Perspectives

This Perspective introduces the Neuromorphic Twin, designed to emulate and interact in real time with a biological neuronal network and to co-evolve with it over time, enabling more personalized and effective treatments for brain disorders.

One often overlooked aspect in microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is the catholyte composition. Here, the authors review how catholyte design impacts MES performance at microbial, electrochemical, and process levels and propose a decision-making framework for process-specific formulation.

Synthetic rubber poses a growing environmental challenge due to its non-recyclable nature. This Perspective examines emerging post-polymerization modification strategies for rubber waste spanning catalytic, metal-free, and catalyst-free approaches, and evaluates their alignment with Green and Circular Chemistry principles.

Multi-layer film packaging revolutionized food preservation by combining diverse material layers to optimize barrier properties, mechanical strength, and shelf-life but they pose significant recycling challenges due to their structural complexity. This perspective examines key structure-property relationships governing barrier performance and highlights innovations in material design.

Africa’s public health genomics capacity has expanded substantially since the COVID-19 pandemic; however, workforce development is currently constrained by access, cost and sustainability. In this Perspective, the authors present virtual reality as a strategic tool for sustainable and equitable capacity building in genomics.

Bicyclo[1.1.1]pentane (BCP) is a valuable three-dimensional bioisostere of benzene. This Perspective highlights emerging, propellane-free strategies to access multisubstituted and bridge-functionalized BCP derivatives, assesses their scope and limitations, and outlines remaining challenges.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global challenge. In this Perspective, authors highlight the unique role of early-career researchers (ECRs) in the transdisciplinary progress in AMR research.

Astrobiology’s insights from biological systems and extreme environments on Earth can directly advance sustainable technologies, from energy production to bioremediation. This perspective urges a deliberate translation of astrobiology to applied sciences to support both planetary stewardship and the search for life beyond Earth.

Ibanez et al. introduce multimodal diversity, a synergistic framework integrating multimodal brain metrics, whole-body health, and exposomic data through neurosyndemic computational modeling to advance context-sensitive precision brain health across global settings.

Operando infrared spectroscopy tracks surface species during catalysis. Here, the authors report that some observed adsorbates act as storage rather than active sites, emphasizing the need for cautious interpretation of kinetic and spectroscopic data in CO oxidation and hydrogenation reactions.

Mobility impairment reduces autonomy and social participation. Here, the authors discuss how wearable technologies are transforming assisted mobility towards more adaptive, intuitive, and user-centered solutions.

Phage therapy shows promise for treating bacterial infections, including those resistant to antibiotics, but its development faces scientific and regulatory hurdles. This Perspective outlines the regulatory landscape in TATFAR member states and their collaborative effort to advance phage therapy.

In this Perspective, the authors provide a view on the state of the microbiome research in Latin America and the Caribbean, and present the Latinbiota Consortium, a collaborative network to foster inclusive participation by regional researchers within global microbiome science.

Orphan crops hold great potential to address global food security challenges. Here, the authors review recent advances in orphan crop genomics and discuss the potential for accelerating orphan crop breeding by integrating de novo domestication, speed breeding, and AI-assisted phenomics.

This paper proposes a research agenda towards the more just, equitable and effective integration of gender into blue carbon initiatives. It is a call-to-action towards closing the gender gap in the conservation and restoration of these ecosystems.

Drug-tolerant persister (DTP) cells are a rare subpopulation of cancer cells that can survive chemotherapy through reversible non-genetic mechanisms. Here, the authors provide their perspective on the existing gaps and outline the research paths still required to bridge basic DTP research with effective clinical strategies.