Next-generation therapies are advancing beyond small molecules and proteins toward engineered living microorganisms that interact symbiotically with their host and respond to signals precisely when and where needed. Despite progress in the field, engineering cells to both produce biopharmaceuticals and achieve site-specific recruitment remains a challenge. In this work, we genetically engineered the mating pathway of S. pombe to create a “bioprocessor” that responds to a chemical trigger, an artificial replica of the sexual pheromone of the yeast cells, the P-factor, enabling functional control over the production of Albulin as a proof-of-concept biopharmaceutical. This activation simultaneously induces the expression of hydrophobic agglutinins on the cell surface, modifying surface chemistry and adhesion properties. Exploiting this modification, we could simultaneously implement spatial control, allowing selective adhesion to a hydrophobic target surface. Adhesion control tests confirmed the fundamental role of hydrophobic interactions in this adhesion process, enabling selective cell adherence only after activation with P-factor and expression of the agglutinins, even in presence of potentially interfering cells. This approach represents an important milestone in the development of a straightforward chemically-activated multi-control mechanisms, which enable precise and programmable responses in engineered cells. Such advancements pave the way for a new generation of bio-responsive materials and therapeutic devices, including functional implants and targeted delivery systems, where engineered cells can operate in synergy with host tissues, responding to specific environmental cues to produce therapeutic agents exactly when and where they are needed.

The rational design of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that combine chemical and physical robustness with finely tuned optoelectronic properties remains a key challenge in materials science. As an initial step toward this goal, we report the synthesis and comprehensive characterization of a new class of boron-, nitrogen-, and oxygen-doped peri-acenoacenes, termed (2,5,4)-trapeziumene congeners. Analysis of these systems provides chemical descriptors that could guide the rational tailoring of their properties through peripheral doping. The target trapeziumene congeners were obtained via a sequence of Suzuki–Miyaura and Buchwald–Hartwig couplings, followed by directed borylation, giving both phenylborane and borinic derivatives with diverse peripheral doping sequences. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction revealed planar to slightly twisted backbones, with peripheral heteroatomic motifs that modulate π-conjugation and intermolecular packing. Photophysical studies showed bright fluorescence (Φ_F up to 0.99), narrow Stokes shifts, and structured phosphorescence at 77 K. Electrochemical analysis demonstrated p-type behavior and a progressive HOMO–LUMO gap widening upon N→O substitution. Theoretical investigations revealed that N→O substitution asymmetrically affects the excited states, blue-shifting fluorescence while red-shifting phosphorescence, through an asymmetric charge stabilization in the S₁ and T₁ excited states. This is accompanied by a progressive widening of the T₁–T₂ energy gap.

This work outlines the synthesis and photo-/electro-luminescent behavior of a new C-shaped BN-doped benzenoid hydrocarbon using N-directed borylation in a unique lattice-embedded graphitic C₂–B–N motif at the pyrene K-region. This BN-doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exhibits a green fluorescent emission in solution with a photoluminescent quantum yield of 91%. In contrast, thin-films applied to light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) feature a temperature-dependent dual-emission, including a broad yellowish band and a well-structured near-infrared band that are barely met in the prior art. What is more striking, this temperature-dependent dual-emission can be easily controlled in LECs with the driving conditions, realizing green-yellow (x/y CIE color coordinates of 0.36/0.61; stabilities of 200 h; efficiency of 0.30 lm W⁻¹) and yellow-orange (x/y CIE color coordinates of 0.50/0.49; stabilities of ≈70 h; efficiency of 0.26 lm W⁻¹) devices. Finally, the expected greenish devices (x/y CIE color coordinates of 0.30/0.62; stabilities of 0.3 h; efficiency of 0.46 lm W⁻¹) can be fabricated using a host:guest active layer that disrupts the formation of the thermally activated emissive assemblies. Hence, this work highlights the films’ thermally activated emission behavior to control device chromaticity using this BN-doped PAH.

Davide Zanetti, Cristian De Luca, and Davide Bonifazi discuss the resurgence of peri-xanthenoxanthene from a forgotten dye into a versatile organic semiconductor and sustainable photocatalyst, emphasizing its importance in photoredox catalysis.