Nanomaterials with catalytic properties that are derived from Chinese herbs are called ‘herbzymes’. Herbzymes are nanomaterials from Chinese herbs that mimic natural enzymes like peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). For a deeper understanding of herbzymes, researchers from China present a comprehensive review of different types of herbzymes and their mode of synthesis, while detailing their biomedical applications, current challenges faced, and potential directions for their development. 

Electronic implants are commonly used to diagnose and treat various diseases and to restore lost motor and sensory functions. Conductive hydrogels increase an implant’s electrical conductivity and flexibility within the body, improving the overall effectiveness of electronic implants. However, traditional electrically conductive hydrogels contain toxic additives that may have negative impacts on patients after long-term use. In a recent study published in Science Advances, researchers led by Dr. Limei Tian reported on a sweet solution to this problem: replacing these toxic additives with D-sorbitol, a safe sugar alternative commonly found in chewing gum.

Quantum materials exhibit remarkable emergent properties when they are excited by external sources. However, these excited states decay rapidly once the excitation is removed, limiting their practical applications. A team of researchers from Harvard University and the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have now demonstrated an approach to stabilise these fleeting states and probe their quantum behaviour using bright X-ray flashes from the X-ray free electron laser SwissFEL at PSI. The findings are published in the journal Nature Materials.