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Cutting soft yet tough materials like rubber, leather, or even meat is significantly easier with a sharp blade than by tearing— even when the tear is initiated by a notch. Researchers from the SIMM laboratory at ESPCI Paris – PSL have uncovered the mechanism behind this phenomenon: cutting significantly reduces deformation and molecular damage within soft materials. Their findings were recently published in Nature Communications.

Heavy fermion materials, discovered around fifty years ago, are metallic compounds in which electrons behave as if they have an effective mass much greater than that of free electrons. These materials are essential for studying strongly correlated electron systems and unconventional superconductivity, with potential applications in various quantum technologies. Traditionally, creating such materials requires the use of rare earth or actinide elements, which are often scarce, radioactive, or challenging to extract. However, a research team led by Luca de’ Medici from the Laboratoire de Physique et d’Étude des Matériaux (LPEM) at ESPCI Paris – PSL has proposed and successfully tested an innovative method to produce heavy fermion materials without relying on these problematic elements.

Mycorrhizal fungi build intricate underground networks to exchange nutrients with plants and store carbon in the soil. Published in Nature on February 26, 2025, a study conducted by 28 researchers from around the world, including scientists from the Physique et Mécanique des Milieux Hétérogènes (PMMH) Laboratory at ESPCI Paris - PSL, reveals how these networks function as sophisticated supply chains, forming one of the most widespread symbiotic partnership in nature, forming in the roots of around 70% of plant species on Earth.

Soft and deformable materials are ubiquitous, ranging from living organisms such as bacteria to inanimate substances like clay. They are also found in everyday objects like sponges and in complex synthetic materials such as foams and polymer networks. These materials, known as poroelastic, combine elasticity with the ability to absorb solvents.

Evolution is often seen as a blind process, driven by natural selection and random mutations. However, a study conducted by researchers from ESPCI Paris - PSL and the Max Planck Institute challenges this perspective.