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Pioneer in the total chemical synthesis of biological molecules

The study demonstrated that some exogenous natural polysaccharides could be absorbed in plasma with little degradation after orally administration. Polysaccharide uptake in the intestinal cells relied on clathrin/dynamin 1/Rab5-dependent endocytosis.

Transition-metal-catalyzed nitrene strategies exhibit high efficacy for intermolecular N–H insertion, but nitrene-mediated N–N coupling under metal-free conditions has rarely been explored. Herein, the authors report the selective N–N coupling using sulfilimines as nitrene precursors.

Understanding how alkali doping promotes CO₂ electroreduction is challenging, as tracking proton transfer is difficult. Here, the authors report operando nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy reveals Li doping promotes a proton–electron relay from water, thereby boosting CO₂-to-formate conversion.

Circulating N-glycomics studies have shown alterations in multiple cancer types. Here, the authors show that blood-based glycome patterns on proteins can be used to predict liver damage and liver cancer development.

Here they show that NONO collaborates with HOXA1 to modulate gene expression during early cardiomyocyte differentiation. This interaction facilitates activation of the Wnt signaling pathway, establishing the NONO-HOXA1-Wnt axis as a key mechanism in cardiac development.

Under sustained high greenhouse-gas emissions, the stratospheric quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) may weaken and eventually disappear, potentially reducing short-term climate predictability, highlighting the risks of continued emissions for the middle and upper atmosphere.

Ma et al. report an organic cation engineering strategy to improve the luminescent properties and charge transport in organic-inorganic antimony halide films, enabling red LEDs with efficiency up to 19.4% and half-lifetime of 10,190 min. Large-area (12.15 cm²) LEDs show efficiency of 14.2%.

Organic molecular crystals with controllable bending angles are crucial interconnectors in integrated optoelectronic chips but current methods of tailoring bent geometric features in molecular crystals without fracturing remain limited. Here the authors proposing a molecular cocrystal strategy that introduces directional non-covalent interactions into molecular systems to weaken the original interactions triggering the spontaneous deformation.

This study finds that plastic mulch substantially increases crop yields but also contaminates soils and pollutes the environment. The authors propose biodegradable films, AI-driven farming, and policy reforms to address the productivity–sustainability trade-offs.

Conventional organic polymeric resists and chemical solutions used in microlithographic techniques can damage sensitive materials. Here, the authors report the application of inorganic selenium molecules as a lithographic mediator and encapsulation layer during the processing of various sensitive materials, such as perovskites and black phosphorus.

NIID is a neurodegenerative disease caused by GGC repeat expansions within NOTCH2NLC gene. Here, authors develop a precise gene-editing therapy that effectively treats the disease in multiple models.

Septin cages entrap cytosolic pathogens to restrict infection. Here, authors show that Shigella effectors OspCs catalyze ADP-riboxanation of SEPT9 at a critical interface, destabilizing septin octamers to inhibit cage assembly and evade host cell-autonomous immunity.

Control of chiral assembly across length scales is desirable but challenging. Here, the authors report the development of microscopic chiral twists prepared by the hierarchical assembly of enantiomeric amphiphiles.

This study reveals a hierarchical development of the brain’s structural connectome from infancy to childhood, characterized by distinct sensorimotor-association trajectories and alignment with multiple neurobiological hierarchies.

Here, the authors document the evolutionary dynamics of angiosperm pollen, using pollen morphology and time calibrated phylogeny. They identify two surges in pollen disparity in the mid-Cretaceous and Paleogene that are associated with environmental changes and important pollen adaptations.

The mechanisms and kinetics behind the anti-sintering behavior of supported metal nanoparticles under ultrafast heating remain unclear. Here, in situ scanning transmission electron microscopy and theoretical analysis reveal an ultrafast-heating–induced metastable state that suppresses thermal sintering while enhancing crystallinity of the metal nanoparticles and their interfaces.

Rancid odors trigger retching and aversion. Here, authors show a nose-to-brain axis whereby such odors activate olfactory-piriform circuits that diverge to mediodorsal thalamic nucleus and nucleus accumbens to mediate retching-like behavior and aversion.

Liu et al. report Chinese normative lifespan brain charts showing later neurodevelopmental milestones than those detected in Western cohorts. Individual deviations from these norms are valuable in assessing clinical risk and outcomes.

Life’s transition between saltwater and freshwater environments requires major genetic innovations. This study reveals the key genes for salinity adaptation in Chlorella sp. MEM25, an early saltwater alga.

Japonica subspecies has a lower nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) than that of indica rice. Here, the authors show that natural variations in the NIN-like protein 4 (OsNLP4) encoding gene are responsible for the divergence and introgression of the indica OsNLP4 allele into elite japonica cultivar can increase NUE and grain yield.

Acute-on-chronic liver failure is a complex condition with varied definitions. Using unbiased clustering, the study identifies two distinct subtypes with markedly different 30-day mortality risks and highlights key determinants.

The molecular heterogeneity of brain metastases (BrMs) poses challenges for their treatment. Here, the authors generate a multi-omic, single cell, and spatially resolved atlas of 1,032 pan-cancer BrMs and identify four molecular subtypes with distinct biological and clinical features.

Direct RNA sequencing suffers from chimera artifact contamination. Here, the authors develop DeepChopper, a genomic language model that detects artifacts with high accuracy, enabling more reliable transcriptome analysis.

Gas diffusion electrodes enable electrochemical H₂O₂ production, but fused binders and disordered pores restrict mass transport. Here, the authors report a non-fused gradient catalyst layer that supports directional self-transport and stable high efficiency at industrial current densities.

Large-effect variants in autism remain elusive. Here, the authors use long-read sequencing to assemble phased genomes for 189 individuals, identifying pathogenic variants in TBL1XR1, MECP2, and SYNGAP1, plus nine candidate structural variants missed by short-read methods.

Compact MXene fibers with near-gigapascal strength are continuously fabricated by radial confinement and axial stretching under room temperature. Large-area textiles made from the fibers show superior electromagnetic interference shielding capacity.

Molecular information encoded within supramolecular frameworks offers a powerful paradigm for directing emergent function beyond the genetic code, but systematic investigations into alternative spatial configurations and their consequences remain scarce. Here the authors use metalla-[2]catenanes to probe sequence–function relationships in layered architectures.

Using single-cell transcriptomics and functional analyses, the authors identify a specialized neural network in the male schistosome gynecophoric canal and show that lsamp maintains its integrity, enabling intersex communication and female reproductive maturation.

An iontronic electricity generator is developed based on intrinsic asymmetric interfaces and controllable energy release, which achieves giant power generation through reversible electron-coupled ion oscillation at interfaces.

Zhang, Huang, Wang, Long et al. report that NAT10 enhances serine uptake and biosynthesis in an ac4C-dependent mechanism, thereby promoting stemness and progression in acute myeloid leukaemia.

Zhang et al. show that the activation of RIPK1 is suppressed by acetylhypusination in a spermidine-dependent manner. Disruption of this axis contributes to RIPK1-mediated vascular pathology to promote insulin resistance and diabetic kidney pathology.

This study reports that genomic signatures composed of the loss of pluripotency inhibitors, expansion of pluripotency activators and maintenance of an epigenetically permissive state contribute to the plantlet formation in Kalanchoe.

The Taiwan Precision Medicine Initiative (TPMI) has built a cohort of more than half a million individuals with Han Chinese ancestry, providing a rich resource of genetic and medical data for this group.

Shang, Zhao, Ying and colleagues report that the mechanosensor PIEZO1 senses blood shear stress in hematopoietic stem cells, driving proliferation and myeloid bias. This axis links mechanical force to inflammation-induced aging, and PIEZO1 emerges as a potential therapeutic target.

Rice indica varieties have higher nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) than that of japonica varieties. Here, the authors show that natural variation of OsWRKY23 and its interaction with DULL NITROGEN RESPONSE1 (DNR1)-mediated auxin accumulation play a role in NUE divergence between the two rice subspecies.

An extreme barocaloric effect in NH₄SCN aqueous solutions is enabled by pressure-induced dissolution and precipitation, but without using a separate heat-transfer liquid.

NatD is an acetyltransferase responsible for N-α-terminal acetylation of the histone H4 and H2A and has been linked to cell growth. Here the authors show that NatD-mediated acetylation of histone H4 serine 1 competes with the phosphorylation by CK2α at the same residue thus leading to the upregulation of Slug and tumor progression.

Earth-abundant cobalt-based catalysts have shown promise to replace iridium as anode catalysts in proton-exchange-membrane water electrolysers, but unfortunately they exhibit high degradation rates. Now, a lanthanum and calcium co-modification of Co₃O₄ is presented, in which lanthanum tunes the water–surface interactions to suppress cobalt dissolution and improve stability, while calcium leaching creates coordinatively unsaturated cobalt sites, leading to enhanced activity.

Reducing the embodied carbon emissions of building material stock is essential for mitigation. Using a high-resolution multiyear dataset in China, researchers show the historically massive contributions of these emissions during past decades of rapid urbanization and the potential risks for future climate goals.