Welcome to the very first issue of _Nature Reviews Bioengineering_, a new _Nature Reviews_ journal covering all areas of bioengineering, with a particular focus on translation, inclusivity

and accessibility. Engineering is the science of problem solving, making ‘impossible’ ideas possible in the real world. Bioengineers have enabled the design of life-saving concepts, such as

artificial organs, pacemakers, vaccines, medical robots and point-of-care diagnostic tests, to only name a few. Bioengineering also plays a key role in tackling one of the most critical

global issues of our times — climate change; for example, by providing new solutions to cellular agriculture, or by improving the sustainability of industrial bioprocesses. > “Engineering

improving global health, for example, for decentralized testing of antimicrobial resistance. In this issue, Rachel McKendry and colleagues discuss the lessons learned from COVID-19 for the

design of next-generation lateral-flow tests. Similarly, lipid nanoparticle–mRNA vaccines showcase the incredible value of bioengineering in addressing key societal needs, and bioengineers

are already optimizing nanoscale tools for the targeted delivery of nucleic acid therapeutics, as highlighted in this issue. Beyond nanoparticles, bioengineers are also exploring biohybrid

microrobots that combine cellular and synthetic components for drug delivery. Bioengineered human-relevant in vitro models, such as organs-on-chips and organoids, have changed the way we

conduct fundamental biology and preclinical studies. In this issue, Hans Clevers and Maarten Geurts discuss the design of isogenic organoid-based disease models using CRISPR-mediated genome

engineering, showcasing how CRISPR tools in organoids can bring genome engineering one step closer to patients. Michael Levin and Jamie Davies examine the transition from cell-level

synthetic biology to multicellular synthetic morphology, investigating experimental embryology studies, including organoids and xenobots, that go beyond default outcomes of embryogenesis.

This agential bioengineering approach could transform regenerative medicine and robotics, and such in vitro platforms may well bridge the gap between preclinical animal studies and clinical

trials. On a more technical note, the design of in vivo imaging probes has already transformed clinical practice. In particular, in vivo imaging is turning into a powerful tool for

diagnostics and image-guided surgery. In this issue, Fan Zhang and team highlight important engineering challenges that remain to be addressed to promote the clinical translation of

near-infrared luminescence high-contrast biomedical imaging. We also want to discuss translational pathways for bioengineering research. In a Down to Business article in this issue, Roozbeh

Ghaffari and colleagues tell the story of the wearable sweat-sensing platform Gx Sweat Patch, from development to regulatory approval and the challenges of commercial launch. We hope that

our Down to Business articles will provide a useful resource for bioengineers interested in translating their research. Importantly, we would also like to highlight the application of

bioengineered systems in low-resource settings. After all, we want our field to have global impact, and thus, we need to consider various environments and settings. In a Viewpoint in this

issue, researchers and global health experts discuss the impact of bioengineering on global health, and in a Comment, Tojan Rahhal and Rachel Goforth introduce Engineering World Health — a

non-profit organization aiming at inspiring and educating the bioengineering community to improve global health-care delivery. We are delighted that our first issue is out, and we want to

particularly thank our authors and referees, who have provided excellent, critical and thought-provoking articles and comments. Bioengineering can positively impact global health, the

environment and our society. Our hope is to be part of this journey, and we look forward to providing a trusted platform for discussion, debate and solution. We hope you all enjoy reading

our pages. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Things are only impossible until they’re not. _Nat Rev Bioeng_ 1, 1 (2023).

https://doi.org/10.1038/s44222-022-00020-6 Download citation * Published: 19 January 2023 * Issue Date: January 2023 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44222-022-00020-6 SHARE THIS ARTICLE

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable link Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Copy to clipboard Provided

by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative