Emerging Design Strategies Research Articles

Core‐Shell Colloidal Quantum Dots for Energy Conversion

AbstractColloidal quantum dots (QDs) are promising building blocks in optoelectronic devices, mainly due to their size/shape/composition‐tunable properties. Core–shell QDs, in particular, offer enhanced stability, mitigated photoluminescence blinking, and suppressed non‐radiative recombination compared to plain QDs, making them highly promising for energy conversion applications such as photovoltaic devices, luminescent solar concentrators, solar‐driven hydrogen production, and light‐emitting diodes. Here, a comprehensive analysis of core–shell QDs in energy conversion technologies is provided. Emerging design strategies are explored and various synthetic methods focusing on optimizing band structure, band alignment, and optical properties are critically explored. Insights into the structure‐property relationship are discussed, highlighting recent advancements and the most effective strategies to enhance energy conversion performance. The review is concluded by addressing key challenges and proposing future research directions, emphasizing the need for rational design, precise synthesis, effective surface engineering, and the integration of machine learning to achieve optimized properties for technological applications.

Advancing Synthetic Hydrogels through Nature-Inspired Materials Chemistry.

Synthetic extracellular matrix (ECM) mimics that can recapitulate the complex biochemical and mechanical nature of native tissues are needed for advanced models of development and disease. Biomedical research has heavily relied on the use of animal-derived biomaterials, which is now impeding their translational potential and convoluting the biological insights gleaned from in vitro tissue models. Natural hydrogels have long served as a convenient and effective cell culture tool, but advances in materials chemistry and fabrication techniques now present promising new avenues for creating xenogenic-free ECM substitutes appropriate for organotypic models and microphysiological systems. However, significant challenges remain in creating synthetic matrices that can approximate the structural sophistication, biochemical complexity, and dynamic functionality of native tissues. This review summarizes key properties of the native ECM, and discusses recent approaches used to systematically decouple and tune these properties in synthetic matrices. The importance of dynamic ECM mechanics, such as viscoelasticity and matrix plasticity, is also discussed, particularly within the context of organoid and engineered tissue matrices. Emerging design strategies to mimic these dynamic mechanical properties are reviewed, such as multi-network hydrogels, supramolecular chemistry, and hydrogels assembled from biological monomers.

Exploring the Application and Prospects of Synthetic Biology in Engineered Living Materials.

At the intersection of synthetic biology and materials science, engineered living materials (ELMs) exhibit unprecedented potential. Possessing unique "living" attributes, ELMs represent a significant paradigm shift in material design, showcasing self-organization, self-repair, adaptability, and evolvability, surpassing conventional synthetic materials. This review focuses on reviewing the applications of ELMs derived from bacteria, fungi, and plants in environmental remediation, eco-friendly architecture, and sustainable energy. The review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest research progress and emerging design strategies for ELMs in various application fields from the perspectives of synthetic biology and materials science. In addition, the review provides valuable references for the design of novel ELMs, extending the potential applications of future ELMs. The investigation into the synergistic application possibilities amongst different species of ELMs offers beneficial reference information for researchers and practitioners in this field. Finally, future trends and development challenges of synthetic biology for ELMs in the coming years are discussed in detail.

Emerging Design Strategies Toward Developing Next‐Generation Implantable Batteries and Supercapacitors

AbstractIn recent years, the development of implantable bioelectronics has garnered significant attention. With the continuous advancement of IoT and information technology, implantable bioelectronics can be utilized more effectively for health monitoring to enhance treatment outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and improve quality of life. Implantable energy storage devices have been widely studied as critical components for energy supply. Conventional power sources are bulky, inflexible, and potentially contain materials that are dangerous to the body. Meanwhile, human tissues are soft, flexible, dynamic, and closed, which puts new requirements on energy storage devices to improve the safety, stability, and matching of implantable batteries or supercapacitors. Herein, recent advances in state‐of‐the‐art nonconventional power options for implantable electronics, specifically biocompatible, miniaturized, stretchable/deformable, biodegradable/bioresorbable, edible, and injectable energy storage devices, are reviewed in this paper. The material strategy and architectural design of the next‐generation implantable energy storage device are discussed, including the selection principle of electrolytes, the all‐in‐one structure design strategy, and the way to realize self‐charging. Finally, the challenges and prospects of emerging design strategies toward developing next‐generation implantable batteries and supercapacitors for the future are put forward.

Engineered Living Materials For Sustainability.

Recent advances in synthetic biology and materials science have given rise to a new form of materials, namely engineered living materials (ELMs), which are composed of living matter or cell communities embedded in self-regenerating matrices of their own or artificial scaffolds. Like natural materials such as bone, wood, and skin, ELMs, which possess the functional capabilities of living organisms, can grow, self-organize, and self-repair when needed. They also spontaneously perform programmed biological functions upon sensing external cues. Currently, ELMs show promise for green energy production, bioremediation, disease treatment, and fabricating advanced smart materials. This review first introduces the dynamic features of natural living systems and their potential for developing novel materials. We then summarize the recent research progress on living materials and emerging design strategies from both synthetic biology and materials science perspectives. Finally, we discuss the positive impacts of living materials on promoting sustainability and key future research directions.

Designing Synthetic Polymers for Nucleic Acid Complexation and Delivery: From Polyplexes to Micelleplexes to Triggered Degradation.

Gene delivery as a therapeutic tool continues to advance toward impacting human health, with several gene therapy products receiving FDA approval over the past 5 years. Despite this important progress, the safety and efficacy of gene therapy methodology requires further improvement to ensure that nucleic acid therapeutics reach the desired targets while minimizing adverse effects. Synthetic polymers offer several enticing features as nucleic acid delivery vectors due to their versatile functionalities and architectures and the ability of synthetic chemists to rapidly build large libraries of polymeric candidates equipped for DNA/RNA complexation and transport. Current synthetic designs are pursuing challenging objectives that seek to improve transfection efficiency and, at the same time, mitigate cytotoxicity. This Perspective will describe recent work in polymer-based gene complexation and delivery vectors in which cationic polyelectrolytes are modified synthetically by introduction of additional components─including hydrophobic, hydrophilic, and fluorinated units─as well as embedding of degradable linkages within the macromolecular structure. As will be seen, recent advances employing these emerging design strategies are promising with respect to their excellent biocompatibility and transfection capability, suggesting continued promise of synthetic polymer gene delivery vectors going forward.

Fluid Microchannel Encapsulation to Improve the Stretchability of Flexible Electronics

AbstractRecently, stretchable inorganic electronic devices are rapidly developed, comprising emerging design strategies and fabrication techniques for assembling high‐performance electronic components in slight, soft, and flexible forms, with broad medical and industrial applications. Although reliable encapsulation plays an indispensable role in offering physical and chemical protection for flexible devices, there are relatively few studies on flexible encapsulation, and conventional encapsulation methods still suffer from low stretchability. Herein, a generic fluid microchannel encapsulation method is proposed, in which the device interconnects are wrapped by ultraminiaturized fluid microchannels, enabling free bucking during deformation to tremendously improve the device stretchability. Experimental analysis and finite element analysis demonstrate the substantial stretchability enhancement for the proposed method in contrast to the conventional method, which can increase by ≈100% for general 2D serpentine interconnects and ≈360% for fractal 2D serpentine interconnects. Additionally, a highly stretchable LED device serves as an example to demonstrate the utility of the proposed method for maintaining such an enormous stretchability improvement at the device level.

The Path towards Predicting Evolution as Illustrated in Yeast Cell Polarity.

A bottom-up route towards predicting evolution relies on a deep understanding of the complex network that proteins form inside cells. In a rapidly expanding panorama of experimental possibilities, the most difficult question is how to conceptually approach the disentangling of such complex networks. These can exhibit varying degrees of hierarchy and modularity, which obfuscate certain protein functions that may prove pivotal for adaptation. Using the well-established polarity network in budding yeast as a case study, we first organize current literature to highlight protein entrenchments inside polarity. Following three examples, we see how alternating between experimental novelties and subsequent emerging design strategies can construct a layered understanding, potent enough to reveal evolutionary targets. We show that if you want to understand a cell’s evolutionary capacity, such as possible future evolutionary paths, seemingly unimportant proteins need to be mapped and studied. Finally, we generalize this research structure to be applicable to other systems of interest.

High-Q nanophotonics: sculpting wavefronts with slow light

AbstractDensely interconnected, nonlinear, and reconfigurable optical networks represent a route to high-performance optical computing, communications, and sensing technologies. Dielectric nanoantennas are promising building blocks for such architectures since they can precisely control optical diffraction. However, they are traditionally limited in their nonlinear and reconfigurable responses owing to their relatively low-quality factor (Q-factor). Here, we highlight new and emerging design strategies to increase the Q-factor while maintaining control of optical diffraction, enabling unprecedented spatial and temporal control of light. We describe how multipolar modes and bound states in the continuum increase Q and show how these high-Q nanoantennas can be cascaded to create almost limitless resonant optical transfer functions. With high-Q nanoantennas, new paradigms in reconfigurable wavefront-shaping, low-noise, multiplexed biosensors and quantum transduction are possible.

PrinterCAD: a QFD and TRIZ integrated design solution for large size open moulding manufacturing

Over the last years, good strategies for efficient manufacturing were considered increasing the volume of production and reducing the time and costs. Emerging design strategies as the Design for Environment and life cycle assessment, the Design for Sustainability, the Design for Disassembly moved the focus to conceive a product by taking care of all the effect that its use can cause to the economy, to the society and to the environment, also at its disposal. In this context, design strategies have to be enhanced in order to integrate innovation with sustainability and social care. Thus, the horizon for strategic manufacturing has to pay particular attention to the effects that it could produce to the surrounding environment. This way, some manufacturing techniques that could be considered obsolete in terms of sustainability awareness, but that are not yet ready to be replaced by advanced available technologies, need a requalification in order to be collocated in the current scenario. In this paper, the open moulding technique has been discussed in order to update the current manufacturing technique to meet the emerging sustainable strategies. Through the integration of QFD and TRIZ an innovative design method have been assessed to enhance the manufacturing process by means of computer aided engineering devices. PrinterCAD is a project that aims to manage additive and subtractive techniques, applied to complex and large-scale products, by means of an open source software with an integrated module, in order to enhance the CAD, CAM and slicing for the 3D printer’s languages intercommunication.

The Vertical Corporate Campus: Integrating Modern Workplace Models into the High-Rise Typology

As the great urban migration continues to drive the growth of cities worldwide, global companies are seeking new approaches to the urban workplace and corporate campus. In light of environmental and economic imperatives to develop taller and denser central business districts, a key challenge is merging contemporary workplace concepts, which emphasize large, open floors and high levels of connectivity, with high-rise typologies with smaller floor plates set around center cores. This paper traces the evolution of the corporate campus and emerging design strategies for translating contemporary workplace models into a vertical campus typology that allows companies to realize the benefits of urban locations, while contributing to a more sustainable future.

Designing for public sector innovation in the UK: design strategies for paradigm shifts

Purpose – The aim of this work is to provide an initial picture of how some design agencies are contributing toward a paradigm shift and how they are developing in the future to better inform design policies and interdisciplinary work. There is a general agreement that the current government and public sector structure and modes of operation need radical transformation. In this scenario, a shift from New Public Management towards New Public Governance paradigm has been auspicated. Design has attracted attention as a potential approach to support this transformation, but research into Service Design, as well as discussions on its future development, for public sector innovation is limited. This paper is an exploratory study into the individual work of seven representative UK design agencies operating for and within the public sector. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews literature on public sector reform and innovation to inform comparative studies of contemporary design agencies working for public sector reform. Interviews with seven designers from NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, Participle, Innovation Unit, Uscreates, Collaborative Change, Futuregov and Snook are conducted to review their perceived role for public sector reform, their design approaches, exemplar projects and main challenges. Findings – Emerging design strategies for Public Sector reform are: a collaborative design approach that considers all stakeholders as equal co-creators of public value; operating at different complementary levels to aim at systemic change; designing from the inside out (innovation culture) and outside in (market change). These different strategies imply the development of possible different business models. Existing creative tensions appear between embedding and outsourcing strategies, acting as facilitators vs designers, developing both designing and service delivery roles. Research limitations/implications – This paper is based on a limited sample of design agencies, and it is not a systematic study into the impact of their design work, which should be the object of a following study. Practical implications – This paper brings Service Design practice into public sector innovation debate to inform future interdisciplinary research and innovation policies. It positions existing design innovation strategies within the wider picture of public sector reform to support a more informed design practice. Originality/value – Few studies have looked at the UK design agencies for public sector innovation and discussed their possible future developments. This paper provides an original and holistic description of design for public sector innovation with considerations on how it should be interpreted when developing supporting innovation and design policies.

Emerging design strategies in sustainable production and consumption of textiles and clothing

This study contributes to current knowledge of sustainability in textile and clothing production and consumption. When the textile and clothing industry aims to promote sustainability, the main change factors have been linked to eco-materials and ethical issues in production. At present, however, business models are mainly linked with a large volume of sales and production. Although industrial development has moved toward smaller environmental impact, production as well as consumption has increased to levels where the benefits of technological development are reduced. A change is thus needed to reach a systemic transformation, not only in production but also in consumption. The aim of this paper is to open up the discussion on opportunities for radical change in this industry. The paper presents ways to rethink and redesign business in the textile and clothing field by offering an overview on several design strategies that exist today in niche markets. Furthermore we evaluate how interested consumers are in these design strategies and discuss the opportunities these design approaches offer to sustainable development through new value creation.

Strategies to optimize the brain availability of central nervous system drug candidates

Introduction: Access to the CNS is essential for most neurotherapeutics to elicit their effects. Leveraging design strategies incorporating physicochemical properties, in vitro and in vivo assays to predict and measure brain penetration, and brain delivery approaches may enable the drug discovery community to improve access of drug candidates into the CNS compartment.Areas covered: This article reviews aspects of the most recent molecular design, in vitro and in vivo strategies, and delivery technologies to optimize the unbound brain concentrations (Cb,u) of CNS molecules. Through this, the article provides insight into recent ideas and concepts in CNS drug molecule design, methods for evaluating CNS drug exposures and alternative approaches to maximize drug access to neurocompartments.Expert opinion: The most pharmacologically relevant measure in assessing a compound's pharmacodynamic response in the CNS is its Cb,u. The utilization of emerging design strategies, together with in vitro and in vivo assays, may enable the design of molecules with optimal Cb,u:Cp,u (Cp,u, unbound plasma concentration) and appropriate Cb,u, to elicit a biological response from the neurotherapeutic target. Where drug properties intrinsically render a compound CNS impaired, using novel CNS delivery approaches may result in sufficient Cb,u to furnish a biological response.