In situ and computational methods are used to investigate the nature of the dense liquid phase of calcium carbonate and its transformation to the amorphous phase that is common in biomineralization processes.

Drawing inspiration from the antagonistic muscle structure found in insect wings, the authors develop a light-driven self-sustained oscillator that offers high power output.

Non-reciprocal charge transport has potential for applications but is usually weak. Here the authors report a room-temperature divergent non-reciprocal Hall effect in devices made of Pt deposited on Si substrates.

Molecular materials for computing progress intensively but the performance and reliability still lag behind. Here the authors assess the current state of computing with molecular-based materials and describe two issues as the basis of a new computing technology: continued exploration of molecular electronic properties and process development for on-chip integration.

Synthetic hydrogels and immune organs-on-chip mimicking human immune tissue developed from blood samples allow effective modelling of immune responses and B cell disorders, with implications for the development of improved immunotherapies and vaccines.

Two-dimensional monocrystalline gadolinium pentoxide with high dielectric constant and wide bandgap was prepared through van der Waals epitaxy, allowing the realization of sub-1 nm equivalent oxide thickness and low-power nanoelectronics.

Minutes-scale whole-cell movements fuelled by fast cytoskeletal dynamics and nuclear activity regulate mesenchymal stem cells differentiation into chondrocytes in hydrogels, being another process modulating the stem cell fate.

Thermoelectric cooling can occur inside a whole material, but this is usually insignificant compared with Peltier cooling at material interfaces. An electronic phase transition in YbInCu₄ causes substantial Thomson cooling inside the whole material with a temperature drop of 6 K at 38 K.

Benzene is a genotoxic carcinogen with no safe level of exposure. Here, by creating and decorating a structural defect in a metal–organic framework to form MIL-125-Zn, a benzene uptake of 7.63 mmol g^–1 at 1.2 mbar is observed due to binding to Zn(II) sites.

Tissue monolayers avoid rupture at large tensile stresses through a strain-stiffening process governed by intermediate keratin filaments.

Studies are shedding light on the mechanical properties of cellular tissues and their implications for biological processes.

By precisely controlling the phases in materials with reduced dimensionality, the material properties can be tailored, leading to enhanced performance and multifunctionality.

Electrons in solids carry orbital angular momentum in diverse non-equilibrium situations. This orbital current is often overlooked when considering electronic transport. Here we discuss how recent studies of orbital current are enabling more opportunities for technological advancements rooted in angular momentum.

Inspired by non-trivial band topology and the variety of correlated electronic phases in moiré superlattices formed in van der Waals materials, scientists are finding alternative material platforms to exploit the rich phenomena arising from the twist-angle degree of freedom.

The recent landslide election of Labour promises a reset in how UK research is perceived and funded by government.

The generation of attosecond pulses has opened the door to probing electron dynamics at sub-atomic scales. Beyond atomic physics, this field is envisioned to also have a decisive impact on condensed-matter physics, chemistry and biology.