Research Highlights in 2020

An article in Science Advances reports the design of biodegradable bile salt microparticles for localized fat dissolution.

An article in Nature Materials reports 3D bioprinting of functional kidney organoids for high-throughput drug screening.

An article in Advanced Materials reports the shape preservation of composite materials during compositional changes, and reveals how the magnetic, actuating and catalytic properties of selected materials may lead to applications in the future.

An article in Nature Electronics reports the generation, control and detection of magnetic skyrmions using thermal effects.

An article in Advanced Healthcare Materials reports a tumour-on-a-chip platform for the high throughput-screening of cancer drugs.

An article in Communications Materials reports untethered magnetic soft robots that can perform large-degree deformations at high frequencies in low magnetic fields.

An article in Physical Review X reports the first experimental measurement of the intra-atomic exchange interaction in rare-earth atoms.

An article in Nature Materials reports a nanoparticle dose threshold above which nanoparticle accumulation in the tumour substantially increases.

An article in Science reports a modelling approach to estimate the effectiveness of different intervention scenarios aimed at reducing plastic pollution.

An article in Nature Communications reports a 2D halide perovskite scintillator for the detection of β-rays and nuclear leakage.

An article in Angewandte Chemie International Edition reports water oxidation using a linear conjugated polymer photocatalyst.

An article in Nature Materials reports the control of the mechanical properties of a 2D magnet by changing its magnetization state, and of its magnetization by mechanical deformation.

An article in Nature Nanotechnology reports a retinal prosthesis made of semiconducting nanoparticles that can be injected into the eye to replace degenerated photoreceptors and restore vision.

An article in Nature reports the 3D printing of a metallic alloy that exploits the thermic cycling during the printing process to enable local control of the microstructure of the printed objects.

An article in Physical Review Letters reports that twisted bilayers of WSe₂ host interlayer excitons with a high degree of valley polarization and long lifetimes.

An article in Science Advances reports a wireless smart contact lens for diabetic diagnosis and the delivery of drugs to treat diabetic retinopathy.

An article in Physical Review Letters reports the properties of iron — the main element in the Earth’s core — at extreme temperatures and pressures, providing clues to the core’s composition.