Information on clinical trial progress and outcomes of implanted brain–computer interfaces (iBCIs) remains limited. This Review provides a comprehensive survey of all identified clinical trials of iBCIs for communication, motor control or restoration of tactile perception conducted from the first chronic implantation in 1998 to December 2023.

Stem cell-based embryo models can recapitulate developmental processes such as tissue patterning and morphogenetic events from pre-implantation to early organogenesis. This Review discusses how bioengineering approaches can be used to generate more efficient, controllable, reproducible and scalable embryo models.

Synthetic data can be created by deep generative models to address challenges associated with real data, such as privacy issues, bias and data scarcity. This Review discusses the generation and application of synthetic data in biomedicine and bioengineering, including quality assessment and validation.

The FDA Modernization Act 2.0 allows bioengineered models in drug testing, including benchtop testing and computational models. These alternatives to animal testing may particularly advance drug discovery in reproductive and pregnancy research.

Women’s health research has long been underfunded, in part owing to stigmas associated with conditions that primarily affect women. Equitable health research funding requires transparency from funding agencies, investment in women-centred innovations, support for women in science and a cultural shift in how health issues are viewed.

Stem cell-based embryo models can recapitulate developmental processes such as tissue patterning and morphogenetic events from pre-implantation to early organogenesis. This Review discusses how bioengineering approaches can be used to generate more efficient, controllable, reproducible and scalable embryo models.

Synthetic data can be created by deep generative models to address challenges associated with real data, such as privacy issues, bias and data scarcity. This Review discusses the generation and application of synthetic data in biomedicine and bioengineering, including quality assessment and validation.

An article in Communications Engineering presents a robotic optical coherence tomography system that offers robust, flexible and automatic scanning of the surface of a full kidney for quality assessment prior to transplantation.

The FDA Modernization Act 2.0 allows bioengineered models in drug testing, including benchtop testing and computational models. These alternatives to animal testing may particularly advance drug discovery in reproductive and pregnancy research.

The establishment of a global bioeconomy will be driven by advances in synthetic biology, bioengineering tools and artificial intelligence. However, achieving a net-zero bioeconomy requires overcoming technological, regulatory and societal challenges to disrupt the current fossil-fuel-based model and place nature at the centre of decision-making.

Optoacoustic (photoacoustic) imaging has seen considerable growth in technological advances and clinical application over the past decade. This piece critically discusses whether optoacoustic imaging can become a mainstream clinical modality.

Photochemistry enables biomaterials to be made and modified with high spatiotemporal and dose-dependent precision. In this Review, the authors investigate the recent and parallel developments in light-based chemistries and manufacturing technologies and discuss their combined applications in probing and directing 4D cell fate.

Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) has generated much interest in preclinical studies and shows great potential for clinical translation. Here, the authors discuss the fundamentals of PAI technology, key findings from pilot and clinical patient studies, challenges to the clinical translation of PAI, and the need for standardization for PAI to be adopted into healthcare systems.