Electroadhesion provides a promising route to augment robotic functionalities with continuous, astrictive, and reversible adhesion force. However, the lack of suitable conductive/dielectric materials and processing capabilities have impeded the integration of electroadhesive modules into soft robots requiring both mechanical compliance and robustness. We present herein an iontronic adhesive based on a dynamically crosslinked gel-elastomer system, including an ionic organohydrogel as adhesive electrodes and a resilient polyurethane with high electrostatic energy density as dielectric layers. Through supramolecular design and synthesis, the dual-material system exhibits cohesive heterolayer bonding and autonomous self-healing from damages. Iontronic soft grippers that seamlessly integrate actuation, adhesive prehension, and exteroceptive sensation are devised via additive manufacturing. The grippers can capture soft and deformable items, bear high payload under reduced voltage input, and rapidly release foreign objects in contrast to electroadhesives. Our materials and iontronic mechanisms pave the way for future advancement in adhesive-enhanced multifunctional soft devices.

Previous studies have revealed that nucleosomes impede elongation of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII). Recent observations suggest a role for ATP-dependent chromatin remodellers in modulating this process, but direct in vivo evidence for this is unknown. Here using fission yeast, we identify Fun30Fft3 as a chromatin remodeller, which localizes at transcribing regions to promote RNAPII transcription. Fun30Fft3 associates with RNAPII and collaborates with the histone chaperone, FACT, which facilitates RNAPII elongation through chromatin, to induce nucleosome disassembly at transcribing regions during RNAPII transcription. Mutants, resulting in reduced nucleosome-barrier, such as deletion mutants of histones H3/H4 themselves and the genes encoding components of histone deacetylase Clr6 complex II suppress the defects in growth and RNAPII occupancy of cells lacking Fun30Fft3. These data suggest that RNAPII utilizes the chromatin remodeller, Fun30Fft3, to overcome the nucleosome barrier to transcription elongation.

In principle, the induced chirality of hybrid perovskites results from symmetry-breaking within inorganic frameworks. However, the detailed mechanism behind the chirality transfer remains unknown due to the lack of systematic studies. Here, using the structural isomer with different functional group location, we deduce the effect of hydrogen-bonding interaction between two building blocks on the degree of chirality transfer in inorganic frameworks. The effect of asymmetric hydrogen-bonding interaction on chirality transfer was clearly demonstrated by thorough experimental analysis. Systematic studies of crystallography parameters confirm that the different asymmetric hydrogen-bonding interactions derived from different functional group location play a key role in chirality transfer phenomena and the resulting spin-related properties of chiral perovskites. The methodology to control the asymmetry of hydrogen-bonding interaction through the small structural difference of structure isomer cation can provide rational design paradigm for unprecedented spin-related properties of chiral perovskite.

Hydrogen production techniques based on solar-water splitting have emerged as carbon-free energy systems. Many researchers have developed highly efficient thin-film photoelectrochemical (PEC) devices made of low-cost and earth-abundant materials. However, solar water splitting systems suffer from short lifetimes due to catalyst instability that is attributed to both chemical dissolution and mechanical stress produced by hydrogen bubbles. A recent study found that the nanoporous hydrogel could prevent the structural degradation of the PEC devices. In this study, we investigate the protection mechanism of the hydrogel-based overlayer by engineering its porous structure using the cryogelation technique. Tests for cryogel overlayers with varied pore structures, such as disconnected micropores, interconnected micropores, and surface macropores, reveal that the hydrogen gas trapped in the cryogel protector reduce shear stress at the catalyst surface by providing bubble nucleation sites. The cryogelated overlayer effectively preserves the uniformly distributed platinum catalyst particles on the device surface for over 200 h. Our finding can help establish semi-permanent photoelectrochemical devices to realize a carbon-free society.

The fabrication of functional tissues is essential for clinical applications such as disease treatment and drug discovery. Recent studies have revealed that the mechanical environments of tissues, determined by geometric cell patterns, material composition, or mechanical properties, play critical roles in ensuring proper tissue function. Here, we propose an acoustophoretic technique using surface acoustic waves to fabricate therapeutic vascular tissue containing a three-dimensional collateral distribution of vessels. Co-aligned human umbilical vein endothelial cells and human adipose stem cells that are arranged in a biodegradable catechol-conjugated hyaluronic acid hydrogel exhibit enhanced cell-cell contacts, gene expression, and secretion of angiogenic and anti-inflammatory paracrine factors. The therapeutic effects of the fabricated vessel constructs are demonstrated in experiments using an ischemia mouse model by exhibiting the remarkable recovery of damaged tissue. Our study can be referenced to fabricate various types of artificial tissues that mimic the original functions as well as structures.

The SWI/SNF ATP-dependent chromatin remodeler is a master regulator of the epigenome, controlling pluripotency and differentiation. Towards the C-terminus of the catalytic subunit of SWI/SNF is a motif called the AT-hook that is evolutionary conserved. The AT-hook is present in many chromatin modifiers and generally thought to help anchor them to DNA. We observe however that the AT-hook regulates the intrinsic DNA-stimulated ATPase activity aside from promoting SWI/SNF recruitment to DNA or nucleosomes by increasing the reaction velocity a factor of 13 with no accompanying change in substrate affinity (KM). The changes in ATP hydrolysis causes an equivalent change in nucleosome movement, confirming they are tightly coupled. The catalytic subunit's AT-hook is required in vivo for SWI/SNF remodeling activity in yeast and mouse embryonic stem cells. The AT-hook in SWI/SNF is required for transcription regulation and activation of stage-specific enhancers critical in cell lineage priming. Similarly, growth assays suggest the AT-hook is required in yeast SWI/SNF for activation of genes involved in amino acid biosynthesis and metabolizing ethanol. Our findings highlight the importance of studying SWI/SNF attenuation versus eliminating the catalytic subunit or completely shutting down its enzymatic activity.