News & Comment

On the value of human-generated scientific writing in the age of large-language models.

Policies that limit diversity and inclusion undermine evidence-based science by creating gaps in the data, potentially distorting findings and skewing results. When diversity and inclusion are sidelined, scientific progress is hindered.

In our ultimate bioengineering challenge competition, we asked early-career bioengineers to theoretically tackle some of the most pressing global health challenges. They have risen to the occasion with enthusiasm, creativity and innovation.

Biomedical imaging continues to advance, providing ever more refined methods to diagnose and monitor diseases. Photoacoustic imaging, a hybrid modality that combines optical and acoustic technologies, stands out for its ability to deliver high-resolution images at a greater depth than optical microscopy. However, as with any imaging technology, its success will hinge on identifying specific clinical applications for which it offers clear advantages over established methods.

Biofabrication technologies have advanced from proof-of-concept demonstrations to sophisticated and scalable methods. This month’s Focus issue explores this progress and highlights how biofabrication is revolutionizing our ability to create complex biological structures with unprecedented precision and control.

Engineering is about transforming innovative solutions from the lab into real-world impact. In our Down to Business articles, we highlight inspiring stories of spin-off companies that have navigated the challenges of translation. These stories, shared by the inventors themselves, reveal the triumphs and hurdles of bringing ideas to life.

Biased and unrepresentative scientific data can lead to misleading conclusions and potentially harm patients. Artificial intelligence (AI) might be able to help make data more representative, but only if a standardized approach to assessing the quality of AI-generated data is established.

Review articles are our bread and butter. Here, we would like to offer some insights on how to craft a comprehensive and authoritative assessment of a field.

Women’s health research has long been underfunded, in part owing to stigmas associated with conditions that primarily affect women. Equitable health research funding requires transparency from funding agencies, investment in women-centred innovations, support for women in science and a cultural shift in how health issues are viewed.

Research on human brain organoids is progressing at speed. Therefore, an ethical and legal framework needs to be put in place to ensure their responsible use, while not constraining innovation.

Brain–machine interfaces (BMIs) have the potential to restore functions in people with neurological disorders, but they face challenges in development, ethics and implementation. As the field progresses and approaches clinical translation, addressing issues of hype, patient access, user-centred design and long-term support will be essential to ensure responsible innovation and adoption of BMIs.

Bioengineering breakthroughs often arise from deceptively simple solutions, leveraging scalability, modularity and ease-of-use. However, certain biomedical applications require the integration of custom-engineered, patient-specific complexity. Striking this simplicity–complexity balance will drive affordable, globalized health innovations.

Global health-related research and development continues to uphold colonialist structures, concentrating knowledge generation and innovation to high-income countries, thereby hindering global health equity. Therefore, in addition to engineering new technologies, bioengineers will need to try to engineer equitable relationships.

Prosthetic embodiment, or the incorporation of a prosthesis into one’s sensory and functional body schema, may be achieved by engineering bionic limbs that leverage a closed-loop mechanoneural–machine interface. However, the subjective experience of embodiment remains difficult to define and assess.

Bioplastics have yet to make an impact in addressing plastics pollution. Policy measures, innovation and public discourse are needed to address misconceptions, clarify labelling and ensure their effective end-of-life management.

A long-standing nanoparticle delivery paradigm in cancer, that is, the enhanced permeability and retention effect, has been challenged, shifting the focus to active delivery mechanisms, which may provide a new mechanistic foundation for nanoparticle design.

The struggle of establishing a successful academic career while starting a family drives many researchers, in particular, women, out of academia. Pausing the academic clock and individualizing performance assessment may thus help reduce gender inequalities in academia.

One year in, we take stock of the areas we published, our outreach efforts and our authorship, looking ahead at what comes next in Nature Reviews Bioengineering.

Academic research plays a central role in the translational ecosystem, sitting on one end of the valley of death, that is, the gap between preclinical research and real-world clinical applications. Considering clinical need and applicability early in research and development, and knowing about regulatory and commercialization processes, may help academics push innovations across the valley.

Engineered food has taken the step out of laboratories and started entering the market. However, whether engineered food technologies present a real opportunity for systemic change will depend on research advances, socio-political and economic considerations and acceptance by consumers.