Bioiontronics enables communication with living systems through controlled ion and biomolecule transport at abiotic–biotic interfaces. This Review outlines the mechanisms and emerging device prototypes driving the field and discusses key challenges in ion control, miniaturization, biocompatible fabrication, as well as diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Computational simulations are emerging as powerful complements to bioprinting, enabling prediction of bioink behaviours, shear effects and printability across extrusion-based, droplet-based and light-based techniques. This Review outlines key modelling frameworks, rheological considerations, major applications and remaining challenges, highlighting how simulations can streamline workflows and guide future bioprinting advances.

Viral diseases continue to impose a major global health burden, yet substantial inequities in access to accurate molecular diagnostics persist, limiting effective surveillance and response. This Review highlights disparities in diagnostic availability, evaluates key molecular diagnostic technologies suited for decentralized settings, and outlines essential factors for translating molecular tests into diverse real-world contexts.

Pregnancy-associated organs-on-chips (PAOOCs) are microphysiological systems that model gestational tissues to unveil the mechanisms of obstetric conditions and evaluate drug safety and efficacy during pregnancy in vitro. In this Review, we discuss the biological and mechanical components of PAOOCs and propose design recommendations to improve their physiological fidelity, reproducibility and accessibility.

New approach methodologies are transforming safety science towards more human-relevant, mechanistic models. Bioengineers are central to this shift, but their impact depends on delivering systems that are relevant, robust, scalable and bridge the research-to-regulation gap.

Bioengineering succeeds or fails as a system, not as a collection of optimized parts. From closed-loop devices to cell therapies, organ chips and synthetic circuits, systems engineering can help convert independently optimized components into robust, validated and usable technologies that work across laboratories, clinics and everyday life.

Surgical phantoms are artificial models of human tissues used for training, preoperative planning and device testing. Soft robotics is transforming these systems from passive anatomical replicas into dynamic, sensorized and multimodal systems, enabling more realistic surgical training and reducing reliance on animal models.

Analyses of tumour microenvironments (TMEs) in the context of chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T cell) therapy development typically focus on how the TME impacts CAR-T cells and how to engineer CAR-T cells to overcome barriers present in the TME. However, CAR-T cells can also alter the TME, and greater understanding of this interaction can be leveraged for the development of next-generation CAR-T cell therapies.

Donor organs are frequently discarded because of concerns about quality or pathogen risk, challenges that could be mitigated through ex vivo gene editing or silencing during machine perfusion. Here, we discuss the development of CRISPR-based approaches for ex vivo gene silencing in human donor organs, from proof of concept in kidney biopsies to the challenges of organ-scale translation.

In vivo cell engineering enables chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) production directly within the body. Most in vivo CAR approaches target broad T cell populations. However, antigen-presenting nanoparticles could be used to engineer specific T cell subsets, leveraging the phenotypic and functional properties of the cells for T cell therapy.