2025 Wrapped

A Tuesday email?

I didn’t realize that Thursday would be Christmas. Since I’m going to be stuffing myself with food, I assumed most people wouldn’t be looking at their emails. So, I thought it would be fun to revise my favourite articles of 2025! And send it out earlier.

Also, I wanted to thank everyone for reading and supporting the newsletter in 2025. I’ll send out the last (real) email of the year next week, so you can look forward to a bit more science before the year's end!

PS: I know, it doesn’t make much sense to have a "2025 wrapped” and then write another article, but I like the paper I found, and I don’t want to stop. So, it is what it is!

2025 Wrapped - The “Best” Articles of 2025

The newsletter grew like crazy this year! So, I think it would be cool to look back and highlight some articles that many haven’t seen. They are my favourites, not necessarily the best!

It was very hard to just pick 5. If your favourite article is not here, just go ahead and share it with others, so they also enjoy it!

But without further ado, let’s jump into the list! The articles are in no particular order, btw.

1. AI Designs Antivenoms

I love science for science's sake. I’m a curious person: I just want to learn new things.

But what’s even better? When cool science solves real problems. I’ve been drawn to this intersection more and more in the past few years. AI-based protein design is one of the most exciting areas of science today, full of potential. But can it also solve real problems?

Well, yes. This article used AI-designed proteins to create binders for snake toxins. For context, snakebite envenoming is classified as a neglected tropical disease by the WHO, with over 2 million people suffering each year.

So, AI, biotech, and snakes? Sign me up! Go read the article, it’s a cool one!

2. RNA Artificial Skeletons?

I’m a DNA guy, you know that. DNA nanotech and DNA origami are where I feel at home.

But DNA is not everything. And this article shows how RNA can be a game-changer for bottom-up synthetic biology!

Building artificial cells is one of the boldest aims of SynBio. Super hard, of course! But it would give us unprecedented control over biology, revolutionizing medicine, biotech, and more.

A key challenge? Replicate the protein cytoskeleton. But we might not even need to do that: just use RNA nanotech, it’s easier! And it gives you amazing pictures.

Go and read all about how you can design nanotubes from simple RNA modules, and stick them inside cells!

3. Better Diagnostics with DNA Origami

What, did you think I could go this long without a DNA origami article?

Don’t be silly. It’s my favourite! I’ve covered a crazy amount of DNA nanotech research this year. I’ve counted around 18 articles! That’s around a third of all the articles.

But as I was saying before, I’m enjoying applied science more and more.

And after years of theoretical work, the authors of this article are actually starting a company to bring DNA origami diagnostics to the world. And here, DNA origami increases 125x the sensitivity of the tests!

I’m confident DNA origami can revolutionize diagnostics, and we’ll see more and more companies entering the space. I’m excited!

4. Proteins Go Quantum

I often challenge myself to learn new things. I regret it immediately, and I kick myself, but I can’t stop. Send help.

This article about using fluorescent proteins for quantum sensing is the best example this year. I looked at it, and I was like “Oh, I know about fluorescent proteins, how hard can it be?”.

It was exhausting. I had to Google every word! But I’ll admit, it’s super cool research. Amazing things!

So, if you want to have a short primer about quantum bits and sensing, don’t miss this article! I’ve found a great way to learn about a new field is to start with something you know, at least a bit. And fluorescent proteins are familiar to most!

5. Cell-Electronics Hybrids

By now, you know I get excited by crazy ideas. And it doesn’t get much crazier than merging electronics and cellular biology!

Electrical modulation of the brain is a treatment option for many diseases: Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, depression. But the powerful methods used require invasive surgery, which is super risky.

So, can we use the natural propensity of some cells to target inflamed areas of the brain to stimulate them without surgery?

That’s the idea behind this crazy article! Awesome work; crazy sounding, but ehi, it works! It’s also the most recent article on this list, so (hopefully) the writing is better.

There you have it! It was hard to pick only these 5 articles, but I’m happy with my choices!

And as always, thank you for reading!

More Room:

• Translating DNA Nanotech: As I said, I’ve become more of an applied science fan over the years. This review highlights how DNA nanotechnology (DNA origami, hydrogels, and aptamer systems) has driven major advances in molecular medicine, including targeted cancer therapy, diagnostics, and gene delivery. Despite strong preclinical results, clinical translation remains limited due to challenges such as instability in biological environments, immune responses, manufacturing scale-up, and regulatory barriers. The article discusses emerging strategies to overcome these hurdles, including DNA–protein hybrids, protective and responsive designs, and AI-assisted, automated production, outlining a path from fundamental research toward clinically viable DNA-based therapies. 

• CRISPR-Cas Goes into Diagnostics: Is there something CRISPR-Cas can’t do? This paper introduces a CRISPR-based diagnostic method called cc-LFA that overcomes the specificity and multiplexing limits of traditional trans-cleavage CRISPR assays. By using a “double-key” mechanism combining Cas12a cis-cleavage with invasive hybridization of released DNA products, the approach achieves highly specific, single–base resolution detection without interference from mismatched targets. Integrated with lateral flow readouts, cc-LFA enables accurate multiplex detection of respiratory pathogens and HPV subtypes and is compatible with a portable automated device for decentralized diagnostics.

• DNA-Based RAM: With the current RAM shortage, maybe it’s time we all turn to DNA. This paper presents an electrically controlled method for random access in DNA data storage by modulating DNA conformation to switch T7 promoter transcription on or off. This approach enables selective, non-destructive reading of stored information without relying on complex sequence-based addressing, allowing multiple reads from a single DNA write. The use of electrode arrays also suggests a path toward miniaturized, integrated DNA storage systems compatible with future DNA synthesis technologies.

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