The global food supply chain is highly susceptible to spoilage and contamination risks, posing severe health hazards to consumers. This creates the need for preservation and safety-monitoring methods to reduce the exposure of both industries and consumers to these risks. Recent innovations using functional materials to construct nano- and microrobots of different shapes and sizes show substantial improvements in optimizing various food processes. Here we review the benefits of applying autonomous functional microrobotics to food science and technology, focusing on applications in food safety control, preservation and processing. We identify current limitations specific to each application and general constraints that must be overcome to transition from proof of concept to real-world implementation in the food industry.

Evidence is limited on the associations between the consumption of sweetened beverages, their proteomic signatures and liver health. We used data from the UK Biobank with 173,840 participants aged 40-69 years and applied Cox proportional hazards regression to examine associations of sugar- and artificially sweetened beverages, along with their proteomic signatures (derived from elastic net regressions), with adverse liver outcomes. After a median follow-up of 8.9 years, 1 serving increment of both sugar- and artificially sweetened beverages per day was positively associated with risk of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, severe liver disease and chronic liver disease mortality. The proteomic signatures of sugar- and artificially sweetened beverages showed positive associations with risk of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, liver cirrhosis and severe liver disease. Our results suggest the potential importance of reducing sweetened beverage intake to improve liver health.

The persistence of soil organic matter (SOM) is shaped by its molecular features and stability, but the temporal dynamics of these features remain unclear. Here we investigate the molecular diversity (the number of molecules) and molecular thermodynamic stability (the theoretical Gibbs free energy for the half reaction of carbon oxidation) of SOM in soils from long-term (>30 years) paddy and upland experimental fields. Thermogravimetric analysis shows that enhanced SOM thermostability aligns with the temporal variation of molecular thermodynamic stability in these soils. Increased SOM molecular thermodynamic stability occurs alongside decreased molecular diversity over decades, and this temporal trade-off (negative relationship) is modulated by increased bacterial richness. These findings highlight the role of microbial diversity in enhancing SOM thermostability and support strategies that promote bacterial richness for improved SOM persistence in agriculture.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) plays a key role in the US food system. As Congress considers major changes to it under the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act and states propose restrictions on what benefits may be used to purchase food, SNAP sits at the intersection of food security, labour market policy and public health. Drawing on historical experience and empirical economic evidence, we assess the impact of the proposed changes on SNAP, showing that specific policy solutions could improve outcomes without increasing programme costs, while simplified enrolment procedures could increase programme participation and reduce food insecurity.

Spontaneously immortalized cell lines provide an essential, non-transformed resource for cultivated meat production. Although chicken fibroblasts readily immortalize in culture, bovine fibroblasts have not been shown to immortalize without genetic manipulation of TP53 or TERT. Here we demonstrate the spontaneous immortalization of fibroblast lines from Simmental and Holstein cows. We track the molecular basis of the immortalization process over 500 days of culture, corresponding to 240 population doublings. Cells entered senescence at population doubling 60, showing γH2AX foci, telomere shortening and an active senescence-associated secretory phenotype profile. Breakthroughs occurred following 400 days in culture, resulting in stable fibroblast lines. Telomerase and PGC1A activation during senescence resolve telomere shortening and mitochondrial dysfunction without activating P53, driving spontaneous immortalization. We explored the economic potential of cultivated beef production using spontaneously immortalized bovine fibroblasts, showing that price parity could be theoretically reached using continuous manufacturing.