{"title":"Making more space for transparency in scientific publishing","authors":"","doi":"10.1038/s44286-025-00274-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-025-00274-y","url":null,"abstract":"Transparency in publishing is a crucial, if subtle, component of scientific discourse. In this Editorial, we highlight some of the ways that the journal is supporting transparency throughout the publishing process.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"2 8","pages":"457-458"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s44286-025-00274-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123288","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Biphasic liquids held in suspense","authors":"Thomas Dursch","doi":"10.1038/s44286-025-00269-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-025-00269-9","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"2 8","pages":"466-466"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123290","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Meisam Zaferani, Ryungeun Song, Ned S. Wingreen, Howard A. Stone, Sabine Petry
{"title":"Boundary-sensing mechanism in branched microtubule networks","authors":"Meisam Zaferani, Ryungeun Song, Ned S. Wingreen, Howard A. Stone, Sabine Petry","doi":"10.1038/s44286-025-00264-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-025-00264-0","url":null,"abstract":"The self-organization of cytoskeletal biopolymers, such as microtubules (MTs), depends on mechanosensing and adaptation to confined spaces such as cellular protrusions. Understanding how these active biopolymers coordinate their formation under confinement leads to advances in bioengineering. Here we report the self-organization of branched MT networks in channels with narrow junctions and closed ends, mimicking cellular protrusions. We find that branching MT nucleation occurs in the post-narrowing region only if this region exceeds a minimum length, determined by MT dynamic instability at the closed end and the timescale for nucleation at a distant point. We term this feedback ‘boundary sensing’. Increasing the amount of branching factor TPX2 in the system accelerates MT nucleation and adjusts this minimum length, but excess TPX2 stabilizes MTs at the closed end, disrupting network formation. We performed experiments and simulations to study how this tunable feedback, wherein growing MTs navigate confinement and create nucleation sites, shapes MT architecture. Our findings impact the understanding of MT self-organization during axonal growth, dendrite formation, plant development, fungal guidance and the engineering of biomaterials. Uncovering the rules of microtubule network self-organization under confinement is key to understanding how cells build structure in complex environments. This study reveals a tunable boundary-sensing feedback mechanism, wherein pioneer microtubules navigate confined environments and generate nucleation sites for new microtubules, thereby shaping network architecture.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"2 8","pages":"498-510"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A sorting and transformation game","authors":"Uwe Thiele","doi":"10.1038/s44286-025-00260-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-025-00260-4","url":null,"abstract":"Uwe Thiele discusses how one might sort dimensionless numbers based on their thermodynamic character, thereby proposing a subgroup structure.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"2 8","pages":"511-511"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123589","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yingjie Guo, Lei Shi, Xinshuo Shi, Tingting Zhao, Weichen Tian, Songlin Zhang, Di Liu, Yanzhe Li, Faping Zhong, Shenlong Zhao
{"title":"Scalable metal–organic framework-based electrodes for efficient alkaline water electrolysis","authors":"Yingjie Guo, Lei Shi, Xinshuo Shi, Tingting Zhao, Weichen Tian, Songlin Zhang, Di Liu, Yanzhe Li, Faping Zhong, Shenlong Zhao","doi":"10.1038/s44286-025-00262-2","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-025-00262-2","url":null,"abstract":"Renewable electricity-driven water splitting is essential for decarbonizing high-emission industries and transportation. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown great promise as catalytic materials for water splitting, but substantial gaps remain between fundamental research and practical application. Here we report the scalable and rapid synthesis of CoCe MOFs for alkaline water-splitting electrolyzers, achieving low energy consumption (4.11 kWh Nm−3 H2) and long-term stability (5,000 h). Experiments indicate that the advantageous physiochemical properties of CoCe MOFs such as lattice distortion and large specific surface area enhance catalytic activity, facilitate water and gas transport and improve electrolyte accessibility to catalytic interfaces in practical devices. Preliminary techno-economic analysis shows that the cost of hydrogen produced from the CoCe MOF-based electrolyzer is US$2.71 kg−1, which is close to the target cost set by the US Department of Energy, and a life cycle assessment indicates that green hydrogen has up to 84.5% lower life cycle carbon emissions than traditional gray hydrogen production pathways. Metal–organic frameworks hold promise as electrocatalysts for water splitting, but their large-scale production remains a challenge. This study reports on a scalable synthetic approach to fabricate large-area metal–organic framework-based electrodes, achieving high catalytic activity and stability in practical alkaline water electrolysis.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"2 8","pages":"474-483"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123582","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Metal–organic-framework-based electrolyzers with mass appeal","authors":"G. Shiva Shanker, Idan Hod","doi":"10.1038/s44286-025-00256-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-025-00256-0","url":null,"abstract":"Renewable-energy-powered electrochemical water splitting is a requisite for a sustainable energy future. Now, a facile approach is developed to produce scalable, low-cost metal–organic framework-based electrocatalysts for energy-efficient, durable alkaline water electrolysis.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"2 8","pages":"470-471"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123586","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Hydrogen therapy for ischemic injuries","authors":"Xi Ren, Yunlong Zhao","doi":"10.1038/s44286-025-00258-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-025-00258-y","url":null,"abstract":"Wireless, portable hydrogel electrochemical systems provide on-demand hydrogen generation and localized delivery, offering a targeted therapeutic solution to mitigate oxidative stress in ischemia-reperfusion injuries while establishing a platform technology for precision gas therapy and controlled drug delivery.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"2 8","pages":"467-469"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123291","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Wen Li, Jing Zhang, Romain Nith, Jiping Yue, Ananth Kamath, Chuanwang Yang, Chen Wei, Brennan Lee, Pengju Li, Hsiu-Ming Tsai, Tiantian Guo, Changxu Sun, Saehyun Kim, Lewis L. Shi, Pedro Lopes, Lihua Jin, Bozhi Tian
{"title":"Hydrogen evolution and dynamics in hydrogel electrochemical cells for ischemia–reperfusion therapy","authors":"Wen Li, Jing Zhang, Romain Nith, Jiping Yue, Ananth Kamath, Chuanwang Yang, Chen Wei, Brennan Lee, Pengju Li, Hsiu-Ming Tsai, Tiantian Guo, Changxu Sun, Saehyun Kim, Lewis L. Shi, Pedro Lopes, Lihua Jin, Bozhi Tian","doi":"10.1038/s44286-025-00259-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-025-00259-x","url":null,"abstract":"Molecular hydrogen (H2) protects organs from reactive oxygen species damage associated with ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury. Existing H2 delivery methods, such as gas inhalation and H2-rich water consumption, target the entire body and experience leakage during administration. Here we engineer a portable hydrogel electrochemical cell that enables on-demand H2 production via the hydrogen evolution reaction. The system enables H2 controlled generation, localized storage and sustained diffusion to the tissue–device interface, with better controllability and sustainability. We conduct a thorough study of H2 evolution and dynamics in the hydrogel system, evaluating the influence of hydrogel polymer composition on the hydrogen evolution reaction kinetics, bubble morphologies and storage. We validate its protective effects (1) in vitro with cardiomyocytes and keratinocytes, (2) ex vivo in I/R hearts and (3) in vivo in skin I/R pressure ulcers. These findings demonstrate the potential of the hydrogel electrochemical cell design for efficient and sustainable H2 delivery in I/R therapy, which could be broadly applied in other gas-based therapies and drug delivery research. A wearable hydrogel-based electrochemical platform is presented for on-demand hydrogen gas therapy, enabling localized gas generation, storage and sustained delivery. This device offers a therapeutic modality for treating ischemia–reperfusion heart disease and skin bedsores, expanding bioelectronics applications in gas-phase chemical delivery.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"2 8","pages":"484-497"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123292","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Toward a more effective engineered biology","authors":"Sung Gyung Lee, Hal S. Alper","doi":"10.1038/s44286-025-00263-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-025-00263-1","url":null,"abstract":"Engineered biology has long been touted as a sustainable avenue for producing the world’s energy, chemicals and food. However, substantial challenges in scalability, economic competitiveness and resource use have hindered its industrial translatability. This Comment discusses emerging strategies to increase the competitiveness of this technology by rethinking the microbial host, feedstock, product landscapes and applications.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"2 8","pages":"459-462"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123289","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}