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Carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and conversion provide an alternative approach to synthesis of useful fuels and chemicals. Here, Ye et al. give a comprehensive perspective on the current state of the art and outlook of CO2 catalytic hydrogenation to the synthesis of light olefins, dimethyl ether, liquid fuels, and alcohols.
Diamond colour centres have applications in quantum sensing, quantum communication and other important technologies. Bradac et al. survey the progress made in using group IV defect centres, which are anticipated to have practical advantages over the more commonly-used nitrogen vacancy centres.
Recent research in motor neuroscience has focused on optimal feedback control of single, simple tasks while robotics and AI are making progress towards flexible movement control in complex environments employing hierarchical control strategies. Here, the authors argue for a return to hierarchical models of motor control in neuroscience.
Dendritic cells (DCs) have been explored as a promising strategy for cancer immunotherapy. In this Perspective, the authors discuss the different types of DCs and their therapeutic potential in the context of vaccines for personalized cancer therapy.
Synthetic biology uses cells as its computing substrate, often based on the genetic circuit concept. In this Perspective, the authors argue that existing synthetic biology approaches based on classical models of computation limit the potential of biocomputing, and propose that living organisms have under-exploited capabilities.
The pursuit of topological qubits based on Majorana zero mode within nanowires is highly desired. Here, Zhang et al. summarize the current achievements and discuss the opportunities and challenges of several key next-step experiments.
Parks have a previously unquantified economic value attributable to mental health, a health services value. Here, the authors proposed three methods to estimate this, and applied one of these methods to show that this value is at least US$6 trillion per annum worldwide.
The auditory frequency-following response (FFR) indexes the quality of neural sound encoding in the brain. In this Perspective, the authors discuss the potential of the FFR to provide a better understanding of sound encoding in the auditory system and its relationship to behavior.
Existing approaches to research impact assessment fail to include a range of soft impacts. The authors present a 3-part impact mapping approach and apply it to an environmental initiative. They highlight that support for realising research impact is vital, and call on researchers to be open to new ideas and avenues for creating impact from their work.
The role of Blue Carbon in climate change mitigation and adaptation has now reached international prominence. Here the authors identified the top-ten unresolved questions in the field and find that most questions relate to the precise role blue carbon can play in mitigating climate change and the most effective management actions in maximising this.
The mechanism by which macromolecular catalysts use energy from exergonic reactions to move, adapt, and assemble has been unclear. In this Perspective article, R. Dean Astumian shows that in addition to disequilibrium of the catalyzed reaction, kinetic asymmetry is the essential feature required to drive non-equilibrium response by an information ratchet mechanism.
Recent gains in artificial neural networks rely heavily on large amounts of training data. Here, the author suggests that for AI to learn from animal brains, it is important to consider that animal behaviour results from brain connectivity specified in the genome through evolution, and not due to unique learning algorithms.
Non-traditional antibacterial agents are challenging to develop. In this Perspective, the authors argue that the distinction between traditional and non-traditional agents has only limited relevance for regulatory purposes, although products with non-traditional goals focused on population-level benefits might benefit from extension of current paradigms.
No effective therapies exist for dry age-related macular degeneration. In this perspective, the authors propose that research should emphasize system biology approaches that integrate various ‘omics’ data into mathematical models to establish pathogenic mechanisms on which to design novel treatments, and identify biomarkers that predict disease progression and therapeutic response.
Lack of best practice guidelines currently limits the application of metabolomics in the regulatory sciences. Here, the MEtabolomics standaRds Initiative in Toxicology (MERIT) proposes methods and reporting standards for several important applications of metabolomics in regulatory toxicology.
There are several lines of evidence for interactions between the two membrane leaflets in cells. In this review the authors discuss the transmembrane coupling of lipids, the involvement of phosphatidyl serine species PS 18:0/18:1, and their importance for various cellular processes.
Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017 and resulted in a complete loss of activity of the Public Health Laboratories. Here, the authors discuss the approach taken and tools developed to re-establish activity in these laboratories using a quality management system and the lessons learned in this process.
Questions of causality are ubiquitous in Earth system sciences and beyond, yet correlation techniques still prevail. This Perspective provides an overview of causal inference methods, identifies promising applications and methodological challenges, and initiates a causality benchmark platform.
Cellular mechanical stress is a key determinant of cell shape and function, but how the cell senses stress direction is unclear. In this Perspective the authors propose that microtubules autonomously sense stress directions in plant cells, where tensile stresses are higher than in animal cells.
Climate change represents an existential, global threat to humanity, yet its delocalized nature complicates climate action. Here, the authors propose retrofitting air conditioning units as integrated, scalable, and renewable-powered devices capable of decentralized CO2 conversion and energy democratization.
