bims-enlima 2026-06-28 papers

bims-enlima

Biomed News

on Engineered living materials

Issue of 2026–06–28
twenty-two papers selected by
Rahul Kumar, Tallinna Tehnikaülikool

Polymer chemistry at the living-material interface.
A modular hydrogel system with independent control of bioadhesion, fibrosis, and stiffness.
E. coli Extracellular Matrix: A Tunable Composite With Hierarchical Structure.
Probing the limits of genetic recoding using multi-omics-guided evolution.
Membrane-Coated Microsphere Functionalization with Polypeptides.
Stress-Shield Enhanced Fatigue Resistance in Fabric-Hydrogel Composite Coatings.
Engineering the fourth dimension of cell-instructive hydrogels through dynamic bonding.
Controlling metal-carbonate phase, form, and function through de novo protein design.
Engineered bacterial biofilms for biotechnological applications.
Deep Eutectic Solvent Based Multifunctional Hydrogels for Strain Sensing and Electrophysiological Signal Monitoring.
Associative polymers with controlled sticker placement: How reversible bond distribution and density govern polymer dynamics.
Integrated mesenchymal and extracellular cues drive bioengineered liver tissue formation and function.
Hydrogels in medicine and biotechnology.
Assembly-Line Biosynthesis in Living-Cell Emulsions via Tunable Supramolecular Surface Chemistry.
Engineering the Self-Assembly of Bacterial Microcompartment Shell Proteins via Charged Mutations.
Dynamic Interfacial Design in Adaptive Hybrid Materials Enables Reversible and Tunable Mechano-Optic Smart Responses.
Generation of Cellular Biofactories for the Scalable Production of Surface-Engineered Extracellular Vesicles via CRISPR Genome Editing.
Light-based footprinting of a eukaryotic genome.
From molecular motors to chromosome architecture.
Reactive Multifunctional Ink for Hydrogel Fabrication and Cell-Laden 3D Printing via Incorporation of Strontium-Doped Bioactive Glass.
Antibiotics stimulate protein transfer to persister cells.
Long-stranded XNA-cssDNA hybrids for robust data storage.

Chem Sci. 2026 Jun 15.

Polymer chemistry at the living-material interface.

Masamu Kawada, Seunghyun Sim.

Engineered living materials (ELMs) integrate living functionalities into synthetic materials. Although most ELM studies emphasize cellular functionality, the polymer matrix represents an equally powerful design space: not merely a passive scaffold but a primary tool for programming living material behavior. Synthetic polymers can be designed to tune bulk mechanical properties, mediate dynamic responses, enforce biocontainment, and bridge biological and synthetic domains through engineered polymer-cell interfaces. This Perspective establishes key design principles that emerge when polymer chemistry and living cells are treated as an integrated system, emphasizing how molecular control over the living-material interface governs the mechanical, functional, and dynamic properties of next-generation biohybrid and biocomposite materials.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/d6sc03387c
Sci Adv. 2026 Jun 26. 12(26): eaee3894

A modular hydrogel system with independent control of bioadhesion, fibrosis, and stiffness.

Jiawei Yang, Yichao Zhao, William J Jeang, Steffen Pabel, Bryan M Wong, Rajith Manan, Matthias Nahrendorf, Robert Langer, Daniel G Anderson.

Hydrogels that adhere to biological tissues and resist fibrosis are required to provide both optimal functionality and appropriate stiffness on diverse soft tissues to achieve therapeutic efficacy and biocompatibility. However, their performance is often limited by an intrinsic trade-off between functionality and stiffness. Through the incorporation of polymer brush coatings, we develop a modular hydrogel system to enable independent control of functionality and stiffness. By tailoring coating chemistry, coating thickness, and hydrogel network topology, we obtain consistent bioadhesion (~100 joules per square meter) and fibrosis suppression across the full stiffness range of soft tissues (1 kilopascal to 1 megapascal). Using this approach, we design a hydrogel that can maintain stable adhesion in vivo on a beating mouse heart and a hydrogel with no fibrotic capsule in immunocompetent mice over 40 days. This modular system offers a customizable approach for designing functional implants with tailored mechanical properties.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aee3894
Adv Mater. 2026 Jun 24. e73724

E. coli Extracellular Matrix: A Tunable Composite With Hierarchical Structure.

Macarena Siri, Agustín Mangiarotti, Anne Seewald, Nikolai Rosenthal, Shahrouz Amini, Emeline Raguin, Peter Fratzl, Cécile M Bidan.

  Escherichia coli (E. coli) biofilms consist of bacteria, an extracellular matrix (ECM) mainly made of curli amyloid fibers, phosphoethanolamine-modified cellulose (pEtN-cellulose), and water. While curli amyloid fibers contribute to biofilm rigidity, pEtN-cellulose contributes to their cohesion. This work explores the interplay between these fibers, and how their interactions influence biofilm structure and mechanical properties. We performed a multiscale analysis on E. coli biofilms grown using strains producing curli and pEtN-cellulose, and only curli and only pEtN-cellulose in co-seeded ratios. Micro-indentation experiments, confocal microscopy, and cryo-FIBSEM 3D imaging revealed a composite-like behavior of the biofilm, where its mechanical properties depend on ECM composition and organization. Spectroscopic analysis of the extracted fibers showed that their biophysical properties are influenced by their pEtN-cellulose to curli ratio and assembly. We propose that pEtN-cellulose swelling is constrained by its interactions with rigid curli fibers. The reference E. coli strain maximizes this effect by assembling a curli/pEtN-cellulose hybrid material at the sub-micron scale, where its composition, interactions, and architecture can explain biofilm emergent properties. This knowledge on microbial ECM assembly opens new avenues for engineering living materials, especially for the use of bacterial biofilms as a source of bio-sourced materials.

Keywords:  E. coli; biofilm; composite behavior; cryo‐FIBSEM; curli; pEtN‐cellulose

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.73724
Nat Commun. 2026 Jun 22. pii: 5311. [Epub ahead of print]17(1):

Probing the limits of genetic recoding using multi-omics-guided evolution.

Akos Nyerges, Anush Chiappino-Pepe, Bogdan Budnik, Maximilien Baas-Thomas, Elissa Rhuby, Regan Flynn, Shirui Yan, Nili Ostrov, Min Liu, Meizhou Wang, Qingmei Zheng, Fangxiang Hu, Kangming Chen, Alexandra Rudolph, Dawn Chen, Jenny Ahn, Owen Spencer, Venkat Ayalavarapu, Angela Tarver, Miranda Harmon-Smith, Matthew Hamilton, Ian Blaby, Yasuo Yoshikuni, Behnoush Hajian, Adeline Jin, Balint Kintses, Monika Szamel, Viktoria Seregi, Yue Shen, Zilong Li, George M Church.

Engineering the genetic code-by reassigning multiple of the 64 natural codons-enables making organisms resistant to all viruses, preventing genetic information exchange, and allowing the biosynthesis of genetically encoded unnatural polymers. However, synonymous codon replacement-recoding-is frequently lethal, and how recoding impacts fitness remains poorly explored. Here, we explore these effects using genome synthesis, directed evolution, and genome-transcriptome-translatome-proteome co-profiling on multiple synthetic Escherichia coli genomes. We construct six partially recoded E. coli strains bearing up to 45.8% of a synthetic genome with a deleterious 57-codon genetic code. As our analyses revealed widespread defects-including unassigned codons in Syn61 and Syn57-we apply multi-omics to revise our genome design and mitigate defects. Using multi-omics, we show that recoding induces transcriptional and translational changes leading to fitness defects under hundreds of conditions. Finally, we develop a multi-omics-guided evolution strategy that rapidly restores fitness, enabling genome synthesis with radical changes.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-74300-9
Biomacromolecules. 2026 Jun 22.

Membrane-Coated Microsphere Functionalization with Polypeptides.

Christopher J Randolph, Sneha Bhat, Eva de Alba.

Functionalized microspheres made from various materials are widely used for multiple biotechnological purposes. Proteins and peptides are commonly used for microsphere functionalization to leverage their biological functions. However, the function of many proteins is modulated by plasma or organelle membranes; despite this, there is a scarcity of functionalized membrane-coated microspheres for applications that benefit from the presence of membranes. Here, we describe a simple and versatile method to functionalize microspheres of different sizes and materials with a synthetic membrane carrying integrated peptides designed for bioconjugation with other peptides and fully folded proteins. We have validated our method by producing membrane-coated microspheres functionalized with a fluorescent peptide and a DNA-binding protein. Using confocal fluorescence microscopy and optical traps, we demonstrate these functions and the possibility of measuring mechanical forces associated with protein-DNA binding. In addition, we have determined microsphere labeling efficiencies close to 100% by flow cytometry. Our results open the door to the fabrication of multifunctionalized membrane-coated microspheres for an ample range of purposes, and specifically, the study and leverage of protein function that requires or is enhanced by the presence of a lipid bilayer.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.5c02647
ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2026 Jun 22.

Stress-Shield Enhanced Fatigue Resistance in Fabric-Hydrogel Composite Coatings.

Xiaomin Yuan, Zejian Yang, Yunpeng Wang, Jie Ju, Xi Yao.

  Hydrogel coatings are widely used as functional interfaces, yet are prone to cohesive fatigue under cyclic mechanical loading. Existing fatigue-resistant designs usually rely on complex fabrication or specific material systems, limiting their use in practical coatings. Herein, we propose a stress-shielding-driven strategy to enhance the fatigue resistance of hydrogel coatings by embedding woven fabrics into the polyacrylamide hydrogel model via topological entanglement. The interpenetrated fabric-hydrogel architecture establishes a robust interface that redistributes the applied load from the polymer network to the fabric over a larger process zone. This stress redistribution reduces the true load of polymer chains at the crack tip, while the wrinkled fabric interface forces crack deflection. Elastic Spandex fabrics synergistically deform to reduce interfacial shear stress with the hydrogel, boosting the interfacial fatigue threshold of hydrogel coatings by ∼8-fold. Moreover, by enhancing the intrinsic fatigue threshold of the hydrogel and incorporating multilayer fabrics, interfacial fatigue thresholds exceed 300 J m-2. This stress-shielding strategy is compatible with diverse hydrogel systems, providing a versatile design principle and simple fabrication approach for fatigue-resistant hydrogel coatings with strong industrial potential.

Keywords:  coatings; fabric-hydrogel composites; fatigue resistance; stress shielding; topological entanglement

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.6c07731
J Control Release. 2026 Jun 26. pii: S0168-3659(26)00535-3. [Epub ahead of print] 115132

Engineering the fourth dimension of cell-instructive hydrogels through dynamic bonding.

Ruiqing Xiao, Matthew J Webber.

  Dynamic remodeling is a defining feature of native tissues, yet many synthetic biomaterials remain static and exhibit purely elastic mechanics. The extracellular matrix (ECM) continuously evolves through viscoelastic mechanical responses and temporally regulated remodeling processes, and cells are highly sensitive to these time-dependent mechanical cues. Traditional covalently crosslinked hydrogels can recapitulate stiffness and biochemical signals, but often fail to capture the fourth dimension of matrix mechanics-time-operationally defined here as the intrinsic stress relaxation timescale governed by reversible bond-exchange kinetics, and distinct from cell-driven enzymatic remodeling. Recent advances in non-covalent, supramolecular, and dynamic-covalent chemistries have enabled synthetic hydrogels with programmable stress relaxation, yielding, and self-healing across biologically relevant timescales. This review surveys a chemical toolbox spanning ionic and dynamic-covalent networks, host-guest and peptide-based supramolecular matrices, engineered protein association motifs, and DNA-crosslinked hydrogels. These platforms have enabled mechanobiology studies that decouple stiffness from relaxation in understanding cell spreading, proliferation, migration, and differentiation in ways inaccessible using traditional static hydrogels. Rheological and biophysical methods for quantifying frequency-dependent viscoelasticity, stress relaxation, and recovery are also discussed. By integrating molecular-level design with cell-instructive mechanics, dynamic hydrogels provide a versatile synthetic ECM platform for advanced 3D culture, regenerative medicine, and disease modeling.

Keywords:  Dynamic-covalent chemistry; Mechanotransduction; Stress relaxation; Supramolecular biomaterials; Viscoelasticity

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2026.115132
bioRxiv. 2026 Jun 11. pii: 2026.06.10.730916. [Epub ahead of print]

Controlling metal-carbonate phase, form, and function through de novo protein design.

Paul S Kwon, Xinqi Li, Le Tracy Yu, Harley Pyles, Todd H Lewis, Connor Weidle, Andrew J Borst, Catherine C Bodinger, Alex Kang, Hannah Nguyen, Johnny Mendoza, Kenneth D Carr, Brian Coventry, Yang Hsia, Zsombor Molnar, Dongsheng Li, Bo Zhang, Brandi M Cossairt, Shuai Zhang, Asim K Bera, James De Yoreo, David Baker.

Biomineralization enables living systems to construct hybrid materials by controlling the location, orientation, and polymorph of inorganic crystals with proteins and other biomolecules. Despite decades of study, the molecular principles underlying these processes remain difficult to harness in engineered materials, in part because native biomineralization proteins are often intrinsically disordered, heterogeneous, or insoluble. Here we show that de novo designed protein interfaces can be assembled into reconfigurable two-dimensional arrays which template calcite nanocrystals. By fine-tuning RFdiffusion2 on repeat protein scaffolds, we further enable the design of protein architectures which selectively form aragonite, a metastable polymorph of calcium carbonate, in nucleation conditions that otherwise result in a mixture of phases. Extending beyond inorganics found in biological systems, we show that lattice-matched protein designs template cobalt carbonate formation: a flat helical repeat protein interface promotes unconfined growth, whereas soluble D3 cage assemblies yield more homogenous cobalt carbonate nanocrystals confined to the interior of the cage. These protein-cage cobalt carbonate hybrid materials function as electrocatalysts for alkaline water splitting. Our results demonstrate the potential of deep learning-based methods to unlock the structural and functional activity of protein-mineral composites.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.06.10.730916
Trends Biotechnol. 2026 Jun 26. pii: S0167-7799(26)00243-X. [Epub ahead of print]

Engineered bacterial biofilms for biotechnological applications.

Nona Hashemi, Karen O Osiro, Octavio L Franco, Samuel M D Oliveira.

  Bacterial systems are emerging as living technologies for sustainable manufacturing, environmental monitoring, agriculture, and health. They form biofilms, that is, living materials, which can be repurposed in biological applications due to their properties, for example, surface attachment, matrix formation, spatial organization, and stress tolerance. Advances in bioengineering have identified the benefits of biofilms for biotechnological applications. This review defines engineered bacterial biofilms (EBBs) as biofilms formed by engineered bacterial chassis and biofilm-related genes, genetically modified to perform defined biological functions. We present representative EBB engineering and application case studies and propose a life cycle framework spanning biofilm preformation, formation, and postformation. By highlighting definitions, examples, enabling tools, and translational barriers, this review provides design principles for developing reliable, safe, and application-ready biofilm technologies.

Keywords:  biofilm life cycle; engineered bacterial biofilms; engineered living materials; microbial biosensing; synthetic biology

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2026.06.003
Small. 2026 Jun 23. e74284

Deep Eutectic Solvent Based Multifunctional Hydrogels for Strain Sensing and Electrophysiological Signal Monitoring.

Shanlei Chang, Ruiting Shan, Yuchen Wang, Yu Zhang, Ting Yu, Baoran Shan, Kai Rong, Shaojun Dong.

  Hydrogels are promising for flexible electronics due to their unique properties, but their practical use is hindered by freezing and dehydration in extreme environments. Inspired by natural cryoprotection, we designed a hydrophilic deep eutectic solvent (DES) composed of acryloyloxyethyltrimethylammonium chloride (AETC) and urea. This DES/H2O binary solvent was then polymerized into a multifunctional hydrogel via a facile one-step photopolymerization. The dense hydrogen-bonding network within the DES effectively confines the motion of water molecules, thereby endowing the hydrogel with exceptional anti-freezing properties (down to -80°C) and long-term moisture retention. The unique structural design, which features highly entangled polyelectrolyte chains and a dense network of dynamic sacrificial bonds that undergo breaking and reconstruction, enables the fabrication of an elastic hydrogel. Moreover, the as-prepared PAETC-urea hydrogels exhibit high transparency (95%), remarkable stretchability (>3000% elongation), strong adhesion to various engineering substrates, and efficient self-healing capability. These collective features ensure the reliable performance as a wearable strain sensor for accurately detecting human motions and high-fidelity electrophysiological signals, demonstrating great potential for next-generation flexible electronics.

Keywords:  deep eutectic solvent; electrophysiological signal monitoring; environmental adaptability; hydrogel; strain sensors

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.74284
Sci Adv. 2026 Jun 26. 12(26): eaec4474

Associative polymers with controlled sticker placement: How reversible bond distribution and density govern polymer dynamics.

Myoeum Kim, Shalin Patil, Lutz Wiegart, Shiwang Cheng, Li-Heng Cai.

Associative polymers with precisely arranged stickers offer opportunities to program material properties with molecular precision. Yet, it remains unclear how the placement and fraction of stickers dictate structure, dynamics, and macroscopic properties. By developing a model unentangled polymer system with hydrogen-bonding stickers, we show that randomly distributed stickers neither form clusters nor change flow properties, whereas stickers placed at chain ends drive nanocluster formation even at low concentrations. Adding more end stickers produces a rubbery plateau spanning eight decades in frequency with two distinct relaxation timescales, in contrast to the single plateau predicted by the classic sticky Rouse model. These results demonstrate that sticker distribution dictates whether associative polymers undergo nanocluster formation or microphase separation, while substantial alterations in dynamics and viscoelasticity require both sticker aggregation and thermomechanical stability of associated domains. Our findings resolve a longstanding debate on associative polymer dynamics and provide molecular design rules for programmable soft materials.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aec4474
Mater Today Bio. 2026 Aug;39 103328

Integrated mesenchymal and extracellular cues drive bioengineered liver tissue formation and function.

Shicheng Ye, Zhenguo Wang, Maarten Dirk Delemarre, Nalan Liv, Antoinette van den Dikkenberg, Tina Vermonden, Luc van der Laan, Jos Malda, Bart Spee, Frank G Van Steenbeek, Kerstin Schneeberger-Verjaal.

  Human tissue engineering holds great promise for creating physiological models while facing challenges replicating natural complexity, including cellular and extracellular cues. Current approaches often miss the incorporation of major bioengineering factors (i.e., cellular complexity, well-defined extracellular matrix (ECM) mimicry, dynamic stimuli). We bioengineered liver tissues (BLTs) utilizing human intrahepatic cholangiocyte organoids (ICOs), hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), and mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), a synthetic polyisocynide (PIC)- based hydrogel, and dynamic suspension culture (DS) to represent major bioengineering factors. Both mesenchymal cells (HSCs and MSCs) accelerated organoid growth and promoted spontaneous complex liver-like microtissue (BLT) formation. DS and PIC further improved either BLT formation or functionality. Transcriptomic analyses revealed the integrated cellular and extracellular cues in BLT formation and maintenance. To conclude, organoids augmented with mesenchymal cells in chemically defined hydrogels yield functional BLTs suitable for disease modelling, drug screening, and toxicity tests, and form an important basis for future development of larger liver tissues for in vivo transplantation. The bioengineering strategy developed in this study can be extended to engineer other types of tissues and also be utilized to investigate the interaction of different bioengineering factors.

Keywords:  Bioengineering; Co-culture; Dynamic suspension culture; Hepatic stellate cell; Hydrogel; In vitro models; Intrahepatic cholangiocyte organoid

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtbio.2026.103328
Sci Rep. 2026 Jun 25. pii: 19586. [Epub ahead of print]16(1):

Hydrogels in medicine and biotechnology.

Silviya P Zustiak, Jeffrey Bates.

Hydrogels are crosslinked polymer networks with a large amount of water; hydrogels can be found naturally, such as collagen and gelatin, or can be made synthetically. The latter are nowadays more in demand due to their higher water absorption capacity and long service life; their tunable properties and versatile fabrication methods have been exploited in a variety of engineering applications, including sensing technologies and drug screening. Because of their similar characteristics to soft biological tissues, hydrogels have also been the focus of research in the biomaterials community and have been studied for their use in biomedical applications such as tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. This Collection on hydrogels highlights some exciting hydrogel developments and applications.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-56527-0
Nat Commun. 2026 Jun 24.

Assembly-Line Biosynthesis in Living-Cell Emulsions via Tunable Supramolecular Surface Chemistry.

Xiankun Wu, Mathias Dimde, Henrik Karring, Zhongkai Wang, Changzhu Wu.

Nature organizes enzymes in micro-compartments to enable efficient biosynthesis, inspiring multienzyme cascades for producing complex molecules. However, practical implementation is often limited by enzyme incompatibility, poor substrate transfer, and inefficient catalyst recycling. Here, we report a living biocatalytic platform that operates as a factory-like assembly line within Pickering emulsions. Tunable supramolecular chemistry is used to graft an oil-derived photocatalyst onto enzyme-overexpressing Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells, generating amphiphilic "suprabacteria" that self-assemble at water-oil interfaces and stabilize emulsions. These interfacial suprabacteria accelerate chemoenzymatic and multienzyme cascades, achieving reaction rates up to 45-fold higher than conventional biphasic systems. The platform supports single-step, sequential, and one-pot cascade reactions, including gram-scale benzoin synthesis. Importantly, the dynamic supramolecular linkage enables on-demand dual recycling: either the living-cell conjugate is reused, or the synthetic catalyst is selectively recovered and reattached to fresh cells. This strategy integrates chemical and biological catalysis in a sustainable, scalable platform for future greener industrial biosynthesis.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-74245-z
ACS Nano. 2026 Jun 27.

Engineering the Self-Assembly of Bacterial Microcompartment Shell Proteins via Charged Mutations.

Annie Gomez, Behzad Mehrafrooz, Curt Waltmann, Carolyn E Mills, Nolan W Kennedy, Jacob B Miller, Danielle Tullman-Ercek, Monica Olvera de la Cruz.

  Protein self-assembly is a fundamental biological process of great importance for the design and synthesis of biomaterials. Developing the ability to precisely manipulate protein assembly would greatly expand both our understanding of the process and our biotechnological capabilities. Within bacteria, proteins that self-organize to form bacterial microcompartments (MCPs) offer an excellent model system for studying protein self-assembly and advancing biomaterial design capabilities. MCPs consist of irregular polyhedral shells that encase an enzyme core that acts as enzymatic nanoreactors. In isolation, the abundant shell proteins of the 1,2-propanediol utilization (Pdu) MCP, PduA and PduJ, have a high propensity to self-assemble into tubular structures, analogous in form to carbon nanotubes. Here, we modulate higher-order assembly of PduA and PduJ hexamers by systematically altering their charge through charge inversion and supercharging across multiple platforms including heterologous overexpression and cell-free protein synthesis. Overexpression and cell-free experiments show that increasing the overall negative charge of assembling subunits consistently promotes self-assembly into tubular structures. Using molecular simulations, we determined the preferred bending angle adopted by the hexameric proteins to predict the most probable self-assembled structures, including honeycomb-like sheets and nanotubes. Simulations of closed PduA and PduJ tubes show the interactions responsible for tube stability, chirality, and radius. In vivo, we find that these charge-altered hexamers are assembly competent within the native MCPs inSalmonella entericaLT2. Our results collectively reveal that both electrostatic interactions and fields generated by charges on proteins can be leveraged to control protein-based nanostructures.

Keywords:  bacterial microcompartments; cell-free protein synthesis; electrostatic engineering; nanostructure morphology; protein self-assembly; shell protein design

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.6c09991
ACS Nano. 2026 Jun 25.

Dynamic Interfacial Design in Adaptive Hybrid Materials Enables Reversible and Tunable Mechano-Optic Smart Responses.

Md Anisur Rahman, Vera Bocharova, Sungjin Kim, Jihye Choi, Bingrui Li, Sirui Ge, Monojoy Goswami, Xi Chelsea Chen, Catalin Gainaru, Alexei P Sokolov, Tomonori Saito.

  Next-generation polymeric materials are shifting toward adaptive and interactive behaviors of living systems; however, designing materials that can reversibly modulate optical properties under mechanical deformation while maintaining mechanical robustness remains a key challenge. Here, we report a mechanically robust vitrimer-based adaptive hybrid material (AHM) that exhibits a stretch-induced reversible transparency-to-opacity transition, enabled by the integration of dynamic interactions at the polymer-silica nanoparticle interface and controlled nanoparticle self-assembly. The AHM combines boronic ester-functionalized polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-polystyrene (S-Bpin) with diol-functionalized silica nanoparticles (diol-SiNPs) to form a hybrid network hosting both dynamic boronic ester and hydrogen-bonding interactions. These reversible linkages facilitate controlled nanoparticle self-assembly and enable strain-induced nanoparticle alignment/aggregation. Upon stretching, SiNP-rich domains align and aggregate within the polymer matrix, while local modulus mismatch between stiff aggregated SiNP/borylated-styrene-rich regions and the softer elastomeric midblock induces surface microwrinkle formation. These internal aggregates and surface wrinkles cooperatively enhance light scattering, producing the opaque state under strain. Furthermore, the tailored AHM exhibits high toughness, thermomechanical stability, reprocessability, and programmable shape-memory behavior. This work presents a dynamic interfacial design strategy for mechanically robust, optically reconfigurable, and reusable soft materials for adaptive optics, smart windows, sensing, soft robotics, and circular smart-material platforms.

Keywords:  adaptive hybrid materials; dynamic interface; microwrinkles; programmable shape-memory behavior; reversible mechano-optical behavior; self-assembly; vitrimers

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.5c22664
ACS Biomater Sci Eng. 2026 Jun 24.

Generation of Cellular Biofactories for the Scalable Production of Surface-Engineered Extracellular Vesicles via CRISPR Genome Editing.

Yuki Kawai-Harada, SunYoung You, Thomas Scarborough, Nayeema Siraj, Jayadeep Yedla, Tiffany Rennells, S Patrick Walton, Christina Chan, Masako Harada.

  Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are versatile biological nanoparticles with applications in therapeutics, diagnostics, and biotechnology. Current production methods relying on transient transfection or chemical conjugation suffer from high variability, limited scalability, and heterogeneous EV populations. Here, we present a synthetic-biology-based biomaterial manufacturing platform that uses CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to generate stable HEK293T cell lines for continuous production of surface-functionalized EVs. A fusion construct encoding mCherry-C1C2 was site-specifically integrated into the AAVS1 safe-harbor locus, enabling consistent and heritable expression of EV membrane proteins without repeated transfection. Engineered cells produced EVs with uniform size (120-130 nm), preserved canonical markers (CD63 and ALIX), and enhanced surface-display efficiency compared with transiently transfected controls. These vesicles exhibited robust cellular uptake and maintained structural and functional stability for over 25 passages (∼3 months), confirming durable genome-encoded production. Overall, this platform eliminates batch-to-batch variability inherent to transient systems and provides a genetically defined route to biofunctional nanomaterial fabrication. This approach links genetic design to nanoscale surface functionality, establishing a versatile foundation for reproducible biomanufacturing of engineered EVs for biomaterial, therapeutic, and diagnostic applications.

Keywords:  CRISPR-Cas9; biomanufacturing; biomaterials; engineered extracellular vesicles (EVs); gene editing; nanomaterial manufacturing; synthetic biology

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1021/acsbiomaterials.6c00782
Sci Adv. 2026 Jun 26. 12(26): eaec0059

Light-based footprinting of a eukaryotic genome.

Linnea Ögren, Isabella Muylaert, Kerryn Elliott, Erik Larsson.

Identification of protein-bound DNA sites is key to understanding genome function and regulation, but studying protein-DNA interactions in living, unperturbed cells remains challenging. UV footprinting has been used to study such interactions in vivo by detecting changes in DNA photoproduct formation at protein-bound sites, but only on a limited scale. Here, we describe whole-genome deamination sequencing (Deam-seq), wherein photoproducts (pyrimidine dimers) induced by UV irradiation are revealed as mutations, enabling generation of quantitative photofootprints of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae at ultradeep coverage. By comparing cellular and naked DNA, we find that this approach can resolve protein occupancy at high resolution without preference toward accessible regions. Cell/naked differential signals commonly aligned with predicted regulatory sites, ChIP peaks and DNase I protection footprints, and supported that yeast DNA binding proteins typically exhibit protective effects on UV damage. Our results provide proof of concept for using light and sequencing to study protein-DNA interactions in their native cellular context at genome scale.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aec0059
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2026 Jun 30. 123(26): e2616706123

From molecular motors to chromosome architecture.

Bin Zhang.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2616706123
ACS Appl Bio Mater. 2026 Jun 24.

Reactive Multifunctional Ink for Hydrogel Fabrication and Cell-Laden 3D Printing via Incorporation of Strontium-Doped Bioactive Glass.

Aasma Sapkota, Natalie Crutchfield, Ethan Renken, Alexander Bruckmann, Daniele M Catori, Hitesh Handa, Elizabeth J Brisbois.

  Three-dimensional printing offers a powerful strategy for transformation of hydrogels into multifunctional scaffolds that can support cell growth and tissue regeneration. Here, we report a photo-crosslinkable gelatin and silk-based reactive ink that can be utilized for production of bulk hydrogels in addition to an additive manufacturing-enabled three-dimensional construct for osteoblast growth. The ink is engineered to provide dual therapeutic functionalities through (1) strontium ion delivery from dispersed strontium-doped bioactive glass (Sr-BG) and (2) the presence of active thiol groups post crosslinking that enables post-production modification/functionalization of the hydrogels through the thiol handle. Here, Sr-BG provides therapeutic levels of strontium ion release, supporting osteoblast growth within the hydrogel matrix. The proposed ink exhibits shear-thinning behavior conducive to extrusion-based bioprinting, enabling fabrication of cell-laden constructs that recapitulate complex tissue architectures. Printed Sr-BG-containing hydrogels support osteoblast metabolic activity over 7 days, attributed to synergistic effects of strontium-mediated signaling and a favorable matrix environment. Finally, this work extends nitrosation of active thiol groups as a pilot study for utilization of thiols post-production to produce antimicrobial hydrogels that demonstrated ∼83% reduction in viability of Staphylococcus aureus and ∼92% reduction with Escherichia coli when compared to non-functionalized controls. Collectively, this reactive ink provides a unique platform for production of bulk and cell-laden 3D-printed hydrogels in addition to the prospect of countless applications through post-production thiol modification.

Keywords:  3D bioprinting; antibacterial; hydrogel; osteoblast; strontium

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1021/acsabm.6c00608
Science. 2026 Jun 25. 392(6805): eadx3972

Antibiotics stimulate protein transfer to persister cells.

Alice X Wen, Julia Bos, Debojyoti Panda, Katelin M Hagstrom, Shubham Singh, Shrawan Kumar Mageswaran, Xiaoli Wang, Bo Hu, Kobie T Welch, Matthew B Cooke, Jennifer A Halliday, Laura Deus Ramirez, Antoinette E Martinez, Yi-Wei Chang, David A Weitz, Christophe Herman.

The exchange of biological matter between bacterial cells drives adaptation and evolution. However, whether bacteria can exchange functional proteins remains unclear. In this work, we found that antibiotic treatment can induce vesicle-mediated horizontal protein transfer within and between bacterial species. We developed a genetic system in Escherichia coli to track transfer events and performed single-cell transcriptomic profiling on an isogenic population of bacteria. Antibiotics stimulated the differentiation of this isogenic population into distinct cell states: donor cells that activated a membrane stress response to release protein-containing vesicles and recipient cells that suppressed this response to acquire protein from their neighbors. Protein uptake enhanced the antibiotic persistence of recipient cells, revealing that vesicle exchange promotes bacterial survival during antibiotic treatment.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adx3972
Sci Adv. 2026 Jun 26. 12(26): eaed2917

Long-stranded XNA-cssDNA hybrids for robust data storage.

Xinyu Sun, Yufeng Pei, Pan Tan, Tianyuan Bian, Ruoyu Wang, Yan Wang, Jiacheng Xie, Liang Hong, Jie Song.

DNA is a promising medium for data storage due to its high density and low energy cost. Long-stranded DNA with minimal indexing improves storage density but suffers from poor stability. To address this, we introduce a long-stranded xeno nucleic acid-circular single-stranded DNA (XNA-cssDNA) hybrid strategy to enhance storage robustness. We evaluated multiple XNAs under extreme conditions and identified 2'-fluoro-arabinonucleic acid (FANA) as the optimal storage material. To overcome XNA synthesis length and speed limitations, we used a temperature-guided language model to evolve a FANA polymerase Tgomut, which is ~4.4-fold faster than TgoD4K and enables synthesis of strands exceeding 7500 nucleotides. Data-encoded cssDNA were produced using M13 bacteriophage. The resulting FANA-cssDNA hybrids show strong resistance to chemical and enzymatic degradation. Using a dual-strategy framework, we achieved reliable data writing and reading with 100% data recovery, even after DNA degradation, and successfully visualized encoded digital data and an enhanced green fluorescent protein gene in mammalian cells.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aed2917