Search Results (65)

To address the limitation of 2D methods in inferring absolute scrap dimensions from images, we propose Scrap-SAM-CLIP (SSC), a vision-language model integrating the segment anything model (SAM) and contrastive language-image pre-training in Chinese (CN-CLIP). The model enables identification of canonical scrap shapes, establishing a foundational framework for subsequent 3D reconstruction and dimensional extraction within the 3D recognition pipeline. Individual modules of SSC are fine-tuned on the self-constructed scrap dataset. For segmentation, the combined box-and-point prompt yields optimal performance among various prompting strategies. MobileSAM and SAM-HQ-Tiny serve as effective lightweight alternatives for edge deployment. Fine-tuning the SAM decoder significantly enhances robustness under noisy prompts, improving accuracy by at least 5.55% with a five-positive-points prompt and up to 15.00% with a five-positive-points-and-five-negative-points prompt. In classification, SSC achieves 95.3% accuracy, outperforming Swin Transformer V2_base by 2.9%, with t-SNE visualizations confirming superior feature learning capability. The performance advantages of SSC stem from its modular assembly strategy, enabling component-specific optimization through subtask decoupling and enhancing system interpretability. This work refines the scrap 3D identification pipeline and demonstrates the efficacy of adapted foundation models in industrial vision systems. Full article

Ultra-short peptides (USPs; ≤7–8 amino acids) emerge as minimal self-assembling building blocks for hydrogel-based biomaterials. Their intrinsic biocompatibility, straightforward synthesis, and ease of tunability make them particularly attractive candidates for potential use in bioprinting. This review provides an overview of the properties of USPs along with their applications in three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting. We first discuss how peptide sequence, terminal and side-chain modifications, and environmental triggers govern USPs’ self-assembly into nanofibers and 3D networks and how these supramolecular features translate into key rheological properties such as shear-thinning, rapid gelation, and mechanical tunability. We then survey reported applications in tissue engineering, wound healing, and organotypic models, as well as emerging ultra-short peptide-based systems for drug delivery, biosensing, and imaging, highlighting examples where printed constructs support cell viability, differentiation, and matrix deposition. Attention is given to hybrid and multi-material formulations in which USPs provide bioactivity while complementary components contribute structural robustness or additional functionality. Finally, this review outlines the main challenges that currently limit widespread adoption, including achieving high print fidelity with cytocompatible crosslinking, controlling batch-to-batch variability, and addressing the scalability, cost, and sustainability of peptide manufacturing. We conclude by discussing future opportunities such as AI-assisted peptide design, adaptive and multi-material bioprinting workflows, and greener synthetic routes, which together may accelerate the translation of ultra-short peptide-based bioinks from proof-of-concept studies to clinically and industrially relevant platforms. Full article

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and micro/nanorobotics is fundamentally reshaping biosensing by enabling autonomous, adaptive, and high-resolution biological analysis. These miniaturized robotic systems fabricated using advanced techniques such as photolithography, soft lithography, nanoimprinting, 3D printing, and self-assembly can navigate complex biological environments to perform targeted sensing, diagnostics, and therapeutic delivery. AI-driven algorithms, mainly those in machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL), act as the brains of the operation, allowing for sophisticated modeling, genuine real-time control, and complex signal interpretation. This review focuses recent advances in the design, fabrication, and functional integration of AI-enabled micro/nanorobots for biomedical sensing. Applications that demonstrate their potential range from quick point-of-care diagnostics and in vivo biosensing to next-generation organ-on-chip systems and truly personalized medicine. We also discuss key challenges in scalability, energy autonomy, data standardization, and closed-loop control. Collectively, these advancements are paving the way for intelligent, responsive, and clinically transformative biosensing systems. Full article

Metallogels, three-dimensional supramolecular networks formed through metal–ligand coordination, have emerged as a new generation of adaptive soft materials with promising biomedical potential. By integrating the structural stability and tuneable functionality of metal centres with the dynamic self-assembly of organic gelators, these systems exhibit exceptional mechanical strength, responsiveness, and multifunctionality. Recent studies demonstrate their diverse applications in drug delivery, anticancer therapy, antimicrobial and wound healing treatments, biosensing, bioimaging, and tissue engineering. Interestingly, the coordination of metal ions such as Ru(II), Zn(II), Fe(III), and lanthanides enables the creation of self-healing, thixotropic, and stimuli-responsive gels capable of controlled release and therapeutic action. Moreover, the incorporation of luminescent or redox-active metals adds optical and electronic properties suitable for diagnostic and monitoring purposes. This collection summarizes the most recent advances in the field, highlighting how rational molecular design and coordination chemistry contribute to the development of multifunctional, biocompatible, and responsive metallogels that bridge the gap between materials science and medicine. Full article

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic caused tremendous loss of life and long-term health effects for many. The virus continues to evolve, and new variants have the potential to cause widespread physical and economic impacts. Long-chain carboxylic acids featuring two conjugated acetylenes midway along the chain easily self-assemble onto various substrates, particularly polyvinylidene fluoride, and then polymerize to form a deep blue film. COVID-19 nucleocapsid or spike protein antibodies can be conjugated to the film, and upon exposure to appropriate trigger proteins, they turn pink or red. Certain additives commonly found in commercial preparations of COVID-19 proteins can trigger false positives. The addition of small amounts of surfactants can increase detector sensitivity, though this must be carefully controlled to avoid false positives. Sensing systems based on both nucleocapsid and ACE2 antibodies can detect authentic samples of the virus in human saliva. The platform is readily adaptable to antibodies from new variants. Full article

The art of folding paper, named “origami”, has transformed from serving religious and cultural purposes to various educational and entertainment purposes in the modern world. Significantly, the fundamental folds and creases in origami, which enable the creation of 3D structures from a simple flat sheet with unique crease patterns, serve as a great inspiration in engineering applications such as deployable mechanisms for space exploration, self-folding structures for exoskeletons and surgical procedures, micro-grippers, energy absorption, and programmable robotic morphologies. Therefore, this paper will provide a systematic review of the state-of-the-art origami-inspired structures that have been adopted and exploited in robotics design and operation, called origami-inspired robots (OIRs). The advantages of the flexibility and adaptability of these folding mechanisms enable robots to achieve agile mobility and shape-shifting capabilities that are suited to diverse tasks. Furthermore, the inherent compliance structure, meaning that stiffness can be tuned from rigid to soft with different folding states, allows these robots to perform versatile functions, ranging from soft interactions to robust manipulation and a high-DOF system. In addition, the potential to simplify the fabrication and assembly processes, together with its integration into a wide range of actuation systems, further broadens its capabilities. However, these mechanisms increase the complexity in theoretical analysis and modelling, as well as posing a challenge in control algorithms when the robot’s DOF and reconfigurations are significantly increased. By leveraging the principles of folding and integrating actuation and design strategies, these robots can adapt their shapes, stiffness, and functionality to meet the demands of diverse tasks and environments, offering significant advantages over traditional rigid robots. Full article

Liquid crystalline block copolymers (LCBCPs) have emerged as an adaptable hybrid class at the intersection of self-assembling block copolymers and liquid crystalline ordering, producing multi-tiered architectures that can be finely programmed for multifunctional performance. This review surveys recent advances in their structure–property relationships and highlights applications spanning nanotechnology, biomedical systems, flexible photonics, stimuli-responsive, energy storage, and soft robotics. Particular emphasis is placed on how molecular design enables precise tuning of structural, optical, mechanical, and stimuli-responsive functions, positioning LCBCPs as strong candidates for next-generation functional materials. We also discuss current challenges, including scalability, phase control, and advanced characterization, and outline promising research directions to accelerate their translation from laboratory concepts to real-world technologies. Full article

Janus hydrogels have attracted significant attention in materials science and biomedicine owing to their anisotropic dual-faced architecture. Unlike conventional homogeneous hydrogels, these heterogeneous systems exhibit structural and functional asymmetry, endowing them with remarkable adaptability to dynamic environmental stimuli. Their inherent biocompatibility, biodegradability, and unique “adhesion–antiadhesion” duality have demonstrated exceptional potential in biomedical applications ranging from advanced wound healing and internal tissue adhesion prevention to cardiac tissue regeneration. Furthermore, “hydrophilic–hydrophobic” Janus configurations, synergistically integrated with tunable conductivity and stimuli-responsiveness, showcase the great potential in emerging domains, including wearable biosensing, high-efficiency desalination, and humidity regulation systems. This review systematically examines contemporary synthesis strategies for Janus hydrogels using various technologies, including layer-by-layer, self-assembly, and one-pot methods. We elucidate the properties and applications of Janus hydrogels in biomedicine, environmental engineering, and soft robotics, and we emphasize recent developments in this field while projecting future trajectories and challenges. Full article

Poly(organo)phosphazenes (PPZs) are increasingly recognized as versatile biomaterials for drug delivery applications in nanomedicine. Their unique hybrid structure—featuring an inorganic backbone and highly tunable organic side chains—confers exceptional biocompatibility and adaptability. Through precise synthetic methodologies, PPZs can be engineered to exhibit a wide spectrum of functional properties, including the formation of multifunctional nanostructures tailored for specific therapeutic needs. These attributes enable PPZs to address several critical challenges associated with conventional drug delivery systems, such as poor pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. By modulating solubility profiles, enhancing drug stability, enabling targeted delivery, and supporting controlled release, PPZs offer a robust platform for improving therapeutic efficacy and patient outcomes. This review explores the fundamental chemistry, biopharmaceutical characteristics, and biomedical applications of PPZs, particularly emphasizing their role in zero-dimensional nanotherapeutic systems, including various nanoparticle formulations. PPZ-based nanotherapeutics are further examined based on their drug-loading mechanisms, which include electrostatic complexation in polyelectrolytic systems, self-assembly in amphiphilic constructs, and covalent conjugation with active pharmaceutical agents. Together, these strategies underscore the potential of PPZs as a next-generation material for advanced drug delivery platforms. Full article

Recombinant protein hydrogels have emerged as transformative biomaterials that overcome the bioinertness and unpredictable degradation of traditional synthetic systems by leveraging genetically engineered backbones, such as elastin-like polypeptides, SF, and resilin-like polypeptides, to replicate extracellular matrix (ECM) dynamics and enable programmable functionality. Constructed through a hierarchical crosslinking strategy, these hydrogels integrate reversible physical interactions with covalent crosslinking approaches, collectively endowing the system with mechanical strength, environmental responsiveness, and controlled degradation behavior. Critically, molecular engineering strategies serve as the cornerstone for functional precision: domain-directed self-assembly exploits coiled-coil or β-sheet motifs to orchestrate hierarchical organization, while modular fusion of bioactive motifs through genetic encoding or site-specific conjugation enables dynamic control over cellular interactions and therapeutic release. Such engineered designs underpin advanced applications, including immunomodulatory scaffolds for diabetic wound regeneration, tumor-microenvironment-responsive drug depots, and shear-thinning bioinks for vascularized bioprinting, by synergizing material properties with biological cues. By uniting synthetic biology with materials science, recombinant hydrogels deliver unprecedented flexibility in tuning physical and biological properties. This review synthesizes emerging crosslinking paradigms and molecular strategies, offering a framework for engineering next-generation, adaptive biomaterials poised to address complex challenges in regenerative medicine and beyond. Full article

The encapsulation of hydrophobic substances remains a significant challenge due to limitations such as low loading efficiency, leakage, and poor distribution within microcapsules. This study introduces a novel strategy utilizing colloidosomes assembled from polyelectrolyte microcapsules (PMCs). PMCs were fabricated via layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly on manganese carbonate (MnCO₃) or calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) cores, followed by core dissolution. A solvent gradient replacement method was employed to substitute the internal aqueous phase of PMCs with kerosene, enabling the formation of colloidosomes through self-assembly upon resuspension in water. Comparative analysis revealed that MnCO₃-based PMCs with smaller diameters (2.5–3 µm vs. 4.5–5.5 µm for CaCO₃) exhibited 3.5-fold greater stability, attributed to enhanced inter-capsule interactions via electrostatic and hydrophobic forces. Confocal microscopy confirmed the structural integrity of colloidosomes, featuring a liquid kerosene core encapsulated within a PMC shell. Temporal stability studies indicated structural degradation within 30 min, though 5% of colloidosomes retained integrity post-water evaporation. PMC-based colloidosomes exhibit significant application potential due to their integration of colloidosome functionality with PMC-derived structural features—semi-permeability, tunable shell thickness/composition, and stimuli-responsive behavior—enabling their adaptability to diverse technological and biomedical contexts. This innovation holds promise for applications in drug delivery, agrochemicals, and environmental technologies, where controlled release and stability are critical. The findings highlight the role of core material selection and solvent engineering in optimizing colloidosome performance, paving the way for advanced encapsulation systems. Full article

This paper presents LokAlp, a modular timber construction system invented and developed by the authors, inspired by the traditional Blockbau technique, and designed for circularity and self-construction. LokAlp utilizes standardized interlocking blocks fabricated from CLT and GLT off-cuts to optimize material reuse and minimize waste. The study explores the application of massive timber digital materials within an open modular system framework, offering an alternative to the prevailing focus on lightweight structural systems, which predominantly rely on primary engineered wood materials rather than reclaimed by-products. The research evaluates geometric adaptability, production feasibility, and on-site assembly efficiency within a computational design and digital fabrication workflow. The definition of the LokAlp system has gone through several iterations. A full-scale demonstrator constructed using the LokAlp final iteration (Mk. XII) incorporated topological enhancements, increasing connection variety and modular coherence. Comparative analyses of subtractive manufacturing via 6-axis robotic milling versus traditional CNC machining revealed a >45% reduction in cycle times with robotic methods, indicating significant potential for sustainable industrial fabrication; however, validation under operational conditions is still required. Augmented reality-assisted assembly improved accuracy and reduced cognitive load compared to traditional 2D documentation, enhancing construction speed. Overall, LokAlp demonstrates a viable circular and sustainable construction approach combining digital fabrication and modular design, warranting further research to integrate robotic workflows and structural optimization. Full article

Chronic wound healing is a significant challenge in diabetes. Puerarin is an active compound extracted from the traditional Chinese medicine Pueraria lobata. Puerarin has been used in the treatment of diabetes and derives benefits from its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and pro-angiogenesis properties, but its efficacy is hampered by poor water solubility and bioavailability. In this study, we designed a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)–borax–puerarin (BP) hydrogel system that self-assembled via boronic ester bonds. The BP hydrogel exhibited exceptional physical characteristics, including adaptability, injectability, plasticity, self-healing capabilities, and robust compressive strength, as well as good biocompatibility. In the chronic wound diabetic rats model, the BP hydrogel significantly accelerated wound healing, as evidenced by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, as well as Masson and picrosirius red (PSR) staining. RNA–sequencing and multiple immunohistochemistry (mIHC) analyses revealed that the BP hydrogel exerts a therapeutic effect by modulating macrophage polarization, promoting angiogenesis, and regulating collagen remodeling. Our findings suggest that the BP hydrogel represents a promising wound dressing and holds great potential for clinical applications in acute and chronic wound management. Full article

The selective adsorption and separation of benzene from structurally similar six-membered hydrocarbons and fluorocarbons remain a significant challenge due to their comparable physical properties. In this study, we investigated the molecular recognition and separation properties of a perfluorinated triketonate Cu(II) complex (1) as a Nonporous Adaptive Crystal (NAC). In addition to the previously reported benzene (2)-encapsulated crystal of 1•(2)₃, we report here the crystal structures of guest-free 1 and cyclohexene (3)-encapsulated 1•(O)₂•3, where (O)₂ represents two water molecules. Single-crystal analysis demonstrated that 1 selectively encapsulates 2 while excluding other hydrocarbons, including 3, cyclohexane (4), trifluorobenzene (5), and hexafluorobenzene (6). Gas adsorption experiments confirmed this high affinity for 2, as reflected in its preferential adsorption behavior in mixed solvent and vapor environments. The molecular selectivity of 1 was attributed to strong π-hole···π and metal···π interactions, which favor electron-rich aromatic guests. Additionally, crystallization experiments in competitive solvent systems consistently led to the formation of 1•(2)₃, reinforcing the high selectivity of 1 for 2. These findings highlight the unique molecular recognition capabilities of NACs, providing valuable insights into the rational design of advanced molecular separation materials for industrial applications involving aromatic hydrocarbons. Hirshfeld surface analysis revealed that the contribution of F···F interactions to crystal packing decreased upon guest recognition (48.8% in 1, 34.2% in 1•(O)₂•3, and 22.2% in 1•(2)₃), while the contribution of F···H/H···F interactions increased (8.6% in 1, 22.2% in 1•(O)₂•3, and 35.4% in 1•(2)₃). Regarding Cu interactions, the self-assembled columnar structure of 1 results in close contacts at the coordination sites, including Cu···Cu (0.1%), Cu···O (0.7%), and Cu···C (1.3%). However, in the guest-incorporated structures 1•(O)₂•3 and 1•(2)₃, the Cu···Cu contribution disappears; instead, 1•(O)₂•3 exhibits a significant increase in Cu···O interactions (1.2%), corresponding to water coordination, while 1•(2)₃ shows an increase in Cu···C interactions (1.5%), indicative of the metal···π interactions of benzene. Full article

The development of self-assembled multicatalytic systems has emerged as a promising strategy for mimicking enzymatic catalysis in synthetic systems. This approach leverages the use of non-covalent interactions, such as hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonding, metal–ligand coordination, and aromatic stacking, to organize multiple catalytic centers within a defined, cooperative framework, allowing for enhanced reactivity, selectivity and efficiency, akin to the behavior of natural enzymes. The versatility of this approach enables the modular design, preparation, screening and optimization of systems capable of concerted catalysis and dynamic adaptation, making them suitable for a wide range of reactions, including asymmetric synthesis. The potential of these systems to emulate the precision and functionality of natural enzymes opens new avenues for the development of artificial multicatalytic systems with tailored and adaptable functions. Full article