A recent study published in National Science Review reports the discovery of fossilized chewing lice eggs in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, offering the earliest direct evidence of parasitic lice feeding on feathers of early stem-group birds. The eggs, attached to enantiornithine feathers, reveal early host-parasite relationships during the Mesozoic. This finding supports the hypothesis that lice evolved parasitism in association with basal birds and provides insights into their early ecological specialization. The research enriches understanding of lice-host coevolution and highlights the role of ancient vertebrates in the evolutionary transition of lice from free-living ancestors to obligate parasites.

A research team led by Prof. WAN Yinhua at the Institute of Process Engineering (IPE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has recently developed an innovative mix-charged nanofiltration (NF) membrane featuring horizontal charge distribution, designed specifically for wastewater treatment. This novel membrane exhibits remarkable salt permeation and organic matter retention capabilities as well as antifouling properties, making it particularly effective for treating high-salinity organic wastewater.

How to achieve high-level integration of composite micro-nano structures with different structural characteristics through a minimalist and universal process? In International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing, researchers from Zhejiang University, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, and Aalborg University revealed a controllable ultrafast laser-induced focal volume light field and experimentally succeeded in highly efficient one-step composite structuring in multiple transparent solids based on focal volume optical printing.  Their work reports a highly universal all-optical fabrication of composite micro-nanostructures in various transparent solids with independent controllability in multiple degrees of freedom, expands the current cognition of ultrafast laser-based material modification in transparent solids, and establishes a new scientific aspect of strong-field optics, namely, focal volume optics for composite structuring transparent solids.

A pioneering study has achieved the first-ever telomere-to-telomere genome assembly of Penthorum chinense Pursh, a medicinal plant revered in traditional Chinese medicine for its anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective properties.

A pivotal study has unveiled the critical influence of gibberellins (GAs) in tomato ripening, a process long attributed primarily to ethylene.

A pioneering study has uncovered the complex and dual roles of neutrophils in cancer development, demonstrating their remarkable ability to both stimulate and suppress tumor growth.

A global study reveals a disturbing rise in early-onset gastric cancer, a disease once predominantly affecting older adults but now increasingly impacting younger populations. 

A recent study has illuminated the intricate genetic mechanisms behind crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) photosynthesis in Agave hybrid NO.11648.

In a recent study published in PNAS​, researchers from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences explored the regenerative mechanisms behind SCI repair. The study provides compelling evidence of the limited regenerative capacity of ependymal cells in adult primate spinal cord injury and underscores the transdifferentiation potential of astrocytes.

A new study explores how natural photochemical reactions can help degrade emerging contaminants in freshwater systems, specifically focusing on clofibric acid and diclofenac.