Intracellular proteins have a wide range of thermal stabilities; some are very sensitive to temperature and can be denatured even in normal physiological conditions. Here, we show that members of the nuclear transport factor importin α family have a variety of thermosensitivities, and some subtypes can be denatured at physiological temperature. The thermal stabilities of importin α subtypes changed remarkably depending on their binding partners. Proteomic analyses of importin α-interacting proteins in the cytoplasm revealed that continuous nuclear transport cycles help maintain importin α quality. Additionally, in senescent cells, the proportions of denatured thermosensitive importin α subtypes increased, indicating that a low transport rate leads to further inhibition of transport efficiency. The denaturing temperatures of importin α family members correlate with the body temperatures of the animals in which they are present, thus their thermosensitivity might be important for heat stress response and other cellular functions related to aging and growth.

The rapid expansion of nuclear energy as a low-carbon power source has intensified the need for advanced materials capable of managing the hazardous radionuclides throughout the nuclear fuel cycle. Existing remediation technologies are constrained by limited selectivity, slow interfacial kinetics, secondary waste generation, and poor tolerance to harsh chemical and radiolytic effluents, underscoring a pressing demand for transformative materials for radionuclide remediation. Emerging nanomaterials with unprecedented control over surface chemistry, interfacial coordination, and adsorption energetics are fundamentally reshaping the radionuclide separation science. This review aims to present a mechanism-governed performance of the next-generation nanomaterial systems containing metal-organic frameworks, covalent organic frameworks, carbon-based architectures, nanoscale zero-valent iron, MXenes, etc., highlighting their evolving roles in selective radionuclide remediation and immobilization. Distinct from prior reviews, this work aims to surpass the isolated performance-based comparisons to a meaningful condition-responsive performance-based comparisons by linking the structure-property-function relationships of the materials under realistic conditions. A unified context-aware benchmarking method has also been proposed to critically evaluate the practical deployment ability of the nanomaterial classes in regard to resistance to competing ions, chemical and radiolytic stability, regeneration efficiency, and scalability. Importantly, such a unified evaluation strategy can lead to the design and development of rationally engineered adsorbent systems across nanomaterial classes rather than relying simply on empirical functional optimization. Persistent challenges such as selectivity-capacity trade-offs, long-term structural integrity, and process-level integration are very critical issues with the nanomaterial systems for sustainable nuclear wastewater management, and future research directions are articulated to find solutions to all these issues. The integration of interfacial science with advanced nanomaterials engineering, as proposed in this review, provides a forward-looking roadmap for the development of robust, selective, and scalable nanomaterial systems for radionuclide remediation, positioning them as the propelling factors for transforming the nuclear fuel cycle sustainability.

In canonical developmental patterning, the embryo is exposed to gradients of signaling activators that elicit different cellular responses depending on the activator’s concentration. Recent optogenetic studies of terminal ERK signaling downstream of Torso receptor tyrosine kinase in the earlyDrosophilaembryo reveal that even a brief, 5-minute ERK stimulus is sufficient to rescue the development of larval “tail” structures. Here, we reveal components of the molecular network that defines this sensitive developmental fate response. We find that low ERK doses produce sustainedAbdominal-B(Abd-B) expression comparable to that of wild-type embryos.Abd-Bexpression is adjacent to, but non-overlapping with, two other transcriptional repressors: the ERK effector Tailless (Tll) and the gap gene Giant (Gt). Analysis of gene expression patterns in response to optogenetic perturbations suggests that the Tll-dependent repression ofgtconstitutes the sensitive ERK-responsive step: even lowtllexpression leads to potent repression ofgtin nearby regions, withAbd-Bexpression arising in a stripe between thetllandgtdomains. Our work suggests that the spectrum of phenotypes produced through optogenetic manipulation can be used to define how robust patterning can arise from low doses of inductive signals.HighlightsA very low dose of receptor tyrosine kinase signaling in the early embryo induces tail formation many hours later.Transient ERK activity results in stable Abd-B expression, beginning as a stripe in nuclear cycle 14.Optogenetic ERK inputs induce a spectrum of ectopic phenotypes that reveal mutually exclusive expression of Tailless, Giant, and Abd-B in the posterior.Tailless-dependent repression ofgiantis the sensitive ERK-responsive step.

Biomolecular condensates are central to subcellular compartmentalization and RNA regulation. In the multinucleate fungus Ashbya gossypii, condensates composed of Whi3 protein and CLN3 mRNA help ensure nuclear cycle asynchrony in a shared cytoplasm. Here, we investigated how Whi3 protein binding sites within CLN3 mRNA are specified and influence properties of the condensate. We found that Whi3 binds to varied RNA sequences but prefers the five-nucleotide motif UGCAU, which appears at five locations in the CLN3 transcript. Mutating individual UGCAU motifs altered the saturation concentration (Csat) and dense phase concentration of RNA and Whi3 in cell-free reconstitution experiments. These defects were partially rescued by melting and refolding the mRNA, indicating that RNA structure plays a critical role in distinguishing binding sites and determining condensate properties. Lastly, a subset of mutants showed reduced condensate numbers and dysregulation of the cell cycle in cells. These data reveal that the context of otherwise identical mRNA sequences can differentially affect condensate properties.

In response to the urgent need to address global climate change and achieve deep decarbonization of energy systems, clean energy technologies are undergoing transformative advancement. Within this context, a remote, in situ, and rapid technology for high-precision isotopic analysis of lithium is critical for nuclear energy systems due to their critical role in ensuring the safe operation of nuclear fission systems and in situ breeding of fusion fuel, yet conventional Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) suffers from severe self-absorption and dense plasma broadening that obscure the minute isotopic shifts (∼15 pm). To overcome this longstanding challenge, we propose a time-space-medium collaboratively modulated LIBS (TSMM-LIBS) approach combined with a matrix dilution strategy to actively regulate the plasma environment and thoroughly suppress self-reversal. A novel self-reversal indicator (SRI) was defined to quantify the degree of self-reversal, and a wing-side recovery algorithm coupled with the Beer-Lambert law was utilized to successfully invert highly distorted absorption dips into effective emission peaks. As a major breakthrough, the lithium doublet structure and its isotopic shifts (670.776 nm for 7Li D2, 670.791 nm for 7Li D1 and 6Li D2, and 670.807 nm for 6Li D1) were simultaneously resolved for the first time in LIBS. The synergistic modulation significantly compressed the spectral full width at half-maximum (fwhm) to 25.65 pm and Stark broadening (ωStark) to 3.87 pm, achieving sub-Doppler resolution and approaches the intrinsic emission quality of a hollow cathode lamp (HCL). Furthermore, an Effective Concentration Model with Self-Absorption Correction (ECM-SAC) was established based on the Lomakin-Schaefer formula and quantum mechanical transition probabilities. Cross-validation demonstrated exceptional quantitative accuracy across wide isotopic abundance gradients for both Li2TiO3 solid ceramics and lithium solution samples. The optimal spectral intensity ratio (670.776/670.807 nm) yielded a root-mean-square error of cross-validation (RMSECV) of 0.041 and a remarkably high ratio of performance to deviation (RPD) of 6.561. This work establishes a rapid, in situ, and high-precision analytical framework for lithium isotope discrimination, holding substantial promise for nuclear material cycle management and monitoring of tritium breeding material in fusion reactors.

This review examines current research and development directions in thorium-based nuclear fuel cycles and reactor systems, including innovative and modular reactor concepts being investigated in several nuclear-producing countries. The analysis considers the feasibility of integrating thorium-containing fuels into both existing and emerging reactor technologies. Particular attention is paid to the potential use of thorium-based fuels in pressurized water reactors (PWRs) as transitional platforms that can enable gradual introduction in thorium without requiring immediate deployment of entirely new reactor architectures.This study synthesizes representative quantitative results reported in the recent literature, including neutronic performance metrics, conversion ratio estimates, and fuelbehavior characteristics of mixed Th–U oxide fuels under typical operating conditions. These results are evaluated together with broader system-level considerations, such as fuelcycle closure potential, materials performance, and technology readiness across different reactor classes.A comparative assessment of light water reactors (LWRs), heavy water reactors (HWRs), and molten salt reactors (MSRs) demonstrates that each platform offers distinct advantages and limitations for thorium deployment. While LWR systems provide the most realistic near-term pathway for partial thorium introduction within the existing nuclear infrastructure, HWR and MSR concepts offer more favorable conditions for efficient thorium utilization and potential Th–U fuelcycle closure. These reactor classes are currently being explored within national research and development programs focused on advanced and modular nuclear technologies.By integrating neutronic analysis, materials considerations, fuelcycle strategies, and techno-economic factors, this review provides a system-level perspective on the research and development of innovative thorium reactor concepts and outlines realistic pathways for their gradual implementation in evolving nuclear energy systems.

Tritium self-sufficiency is a fundamental design requirement of a fusion fuel cycle, necessitated by the limited global availability of tritium relative to the fuelling demands of a fusion reactor. Minimising tritium losses within a fuel cycle is therefore essential. The Hydrogen Isotope Separation System (HISS) employs cryogenic distillation technology to remove excess protium and deuterium while rebalancing the deuterium–tritium (DT) mixture required for reactor operation. However, the HISS design involves a trade-off between reduced tritium emissions and increasing internal tritium inventory, both contributing to the overall tritium losses. In this work, a multi-objective Bayesian Optimisation (BO) framework based on an ε-constraint formulation is developed to construct Pareto-optimal solutions to compare alternative HISS architectures. Gaussian Process surrogate models derived from physics-based Aspen Plus simulations are used to resolve the non-linear relationships between design variables and performance metrics, including tritium inventory, tritium emission losses, and bottom-product purity. Application of the framework to representative case studies demonstrates that tritium emission losses significantly exceed tritium decay losses associated with internal inventory hold-ups across the investigated operating conditions. The proposed framework enables quantitative comparison of equilibrator integration strategies to compare HISS architectures and assess their impact on tritium losses within the fusion fuel cycle.

Predicting with high accuracy (low uncertainty) the performance of tritium breeding systems is critical for the design of future fusion devices. Current modeling relies on limited experimental data and is known to have uncertainties that, if realized, could create a tritium shortfall in the fuel cycle of a power plant. The LIthium BReeding Tritium Innovation (LIBRTI) test facility is a United Kingdom program to develop a combined experimental test platform and model verification architecture to reduce these design uncertainties. A simple, flexible pin cell geometry containing industry-standard ceramic breeder material surrounding a market-leading deuterium-tritium–based neutron source, which will be installed within the LIBRTI facility, is found to produce sufficient levels of tritium to be readily measurable with known techniques for tritium accountancy. The modeling of the potential for interference of the measurements due to the permeation of tritium from the neutron source itself indicates that, depending on scenario, there will be at least hours, and potentially days or more, of viable measurement data in each experiment before noise will become an issue, even before considering any special design to mitigate the permeation. This analysis is used to demonstrate that LIBRTI will provide a critical platform for measurable testing of larger-scale tritium breeding experiments.

This paper presents the core design and fuel cycle analysis results of the Wielenga Innovation Salt Tank Reactor (WISTR). WISTR is a fast-spectrum molten salt reactor concept featuring static fuel salt held in modular fuel tanks and with online refueling. The online refueling scheme has a short refueling period of about 7 days and uses outside-to-inside fuel movement to flatten the power distribution. Shutdown is accomplished with tanks between the modules that can be filled with a liquid neutron–absorbing molten salt. Static neutronics calculations have shown that the reactivity feedback coefficients and shutdown margin were adequate. A computational fluid dynamics simulation with ANSYS FLUENT found that the peak temperatures satisfied the design criteria. Deterministic fuel cycle analyses were also performed using the REBUS code, along with a Python wrapper program, to model the liquid fuel mixing during refueling operation. The analysis showed that the reactor can achieve continuous stable operation while transitioning to its equilibrium core with only minor changes in fueling times. A cycle length of 7.6 days results in an equilibrium core with a discharge burnup of 19.5 at. %, and a power distribution global peaking factor of 1.46. In addition, an approximate equilibrium cycle analysis method was introduced to efficiently determine the beginning-of-life configuration. This showed good agreement with the explicit cycle-by-cycle simulation results. A transient analysis was also performed for an online refueling operation using a point kinetics model coupled with a lumped-parameter thermal-fluidic model. The coolant temperature changes during the refueling operation remained within 1°C and the fuel temperature changes within 6°C.

Analysis and modelling of Inner Fuel Cycle performance using exhaust bypass and Direct Internal Recycling

As a new class of green functional liquids, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have attracted increasing attention as alternatives to conventional solvents, such as mineral acids, organic solvents and ionic liquids (ILs), in nuclear chemistry. Owing to their low cost, easy preparation, structural tunability, and adjustable physicochemical properties, DESs provide unique solvation and coordination environments that enable various applications. This review summarizes recent research advances in the application of DESs for the chemical processes of the nuclear fuel cycle. Particular emphasis is focused on dissolution, extraction and separation, electrochemical deposition and redox processes, radionuclide capture, decontamination and detection. This review highlights the fundamental advantages and current limitations of DES-based systems and outlines future trends.

Tumor development and progression involve biophysical changes across spatial scales, from the subcellular to the multicellular tissue scale. While cells are known to dynamically regulate their volumes and mechanics in dependence of cell state and function, it is unclear how these properties are controlled in dense multicellular environments like developing tumors. Here, we quantified cell and nuclear volumes of cancer cells forming multicellular spheroids within mechanically tunable biohybrid polymer hydrogels. We quantitatively showed that formation of multicellular structures is associated with marked reductions of cellular and nuclear volumes, cell cycle delays as well as cell mechanical alterations, and that these changes are coupled. Single-to-multicellular transitions led to up to 60% decreases in median nuclear volumes, which was not explained by growth-induced compressive stress. Instead, nuclear volume reductions in emerging clusters arose from cell cycle adaptations, with accumulation of smaller G1-phase cells-reversed by CDK1 inhibition. Additional nuclear downsizing in forming clusters was associated with cell mass density and stiffness increases and reverted upon cell release. Conversely, multicellular-to-single cell transitions during invasion were accompanied by nuclear volume expansion and cell softening. Together, these findings reveal dynamic regulation of cellular and nuclear volumes, mechanics, and cell cycle progression in response to multicellular state.

The results of simulating the fluxes of deuterium (D)/tritium (T) fuel particles in plasma and the fuel cycle of the FNS-ST fusion neutron source based on a spherical tokamak are presented for the 10 -W-power neutral beam injection (NBI) heating scenario. Previously, scenarios for 6-MW-power NBI heating with the injection of D beams, T beams, and D + T beams have been studied. In contrast to the simulations performed previously, in this study, ions were used instead of electrons in the transport equations when performing consistent simulations of the particle and heat fluxes using the SOLPS and ASTRA codes. This allowed for performing better estimates of the fluxes of the D/T fuel components that should be provided with the systems for gas puffing and processing. The confinement times obtained (including global ones) are comparable with those obtained when simulating the 6 -MW-power scenario. The D and T fluxes in the core and divertor plasmas of a tokamak obtained during the simulations were used to estimate the fluxes and to calculate the content of the fusion fuel components in the tokamak fuel cycle systems using the FC-FNS code. Feedback was implemented between the pumping and injection systems in the form of changes in the density and isotopic composition of the core and divertor plasmas. Simulations of the NBI heating scenarios with the injection of D and T beams with powers of up to 10 MW, performed for a fusion neutron source with a fusion power of up to 3 MW, showed that the neutron yield can be increased to 0.1 × 1019 s−1. When increasing the additional NBI heating power from 6 to 10 MW, the additional injector is involved, which will require processing a larger amount of gas from the NBI system. At the same time, an increase in the particle flux due to the beam injection will result in a decrease in the flux associated with the pellet injection. For the scenario with the T beam injection, the amount of tritium contained in the facility was less. It can be up to 110 g, while in the scenario with the D beam injection, the amount of tritium increased to 330 g.

Avian influenza, a disease caused by avian influenza virus (AIV), mainly infects birds but can also infect mammals, which poses a serious threat to public health. Therefore, thorough understanding of its pathogenic mechanism and the identification of antiviral targets are essential for the prevention, control, and treatment of AIV. The polymerase acidic protein (PA) is a core component of the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase complex and plays a central role in viral transcription through its cap-snatching activity during early infection. We employed a multi-omics approach combining transcriptome analysis with PA interaction proteomics to characterize host responses during AIV infection and explore the PA-host interaction network. Transcriptomics revealed a polarized host response marked by activated translation-related processes, mitochondrial energy metabolism, and innate immune signaling, alongside broad suppression of nuclear transcriptional regulation and cell cycle pathways. Immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry identified host proteins associated with PA that were enriched in RNA metabolism, ribosome biogenesis, and protein homeostasis. Integrative analysis of transcriptomic and interactome data, along with protein-protein interaction network analysis, prioritized a subset of high-confidence PA-interacting host factors. Among these, ribosomal protein RPS27A was validated to interact with PA and to support viral replication during early infection in this study.

Astrocytes critically regulate states of consciousness, yet their molecular profiles across wake, sleep, and general anesthesia remain unclear. This study conducted proteomic and phosphoproteomic analyses of rat cortical astrocytes across these states using sevoflurane. Data quality was validated using principal component analysis (PCA) and Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC). Proteomics showed state-specific signatures: sleep and anesthesia shared similar changes (downregulated structural proteins, upregulated membrane transport complexes) but diverged in molecular expression. Anesthesia specifically suggested potential activation of cellular differentiation/structural plasticity-related pathways but implied potential disruption of metabolism and molecular clearance processes compared to sleep. Phosphoproteomics revealed the unique phosphorylation changes during general anesthesia compared to wake and normal sleep: downregulated phosphorylation of nuclear casein kinase and cyclin-dependent kinase substrate 1 (NUCKS1) at Ser188, suggesting the potential suppression of nuclear transcription and/or cell cycle activity, which may act as a potential molecular signature associated with the anesthetic state. Clustering analysis showed that sleep was associated with upregulated mRNA processing, while anesthesia indicated potential enhancement of synaptic signaling and suggested possible suppression of development-related programs. In summary, astrocytes undergo extensive molecular reprogramming during transitions of consciousness; while they share common features in morphological remodeling, sleep and anesthesia differ fundamentally in astrocytic molecular outcomes, offering new insights into astrocytic roles in unconsciousness.

How chromatin conformation relates to chromatin state remains a central challenge in genome regulation. Here we present Pico-C, a low-input Micro-C approach that enables high-resolution, temporally resolved three-dimensional genome mapping during early Drosophila embryogenesis. Contrary to a prevailing view of a disorganized genome before zygotic genome activation (ZGA), we uncover a dynamic and ordered emergence of chromatin loops during pre-ZGA nuclear cycles. Spatial autocorrelation analysis points to context-dependent regulatory influences on chromatin. Notably, inhibition of transcriptional elongation has site-specific effects, retaining some early loops while weakening insulation at active promoters, suggesting distinct regulatory dependencies. Machine learning models trained on sequence features identify orthogonal, motif-specific contributions to architecture. Co-depletion of the pioneer factors Zelda and GAF leads to factor-specific perturbations in chromatin architecture, further highlighting a modular regulatory logic in genome establishment. Together, our findings reveal that early genome organization is orchestrated by an interplay of overlapping yet separable regulatory inputs.

This work adapts both prismatic and pebble-bed micro high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) point designs for Pu/transuranic (TRU) driver fuel under a continuous-recycle fuel cycle. This article indicates the potential for HTGR microreactors to be deployed as burner reactors in continuous-recycle fuel cycles. The adapted prismatic and pebble-bed micro-HTGR point designs are optimized to maximize fuel discharge burnup to reduce nuclear waste and environmental impact. Optimization was performed for inert matrix fuel (IMF) concepts, each using different composite moderators in the prismatic and pebble-bed designs. The prismatic and pebble-bed designs use TRU oxide tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) fuel entrained in a magnesium oxide (MgO) ceramic compact. The moderator materials considered include beryllium, beryllium oxide, yttrium hydride, and zirconium hydride entrained in the same MgO host matrix. For each prismatic IMF concept, optimization studies were performed to maximize discharge burnup by varying the TRISO packing fraction and assembly lattice pitch. For each pebble-bed IMF concept, optimization studies also varied the TRISO packing fraction while further considering variables that included the pebble fueled radius, the ratio of fueled to unfueled pebbles, and the active reactor core radius. Energy-normalized metrics, such as the amount of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and waste, activity, and environmental impacts, are reported for the continuous-recycle prismatic and pebble-bed IMF concepts. These metric results are compared to those of the graphite reference design, once-through prismatic and pebble-bed IMF concepts, a light water reactor (LWR), and a small modular reactor (SMR). All the continuous-recycle IMF concepts are shown to outperform the graphite reference case for all the evaluated metrics. Additionally, all the continuous-recycle IMF concepts outperformed their once-through microreactor counterparts, the LWR, and the SMR for most of the evaluated metrics. For the mass of SNF and high-level waste disposed, the continuous-recycle designs saw a 92.7% reduction with a concomitant reduction in the volume of low-level waste disposed between a 29.7% to 31.1% reduction. In addition to the levelized metrics, the levelized cost of fuel (LCOF) was calculated for the continuous-recycle prismatic and pebble-bed microreactor designs. The LCOF analysis was performed using cost drivers, uncertainties, and potential for cost reduction developed by employing deterministic modeling, sensitivity analyses, and Monte Carlo simulations. Significant reductions were seen in the LCOF, particularly in the pebble-bed concepts. Compared to the graphite reference, the prismatic designs saw between a 72.6% and 76.5% reduction and the pebble-bed designs saw about a 77.8% reduction in the LCOF. Overall, the continuous-recycle IMF concepts significantly reduced nuclear waste, environmental impact, and LCOF compared to conventional once-through reactor fuel cycles. It is important to note that the cases in this paper are representative of the maximum theoretically possible performance in these systems, and that significant research and development would be required to realize these potential benefits.

Semigamy is a rare fertilization anomaly in plants that enables haploid induction (HI), a valuable strategy for accelerating crop breeding; however, its molecular basis remains largely unexplored. We investigated transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms underlying semigamy mutant VSg in island cotton (Gossypium barbadense), which exhibits a high haploid induction rate during double fertilization. We combined cytological observations with time-resolved transcriptome profiling and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing across key fertilization stages. This integrative approach captured dynamic molecular changes associated with gamete nuclear fusion and early zygotic development. Compared with the wild-type, which displayed rapid polar nuclei fusion and normal free nuclear endosperm formation, the semigamy mutant showed delayed polar nuclei fusion and impaired sperm-egg nuclear fusion. Transcriptomic analyses identified differentially expressed genes enriched in membrane fusion processes, while epigenomic profiling revealed dynamic DNA methylation changes in genes encoding transmembrane proteins, cyclins, and kinesins, suggesting disrupted regulation of membrane dynamics and cell cycle progression. These results indicate that coordinated transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of nuclear fusion and cell cycle pathways underlie semigamy-induced developmental arrest and haploid induction. The study provides mechanistic insights into fertilization biology and highlights semigamy as a promising system for improving haploid breeding strategies in crops.

Targeted radionuclide therapy (TRT) is an innovative and flexible approach for treating various forms of cancer, enabling selective delivery of cytotoxic radiation to cancerous cells while minimizing damage to healthy tissue. Although TRT has proven to be highly promising for treating even advanced-stage cancers, ensuring a stable supply of the radionuclides essential for its use remains a significant challenge today. This is also true for radionuclides utilized in nuclear imaging procedures, such as Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT). Liquid-fueled molten salt reactors (MSRs) are promising for producing large quantities of highly desirable radionuclides for imaging and therapy, offering the ability to recover these radionuclides online without the need for interruptions to power production. In this study, the production of numerous beta- and alpha-emitting radionuclides for use in TRT and diagnostic procedures was studied in two small, geometrically identical, thermal spectrum MSR models—one operating with LEU fuel, and the other with a mixture of HALEU and thorium—using a novel MSR refueling and waste management concept. For therapeutic alpha emitters such as 225Ac and 213Bi, the impact of thorium utilization on production yields was significant, facilitating greatly increased production.

An improved recycling and recovery process for the cladding material from spent nuclear fuels is very important toward confirming nuclear energy to support ongoing sustainable development of nuclear management by reducing waste and conserving resources. Nuclear spent fuel cladding materials such as zirconium alloys have economic values and can be recovered, and their recovery eliminates problems in waste disposal and conserves valuable resources. Over 110 published reports and journal articles are reviewed and summarized herein, with a main focus on documenting recovery techniques used to recover cladding materials from spent nuclear fuel and recent developments. Several recovery techniques which are used at present times, such as mechanical separation, chemical dissolution, and hydrometallurgical processes have been covered with examples and discussions. Difficulties within the recovery process are also discussed, and most probable areas for future research in improving efficiency and sustainability of recovering cladding material are identified and discussed at the end. This review could be an important document to the field of spent nuclear fuel reprocessing, recovering valuables and thereby offering guidance on how to effectively manage, safely handle, and reduce nuclear waste. In addition to reducing the volume and radiotoxicity of high-level waste, this review also highlights the potential economic benefit of recovering zirconium from spent fuel cladding by relating typical zirconium metal prices to the mass of cladding per tonne of spent fuel, illustrating that the recoverable material value is non-negligible compared with back-end fuel-cycle costs.