A recent study by Lanzhou University's Center for Pan-Third Pole Environment has revealed a climate-sensitive, multi-sphere bacterial metacommunity on the Tibetan Plateau, reshaping our understanding of microbial connectivity across alpine ecosystems. Analyzing 3,373 samples from five habitats, the team identified precipitation as a key driver with dual effects—homogenizing most ecosystems while enhancing microbial uniqueness in glaciers. The breakthrough calls for integrating microbial monitoring into plateau ecological security assessments.

A synthesis of ground surveys across Southwest China finds that soil thickness explains nearly 70% of the spatial variation in woody vegetation growth potential, far more than climate or soil nutrient concentrations. Below a 57.5-centimeter threshold, limited soil volume becomes the dominant constraint, where vegetation becomes less related to soil nutrient concentrations and more closely associated with climate variability.

Electroencephalography (EEG) foundation models are emerging as a promising approach for brain-computer interfaces, but their generalization ability remains unclear. Researchers developed EEG-FM-Compass, a benchmark reviewing 55 EEG foundation models and evaluating 12 open-source models across 13 datasets and nine brain-computer interface paradigms. The study shows that current models have transfer potential but require task-specific adaptation, while specialized models remain competitive and larger models do not necessarily generalize better.

The researchers demonstrate ultra-effective growths of archetypal metastable correlated-perovskites, e.g. nickelates (RENiO₃), via liquid phase epitaxy within alkali-chlorides molten-salts, realizing micrometer-thickness and scalability. This bridges technological-discontinuities in micrometer-thick film-growths of RENiO₃, achieving record-competing electronic phase transitions at analog-compatible resistances enabling more effective and energy-efficient analog cryogenic alarming applications. Wafer-scale RENiO₃ with high-uniformity was firstly successfully grown within low melting-point eutectic alkali-chlorides, eliminating previous reliance on MPa-high oxygen-pressures. This strategy was extendable to multiple functional oxide-systems.

Researchers have developed a catalyst that coordinates structure and chemistry from the atomic scale to the millimeter scale. The 3D-printed tough metallic-glass scaffold promotes fluid flow and bubble removal, while a NiMo nanoglass coating supplies active amorphous interfaces. The Gyroid-based NiMo@G catalyst required 1.438 V to reach 100 mA cm⁻² in alkaline water electrolysis and remained stable for more than 200 hours.

Professor Chengbo Tian's research group at Huaqiao University recently reported a methylene-functionalized fullerene diadduct electron transport material (CH₂)₂C₆₀ without isomers. They applied this material to tin-based perovskite and wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells via vapor deposition, effectively improving the efficiency and stability of the devices. This work focused on the energy level mismatch between tin-based and wide-bandgap perovskites and commonly used fullerene electron transport materials, as well as the poor charge transport performance of disubstituted fullerenes with large-sized groups. They designed and synthesized a disubstituted fullerene molecule (CH₂)₂C₆₀ with a small-sized methylene group . Due to its energy level fit, high electron mobility, and excellent thermal stability, the efficiencies of tin-based and wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells based on (CH₂)₂C₆₀ reached 15.35% and 20.81%, respectively. The article was published as an open access Research Article in CCS Chemistry, the flagship journal of the Chinese Chemical Society.

Researchers have shown that carefully tuning sulfidation temperature can guide a nickel, cobalt and iron based electrode through distinct structural phases, revealing a heterojunction composition that delivers enhanced energy storage performance. The findings provide new insight into how phase engineering could be used to design more effective supercapacitor electrodes.

Tea is enjoyed by millions of people every day, but its leaves can also collect traces of persistent pollutants from the environment and during production. A new nationwide study has provided the most comprehensive picture to date of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, in commercial tea produced across China.

Researchers have developed a reusable magnetic sensing platform that combines surface-enhanced Raman scattering with machine learning to detect trace levels of uranyl ions, the most common soluble form of uranium in environmental waters. The system could support faster and more sustainable monitoring of uranium contamination in complex aquatic environments.

One of the major challenges in glioma surgery is that tumor boundaries are often difficult to define. Diffuse gliomas can infiltrate surrounding brain tissue beyond what surgeons can see directly or what conventional imaging can fully resolve. During surgery, neurosurgeons must remove as much tumor as possible while preserving critical brain functions. This makes accurate intraoperative assessment of tumor infiltration essential for more precise surgical decision-making.  A study published in Cell now reports a new platform called ULTRA, short for ultrarapid cleared stimulated Raman with AI, designed to address this gap. Developed by researchers from Fudan University, Huashan Hospital of Fudan University, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, and collaborators, ULTRA combines rapid tissue clearing, stimulated Raman scattering microscopy, and AI-based virtual staining to perform deep 3D histological imaging of surgical tissue without conventional staining or sectioning.