Knowledge graphs have become a common approach for knowledge representation. Yet, the application of graph methodology is elusive due to the sheer number and complexity of knowledge sources. In addition, semantic incompatibilities hinder efforts to harmonize and integrate across these diverse sources. As part of The Biomedical Translator Consortium, we have developed a knowledge graph–based question-answering system designed to augment human reasoning and accelerate translational scientific discovery: the Translator system. We have applied the Translator system to answer biomedical questions in the context of a broad array of diseases and syndromes, including Fanconi anemia, primary ciliary dyskinesia, multiple sclerosis, and others. A variety of collaborative approaches have been used to research and develop the Translator system. One recent approach involved the establishment of a monthly “Question-of-the-Month (QotM) Challenge” series. Herein, we describe the structure of the QotM Challenge; the six challenges that have been conducted to date on drug-induced liver injury, cannabidiol toxicity, coronavirus infection, diabetes, psoriatic arthritis, and ATP1A3-related phenotypes; the scientific insights that have been gleaned during the challenges; and the technical issues that were identified over the course of the challenges and that can now be addressed to foster further development of the prototype Translator system. We close with a discussion on Large Language Models such as ChatGPT and highlight differences between those models and the Translator system.

Phase change materials are identified for their ability to rapidly alternate between the amorphous and crystalline phases and have large contrast in the optical/electrical properties of the respective phases. The materials are not only primarily used in memory storage applications, but also recently they have been identified as potential thermoelectric materials [D. Lencer et al., Adv. Mater.23, 2030–2058 (2011)]. Many of the phase change materials studied today can be found on the pseudo-binary (GeTe)1−x(Sb2Te3)x tie-line. While many compounds on this tie-line have been recognized as thermoelectric materials, here we focus on Ge4SbTe5, a single phase compound just off of the (GeTe)1−x(Sb2Te3)x tie-line, which forms in a stable rocksalt crystal structure at room temperature. We find that stoichiometric and undoped Ge4SbTe5 exhibits a thermal conductivity of ∼1.2 W/m K at high temperature and a large Seebeck coefficient of ∼250 μV/K. The resistivity decreases dramatically at 623 K due to a structural phase transition which leads to a large enhancement in both thermoelectric power factor and thermoelectric figure of merit at 823 K. In a more general sense, the work presents evidence that phase change materials can potentially provide a new route to highly efficient thermoelectric materials for power generation at high temperature.