The Innovation最新文献

Advancements in single-molecule electrical detection techniques have provided a novel microscopic perspective for investigating the properties of single DNA molecules. These state-of-the-art technologies, with their ultra-high resolution at the single-event/single-base level, significantly enhance our understanding of the dynamic properties of single DNA molecules, thus providing valuable guidance for deciphering biological mechanisms, including DNA replication, repair, and transcription. In this review, we highlight the progress achieved through single-molecule electrical detection methodologies, including single-molecule junctions, single-molecule field-effect transistors, and single-molecule nanopores, in studying DNAs at the single-molecule level. Emphasis will be placed on notable discoveries concerning charge-transport properties, conformational dynamics, and sequence-specific analyses within single DNA molecules utilizing single-molecule electrical detection techniques. The application of single-molecule electrical detection techniques in clarifying the structure-function relationship of single DNA molecules is expected to catalyze revolutionary advancements in the fields of bioelectronics, molecular electronics, and nanotechnology.

Radiative cooling utilizes the ultracold (∼3 K) deep space to cool terrestrial objects at no cost to active energy consumption. It finds widespread applications across various fields and paves a promising strategy for tackling global energy and environmental issues, such as scorching and freshwater shortages. However, a comprehensive review of the applications, efficacy, and future of radiative cooling technologies has not been reported. This review takes a retrospective view and summarizes the emerging radiative cooling applications for enhanced energy efficiency in various fields, encompassing building cooling, personal thermal management, solar cell cooling, thermoelectric power generation, freshwater collection, food production and storage, and other miscellaneous fields. The design novelties, achievements, and energy-saving capabilities are analyzed and discussed for each application field. By analyzing the cutting-edge research processes, we also extract the advantages and limitations of the present radiative cooling applications. Additionally, we summarize the up-to-date designs and performance achieved via radiative cooling implementations in various fields. Finally, we highlight the challenges and opportunities of extending radiative cooling technologies to multitudinous scenarios. The comparative and conclusive results in this work clarify the application progress and development direction of radiative cooling, promoting prototype designs and real-world implementations of radiative cooling-driven technologies.

Seasonal human mobility plays a crucial role in economic growth, labor market dynamics, and public health management. Traditional mobility models often rely on geographic distance, which fails to capture the influence of destination popularity, such as family gatherings or economic opportunities. To address this, we introduce the effective intervening opportunity (EIO) model, which replaces geographic distance with a more accurate "effective distance" that integrates both destination appeal and proximity. We use mobility flow data from 400 million mobile users over 6 years to simulate China's chunyun-the world's largest annual human migration during the spring festival. The EIO model outperforms traditional models, accurately predicting mobility patterns not only during chunyun but also for other holidays, such as Labour Day and National Day. Our findings demonstrate that incorporating destination popularity into mobility models enhances their predictive power, offering a more accurate representation of seasonal human mobility dynamics.

Valorization of lignin is essential for establishing a profitable biorefining industry, yet its efficiency is critically constrained by lignin condensation. Understanding lignin condensation mechanisms and developing effective strategies to inhibit condensation have emerged as a global research imperative. Despite several successful practices in stabilizing the α carbon position of lignin under mild temperatures, a mechanistic understanding of lignin condensation under high temperatures and the corresponding strategy for preventing such condensation remain lacking. Herein, using monophenol as a probe molecule to capture reactive lignin fragments produced under high-temperature treatments, we unveil a novel condensation pathway involving the C_γ-position, which arises from the nucleophilic reaction of the C_γ-position and aromatic rings of lignin. We further demonstrated that phenol, serving as both a radical scavenger and a competitive nucleophilic reactant (vs. lignin aromatic rings), could suppress C_γ-condensation reactions among lignin fragments and, meanwhile, enable the production of novel lignin-derived bisphenols (1,3-diaryl propanes) with a molar yield of 35.2% (mass yield of 45.9 wt %) from eucalyptus feedstock. The mechanistic finding represents a significant advance in lignin chemistry and enables the manipulation of lignin condensation pathways in a wider temperature range for the production of valuable bisphenols (1,1-diaryl propane, 1,2-diaryl propane, and 1,3-diaryl propane), which can serve as precursors for synthesizing biobased polymers and sustainable aviation fuels.

Lignin, a natural and renewable aromatic polymer, serves as a plentiful source of aromatic building blocks for biomanufacturing. However, despite its potential, the bioconversion efficiency of lignin remains limited due to its inherently complex structure and the constraints of traditional metabolic engineering approaches. Synthetic biology-guided metabolic regulation offers a solution by coordinating intracellular resource allocation in ligninolytic strains, endowing their adaptation for industrial applications and promoting the sustainability of lignin-based bioeconomy. This review provides a comprehensive overview of multiscale metabolic regulation, including critical enzymes involved in biotransformation, metabolic pathway networks, genome-phenotype, and learning prediction. It highlights the significant roles and potential benefits of emerging cutting-edge technologies in advancing lignin valorization. Overall, synthetic biology-guided metabolic regulation has demonstrated its power in balancing the metabolic fluxes of ligninolytic strains, ensuring the continued vitality in future development.