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Academic research plays a central role in the translational ecosystem, sitting on one end of the valley of death, that is, the gap between preclinical research and real-world clinical applications. Considering clinical need and applicability early in research and development, and knowing about regulatory and commercialization processes, may help academics push innovations across the valley.
Vaccination and immune-regulation strategies are crucial for the prevention and treatment of respiratory infectious diseases. This Review discusses the design and optimization of nanomedicines for vaccines and immunotherapeutics for respiratory infectious diseases.
In addition to systemic inequity, the lack of adequate parental leave conditions at many US institutions can negatively affect career trajectories for women in STEM. Support structures are needed at the institutional, departmental and funding agency level to promote the success of pregnant women and parents with childcare responsibilities in academia.
Microbial engineering can enable the development of cell factories that produce value-added chemicals from various feedstocks. This Review highlights recent efforts to engineer microorganisms for the utilization of various waste streams for sustainable bioproduction and presents state-of-the-art strategies that can accelerate the advancement towards a bio-based circular economy.
The human microbiome plays a central role in health and disease. This Review discusses the design of human organ-on-a-chip platforms to model host–microbiome interactions in vitro and investigate microbiome-associated diseases as well as microbiome-mediated interventions.
Social connections are an important means for people to cope with adversity and illness. Thus, technologies, such as social network analysis, that can leverage close, face-to-face social networks could help optimize healthcare interventions and reduce healthcare-related costs, particularly in low-resource settings.
Engineered food has taken the step out of laboratories and started entering the market. However, whether engineered food technologies present a real opportunity for systemic change will depend on research advances, socio-political and economic considerations and acceptance by consumers.
Access to prosthetic and orthotic devices remains limited in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to the lack of manufacturing and specialized healthcare facilities, and the limited access to skilled, certified medical personnel. Rise Bionics makes devices with digital fabrication and access-conscious engineering to increase accessibility and affordability.
Diffusion models are deep-learning-based generative models that can generate new data from input parameters. This Review discusses applications of diffusion models in bioinformatics and computational biology.
Rehabilitation after ischaemic stroke can promote only limited recovery for many patients with stroke. This Review discusses how the distinctly reparative environment of the subacute time window after stroke can inform the design of biology-driven biomaterial-based stroke therapies.
Robotics technologies are finding their way into the food production chain, from agriculture robots ‘working’ on farms, to 3D food printers generating customized dishes in the kitchen. In this Viewpoint, two roboticists, Hod Lipson and Salah Sukkarieh, discuss the possible roles of robotics in shaping the future of food, highlighting how robots may be able to produce more, healthier and sustainable foods with fewer resources and a lower carbon footprint.
Bacteria-based living drugs can treat a broad range of diseases. This Review discusses challenges to the clinical translation of engineered bacterial therapeutics and how advances in synthetic biology and nanomedicine can help overcome them.
Cellular agriculture can be applied for the production of milk bioactives for infant nutrition to bring infant formula functionality closer to human milk. This Review discusses cell-based biotechnology approaches, applying microbial-based (precision fermentation) or cell culture-based methods, to produce functional and complex milk bioactives.
Academic bullying, discrimination and harassment affect the health and careers of many academics. Voices calling on action against academic bullying are getting louder. Empowering individuals to speak up will further turn up the volume to finally reduce the gap between anti-bullying policy drafts and genuine actions.
The scientific narrative around food biotechnologies, such as genetically modified crops, is ineffective at predicting their role in the development and change of agricultural practices and food. Here, we suggest placing the scientific discussion of new food technologies in the context of the political and economic forces that shape agriculture.
Gene editing may shape the future of foods, providing a sustainable solution for obtaining food products of high yield and nutritional value. This Review discusses the capabilities and applications of CRISPR–Cas-based gene editing of food, highlighting the technologies for improving the nutritional value of crops and animal and probiotic food products, and summarizing regulatory policies worldwide.
Point-of-care (POC) diagnostics are particularly important in resource-limited settings. To ensure their sustainability, deployment and uptake by underserved communities, systemic, infrastructural, operational and logistical limitations need to be addressed.
The emerging field of genetically targeted chemical assembly (GTCA) uses cell-specific genetic information to instruct chemical synthesis in situ. This Perspective discusses recent progress in GTCA and outlines opportunities for expanding the GTCA toolbox and diversifying applications.
