Bioplastics sound like the perfect fix for our plastic problem… but the reality isn’t that simple. In this episode, we unpack what’s real, what’s hype, and what’s next in the world of biodegradable and compostable plastics.

From printing pasta to customizing nutrition for hospital patients, 3D food printing is pushing the boundaries of how we think about meals. In this episode, we dive into recent scientific studies exploring the current breakthroughs, emerging applications, and stubborn challenges of this cutting-edge food technology. Discover how researchers are tackling personalized diets, creating foods for those with swallowing difficulties, and reducing waste with unconventional ingredients—while grappling with big questions around safety, regulation, and public acceptance. Could the future of your dinner be designed, downloaded, and printed?

Sodium-ion batteries are often seen as the sustainable successor to lithium—but a new twist is emerging. This episode dives into solvent co-intercalation, a phenomenon where solvent molecules infiltrate the cathode alongside sodium ions. Far from being a flaw, this could be a new lever for tuning redox properties, phase behavior, and cycle life in SIBs.

Feature paper:

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-025-02287-7Article

Most 2D materials rely on perfect order—but what happens when you remove the lattice entirely? We explore the synthesis of single-layer amorphous chalcogenides, a bold step away from crystalline norms with exciting potential for next-gen electronics and catalysis.

Feature paper:

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-025-02273-z

Can we ditch long-chain PFAS without sacrificing performance? This episode explores a groundbreaking study where researchers engineer oil-repellent surfaces using ultrashort perfluorocarbons (just -CF₃!) on PDMS brushes. Discover how “nanoscale fletching” offers a cleaner, safer path to industrial coatings—and what it means for materials design in a post-PFAS world.

Feature paper:

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62119-9

This week, we dive into a scientific breakthrough that might shake up the semiconductor world. Scientists have developed a novel way to grow large-area, highly crystalline 2D indium selenide wafers. With exceptional transistor performance and a path beyond silicon’s limits, InSe could become the backbone of tomorrow’s ultrafast, low-power electronics.

Featured paper:

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adu3803

How did silk go from ancient thread to a material with applications in neural interfaces and photonic devices? We explore the molecular tricks—crosslinking, plasticization, and more—that are opening new frontiers for silk fibroin in science and technology.

Feature paper:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mattod.2023.03.027

Step into the quantum dance floor of 2D materials as we explore the groundbreaking discovery of moiré phasons—a new class of ultrasoft vibrational modes revealed in twisted bilayer WSe₂. Using ultrahigh-resolution electron ptychography, researchers have, for the first time, directly imaged atomic-scale thermal vibrations and confirmed long-standing predictions about these exotic moiré modes. From soliton hotspots to AA-stacked rhythms, discover how this study opens an exciting new window into the thermal behavior of layered materials and what it means for future quantum devices.

Featured paper:

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw7751

In this episode, we dive into the atomic-scale frontier of semiconductor manufacturing. Join us as we unpack a cutting-edge review article exploring the trio of transformative technologies reshaping the industry: Atomic Layer Etching (ALE), Neutral Beam Etching (NBE), and Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD). These precision-driven processes are breaking the limits of traditional fabrication, enabling the creation of advanced devices like FinFETs and GaN-based electronics. From damage-free etching to ultra-thin conformal coatings, discover how these atomic-scale techniques are powering innovation beyond Moore’s Law in microelectronics, photonics, and beyond

Featured paper:

https://doi.org/10.1039/D4NA00784K

Can we print our way to brain repair? This episode explores how bio-inks, cellular scaffolds, and neuroengineering are patching broken circuits and sparking hope for recovery

Feature paper:

https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202507590