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Fanjiang Kong, Zhixi Tian, Xingliang Hou, Baohui Liu and colleagues report the cloning and functional characterization of J, the locus underlying the long-juvenile (LJ) trait that has enabled tropical cultivation of soybean. They show that J, an ortholog of Arabidopsis ELF3, downregulates the expression of E1, thereby promoting flowering under short-day conditions.

Florets of indica rice open earlier than japonica rice, hindering utilization of the cross subspecies heterosis. Here, the authors show that an OsMYB8-OsJAR1 module regulates diurnal floret opening time divergences between the two subspecies.

This study reveals that α-lipoic acid (ALA) is reduced in aged mouse and human intestine and ALA supplementation reduces aging hallmarks. Paneth cells play a role in the effects of ALA.

De novo genome assembly and analyses of 12 maize FILs provide insights into genomic and phenotypic differentiation of various heterotic groups and the molecular basis of heterosis in maize.

A nonantibiotic-dependent therapy capable of destroying the biofilm is desired for the treatment of drug-resistant fungal infections but underdeveloped. Here, the authors engineer semiconductor coated upconversion nanohybrids for the synergistic actions of ultrasound and near-infrared light that promote drug penetration and reactive oxygen species-mediated disruption of Candida albicans biofilms.

The genetic basis of grapevine thermotolerance remains poorly understood. Here, the authors identify WRKY transcription factor TTC4 as a positive regulator of thermotolerance and reveal its possible upstream repressor SPL13 and downstream target genes HSP18.1 and APX3.

Wang et al. report a self-powered solar-blind photodetector based on Ga₂O₃/AlN/AlGaN:Si heterostructure. This design creates potential wells that trap photogenerated holes, achieving both high sensitivity and fast response for single-pixel imaging of both static and moving objects.

It is important to understand cellular uptake of nanoparticles, but the effects of cell cycle and autophagy are underexplored. Here, the authors construct a multi-functional, multi-dimensional platform, and use this to characterise the effects of cell cycle- and autophagy-associated cellular accumulation of clinically used lipid-based nanoparticles.

This work introduces roll-to-roll fluidics, a method that enhances reagent efficiency and reduces turnaround time, enabling rapid and economical next-generation sequencing.

Constructing artificial sensorimotor systems for robotic applications calls for development of synaptic connections for complicated information processing. Wei et al. propose a graphdiyne-based artificial synapse capable of parallel processing signals and utilize it in an artificial mechanoreceptor system.

A 2.5-billion-year record of oxygen isotopes in sedimentary sulfate reveals the transitional oxygenation of the Earth’s surface and provides constraints on the dynamic, lengthy co-oxygenation of Earth’s atmosphere and oceans.

Two impact-melt fragments in Chang’e-6 lunar soils reveal that the Apollo basin was formed at ~4.16 Ga, implying a non-cataclysmic late heavy bombardment on the Moon between 3.8 and 4.0 Ga.

Few-layer-thick 2D materials offer desirable electronic, thermal and mechanical properties, but their large-scale layer-controlled synthesis is still challenging. Here, the authors report an edge-feeding synchronous epitaxial growth method to synthesize homogeneous A3-sized graphene films with controlled thickness between 2 and 7 layers.

Targeted degradation has the potential to treat diseases associated with pathological protein build up. Here, the authors report on an oligo-PROTAC which degrades FUS, a protein associated with frontotemporal dementia, demonstrating delivery on DNA nanoflowers for increase blood-brain barrier crossing and retention.

The mechanism of ammonia synthesis on traditional iron or ruthenium catalysts features a high energetic span. Here, the authors introduce ternary ruthenium complex hydrides of lithium and barium that can activate dinitrogen via a lower-energy path, resulting in the highly efficient production of ammonia under milder conditions.

The Ga₂O₃:Sn/Al/HfO_x cascade heterojunctions-based optoelectronic synapses exhibit outstanding linearity in weight updating and thousands of conduction levels, holding promise for applications in logic operations, arithmetic computing, and fingerprint classification.

Investigation of the reaction process at the single-bond interface is key to understanding the catalytic reaction mechanism. Here, the authors develop a STM-BJ method to monitor the catalytic process from the perspective of single-bond energy.

ELD1, a CCHC-type zinc finger protein, is found to modulate alternative splicing of the core oscillator gene OsCCA1 and thereby regulate photoperiodic flowering in rice. This reveals additional links between light signaling and the circadian clock.

Clinical and genomic mapping of a large sample of invasive nontyphoidal Salmonella infections sheds light on the global spread of this pathogen and its acquisition of antimicrobial resistance features and indicates future potential for human-to-human transmission.

The methyltransferase OsPRMT6b is found to act as an ABA responsive factor to finely turn down ABA signaling via methylation of ABA receptor, thus facilitating growth recovery as high-temperature stress subsides.

An organic regulator that can tune the crystallization sequence of active layer components has been described, achieving a certified efficiency of over 20% in single-junction organic solar cells, demonstrating remarkable tolerance for active layer thickness of 100–400 nm.

This study reports the genomic changes underlying the convergent and divergent agronomic improvement of the female and male heterotic groups during modern hybrid maize breeding, laying a foundation for the dissection and utilization of maize heterosis.

Social status mediates individual differences in methamphetamine-seeking by modulating dopaminergic pathways. In subordinate rodents, the mesolimbic pathway is stronger, and the mesocortical pathway is weaker, whereas dominant rodents show the opposite pattern.

Approximately eighty percent of World Cultural Heritage sites already experience heat and moisture disturbances, and nearly nineteen percent of sites have stone or wood materials affected by the changing climate, according to an analysis that utilizes climate data and material inventories

Organic solar cells processed from green solvents are easier to implement in manufacturing yet their efficiency is low. Chen et al. devise a guest molecule to improve the molecular packing, enabling devices with over 17% efficiency.

The solvent choice for processing organic solar cells impacts layer morphology and ultimately device performance. By controlling the molecular interactions, Zhang et al. realize a solvent-independent morphology that leads to high device efficiency.

Unlike cultivated soybean, the genetic basis for high latitude adaptation for wild soybean accessions is largely unknown. Here, the authors reveal how the subfunctionalization of E1 family genes and gene introgression have driven adaptation to higher latitudes in wild soybean accessions.

The degradation of PET using PETase enzymes has great potential but can face problems with incomplete degradation. Here, the authors identified two BHETases from the environment and engineered them to improve their hydrolysis efficiency for applications in dual-enzyme PET recycling and tandem chemical-enzymatic PET upcycling systems.

GY3 encodes a LOG-like protein that acts as a 5′-ribonucleotide phosphohydrolase in cytokinin synthesis. A Gypsy solo-LTR insertion downregulates GY3 expression and shows the potential to enhance grain yield in rice.

Wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells suffer from phase segregation. Zhang et al. show that thiocyanate ions overcome the issue by occupying iodide vacancies while regulating crystallization, enabling perovskite/organic tandem cells with 25.06% efficiency.

The detection of trace amounts of residual trinitrotoluene in the environment using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) can be hindered by the presence of structurally-analogous compounds, which can lead to erroneous spectral assignments. Here, the authors propose a SERS nose array approach integrated with machine learning to enhance the classification accuracy for detecting trinitrotoluene and structurally similar 2,4-DNPA, as well as in distinguishing between gases at different concentrations.

Marginal liver grafts are associated with a higher risk of graft failure due to their increased susceptibility to ischemia-reperfusion injury. Here, the authors show the regulatory mechanism of fibroblast growth factor 21 and offer insights into its clinical application in early liver graft injury.

The neuroanatomical basis of consciousness is not fully understood. Here the authors show that a global state of consciousness might not depend on a specific brain region or location in Euclidean space; rather, it is linked to a low-dimensional dynamic pattern in topological space, as shown through the analysis of different experimental paradigms, imaging techniques, and species.

Many cereal crops have been bred to be more compact to allow high-density planting, but soybean has remained relatively overlooked. Here, the authors describe a compact soybean mutant, reduced internode 1, that significantly enhances grain yield under high-density planting conditions compared to an elite cultivar.

Insulator-metal transitions driven by electronic correlations in oxide heterostructures have been widely studied, usually involving a correlated insulator and a band insulator. Here the authors study all-correlated-insulator heterostructures and observe a thickness-dependent insulator-metal transition.

The African swine fever virus represents a threat to global pig production. Here, the authors determine the cryo-EM structures of ASFV RNA polymerase, and suggest that the M1249L subunit may modulate polymerase activity in cells.

Oocyte quality declines during aging. Here the authors show that oocytes from aged mice cultured within follicles from young mice have improved developmental potential. Aged oocytes cultured within young follicles have enhanced interaction with somatic cells, improved mitochondrial function and better meiotic chromosome segregation.

All-carbon memristive synapse is built through photo-reduction of a nanocomposite comprised of graphene oxide and N-doped carbon quantum dots. The analog-type resistive switching was demonstrated, which enabled the emulation of synaptic learning and pattern recognition with high accuracy. The all-carbon devices possess excellent transferability, flexibility and resistance to high temperature, showing the potential for the development of wearable neuromorphic computing system.