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Synopsis In animals, epithelial tissues are barriers against the external environment, providing protection against biological, chemical, and physical damage. Depending on the organism’s physiology and behavior, these tissues encounter different types of mechanical forces and need to provide a suitable adaptive response to ensure success. Therefore, understanding tissue mechanics in different contexts is an important research area. Here, we review recent tissue mechanics discoveries in three early divergent non-bilaterian systems—Trichoplax adhaerens, Hydra vulgaris, and Aurelia aurita. We highlight each animal’s simple body plan and biology and unique, rapid tissue remodeling phenomena that play a crucial role in its physiology. We also discuss the emergent large-scale mechanics in these systems that arise from small-scale phenomena. Finally, we emphasize the potential of these non-bilaterian animals to be model systems in a bottom-up approach for further investigation in tissue mechanics. 

The rapid rise in single-junction perovskite solar cell (PSC) efficiencies, tunable bandgap and low-cost solution processability make PSCs an attractive candidate for tandems with Si bottom cells. However, the challenge is to fabricate a high-performance semitransparent perovskite top cell in combination with an appropriate silicon bottom cell with high response to long wavelength photons that are filtered through the perovskite top cell. Currently, semitransparent perovskite cells show much lower performance compared to their opaque counterparts while high-performance silicon bottom cells, such as heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer (HIT) and interdigitated back contact (IBC), maybe too expensive to meet the cost and efficiency targets for commercial viability. Here, we demonstrate a 26.7% perovskite-Si four terminal (4T) tandem cell comprising a highly efficient 17.8% CsFAMAPbIBr semitransparent, 1.63-eV bandgap perovskite top cell and a ≥ 22% efficiency n-type Si bottom cell fabricated with a conventional boron diffused emitter on the front and carrier selective n+ poly-Si/SiOx passivated contact on the rear. This is among the highest efficiency perovskite/Si 4T tandems published to-date and represents the first demonstration of the use of the high temperature-resistant single side n-TOPCon Si cell in a 4T configuration.