-inflammatory mechanisms. This article develops copper single-atom-loaded MoS₂ nanozymes (Cu SAs/MoS₂) that combat drug-resistant bacteria through a triple mechanism of oxidative damage, cuproptosis-like death, and disrupted cell wall synthesis. Density functional theory reveals that Cu coordination enhances H₂O₂ adsorption, reducing activation energy by 17% and boosting peroxidase-like activity, while glutathione peroxidase-like activity disrupts redox homeostasis and inhibition of peptidoglycan synthesis blocks cell wall remodeling, collectively enabling efficient bacterial killing and decelerating resistance development.

Related articles: Cactus Thorn-Inspired Janus Nanofiber Membranes as a Water Diode for Light-Enhanced Diabetic Wound Healing https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-025-01904-z Synergistic Ferroptosis–Immunotherapy Nanoplatforms: Multidimensional Engineering for Tumor Microenvironment Remodeling and Therapeutic Optimization https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-025-01862-6 Wearable Ultrasound Devices for Therapeutic Applications https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-025-01890-2

The development of highly efficient and multifunctional nanozymes holds promise for addressing the challenges posed by drug-resistant bacteria. Here, copper single-atom-loaded MoS2 nanozymes (Cu SAs/MoS2) were developed to effectively combat drug-resistant bacteria by synergistically integrating the triple strategies of oxidative damage, cuproptosis-like death and disruption of cell wall synthesis. Density functional theory revealed that each Cu center coordinated with three sulfur ligands, enhancing the adsorption of H2O2, which reduced the activation energy of the key step by 17%, thereby improving peroxidase-like (POD-like) activity. The generation of reactive oxygen species in combination with Cu SAs/MoS2 glutathione peroxidase-like (GSH-Px-like) for glutathione scavenging resulted in an imbalance in redox homeostasis within bacteria.

New study shows how sickle cell affects brain function

Sickle cell disease is often thought of solely as a blood disorder, but new research from the Wood Neuro Research Group provides measurable evidence that it can reshape how brain networks function. Previous neuroimaging studies have relied on functional connectivity to show that adults with sickle cell disease may experience changes in how brain networks communicate among one another, potentially compensating for reduced oxygen delivery. However, this method is limited in determining the directionality or influence between networks.

“Red blood cells that carry oxygen to the brain are altered by the disease, resulting in reduced oxygen delivery to all regions of the brain and long-term changes in how it functions,” outlined Nahom Mossazghi, biomedical engineering Ph.D. student and the study’s first author. “The brain actively recruits other regions to help process information, which we do not see in people without the disease.”

The study, published in Human Brain Mapping, used MRI and advanced analytical tools originally developed in economics to examine how different brain networks influence one another. Instead of functional connectivity, effective connectivity was used to address a gap in the field and interpret how specific networks support one another in response to the disease-related changes.

Listening to the body’s quietest, yet most dynamic movements with a wearable sensor

The human body continuously generates a rich spectrum of vibrations—often without us ever noticing. Everyday unconscious activities such as breathing, speaking, and swallowing all produce subtle yet distinct mechanical signals. Although these faint vibrations carry valuable information about physiological state, they have long been difficult to capture accurately using conventional wearable devices.

Recently, a research team led by Professor Kilwon Cho of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), along with Ph.D. candidate Kang Hyuk Cho and postdoctoral researcher Dr. Jeng-Hun Lee, has developed a wearable vibration sensor capable of precisely detecting these subtle yet highly dynamic signals, without requiring any external power source. This breakthrough opens new possibilities for wearable medical and health care technologies and demonstrates strong potential as a core sensing platform for next-generation smart devices. The work was published in the inaugural issue of Nature Sensors.

Sounds produced by the human body span a wide range of frequencies. Physiological signals such as breathing, swallowing, and speech typically occur at lower frequencies, while sounds such as coughing or groaning emerge at relatively higher frequencies. Accurately capturing these signals requires precise detection of the minute vibrations transmitted to the skin surface across a broad frequency spectrum.

Functional photoacoustic microscopy reaches super-resolution by tracking red blood cells

The brain relies on real-time delivery of oxygen and nutrients through its microvasculature, which threads through neural tissue like electrical wires. While modern imaging technologies allow researchers to follow the activity of individual neurons in the brain, they are not yet advanced enough to dissect the microvascular function at a comparable spatial scale. This gap hinders our understanding of cerebral small vessel disease and its contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia.

To address this challenge, a team of researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and Northwestern University, led by Song Hu, professor of biomedical engineering in the McKelvey School of Engineering, have developed super-resolution functional photoacoustic microscopy (SR-fPAM).

By tracking the movement and oxygenation-dependent color change of red blood cells, SR-fPAM allows researchers to image blood flow and oxygenation at single-cell resolution in the mouse brain, which bridges a critical gap in functional microvascular imaging and could provide new insight into microvascular health and disease, such as stroke, vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Discovery of energetic ionic cocrystals via high-throughput virtual screening

Researchers developed a faster, more targeted way to design ionic cocrystals (ICCs) of the energetic oxidizer ammonium dinitramide (ADN).

Using high‑throughput virtual screening with the CSD Python interface and RDKit, followed by quick experimental tests, they identified and synthesized a new ADN cocrystal with oxalyl dihydrazide (OHD).

Read the full paper here.

Ionic cocrystals (ICCs) offer a promising strategy to tailor the properties of energetic oxidizers like ammonium dinitramide (ADN). However, the current design process of ADN-based ICCs remains heavily reliant on empirical trial-and-error methods, which significantly impedes development efficiency and presents a fundamental challenge in balancing energy performance and hygroscopicity. Herein, we leverage a high-throughput virtual screening strategy to identify coformers of ADN cocrystals that meet requirements for structures and performances, integrating the CSD Python interface and RDKit via custom Python scripts. Combined with rapid experimental screening, the first ADN cocrystal with balanced hygroscopicity and energy is successfully synthesized using a commercially available coformer oxalyl dihydrazide (OHD). The resulting ADN/OHD cocrystal exhibits a positive oxygen balance of +4.37%, enhanced moisture resistance and thermal stability. Moreover, compared to pure ADN, ADN/OHD delivers a 27.6% higher specific impulse, along with excellent green processability and engineering scalability. This work establishes a rational and scalable approach for developing perchlorate-free oxidizer cocrystals with well-balanced properties, and also provides a generalizable paradigm for the performance-oriented design of ICCs.

Pnictogen-bonding-crosslinked polymer networks: constructing self-healing materials

Herein, we introduce pnictogen bonding interaction into polymer networks for the design and modulation of dynamic macromolecular materials. Several types of polymeric pnictogen-bonding networks with graded interaction strengths were constructed to explore the structure–property relationship. Comprehensive investigations revealed that strengthening the pnictogen bonding significantly enhances the topological stability of the resulting materials. In contrast, analogous hydrogen-bonded networks did not exhibit comparable mechanical reinforcement. Moreover, the pnictogen-bonding networks endow the materials with tunable self-healing capability, allowing not only spontaneous healing at room temperature and thermally triggered healing on demand, but also effective healing in aqueous environments. This represents the first exploration of self-healing behavior driven by pnictogen bonding in polymeric materials. Mechanistic insights into the role of pnictogen bonding in polymer networks were elucidated through NMR titration of donor–acceptor polymer pairs, comparative self-assembly behavior, and cocrystal structures of small-molecule analogues. The incorporation of pnictogen bonding interaction into polymer networks provides a robust and versatile platform for engineering high-performance dynamic polymeric materials.

Large-Scale Neuromorphic Spiking Array Processors: A Quest to Mimic the Brain

Neuromorphic engineering (NE) encompasses a diverse range of approaches to information processing that are inspired by neurobiological systems, and this feature distinguishes neuromorphic systems from conventional computing systems. The brain has evolved over billions of years to solve difficult engineering problems by using efficient, parallel, low-power computation. The goal of NE is to design systems capable of brain-like computation. Numerous large-scale neuromorphic projects have emerged recently. This interdisciplinary field was listed among the top 10 technology breakthroughs of 2014 by the MIT Technology Review and among the top 10 emerging technologies of 2015 by the World Economic Forum.

These biological computers actually use neurons

In this video we look into one of the developing areas of computing: wetware. Most specifically neuromorphic computing, a science which uses actual neurons on chips.

We talk to Cortical labs, the company that developed the pong-playing dish brain, and professor Thomas Hartung to understand what the benefits of this technology are.

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