EurekAlert! China News - News Releases from China

News from China

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 27-Oct-2026 03:16 ET (27-Oct-2026 07:16 GMT/UTC)

US-China research team invents new stretchable device for health monitoring

Peking University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Flexible bioelectronic devices are designed to work on soft, moving biological tissues. But when the body stretches, bends, contracts, or remodels, maintaining accurate molecular sensing becomes a major challenge. A research team from Peking University and the California Institute of Technology has developed a strain-resilient, intrinsically stretchable electrochemical biointerface that can maintain reliable molecular sensing under large mechanical deformation. The study, titled "Strain-resilient intrinsically stretchable electrochemical biointerfaces," was recently published in Science.

Continued improvement in China’s air quality in 2025 despite challenges of high-impact events

Advances in Atmospheric Sciences & Partner Journals
Peer-Reviewed Publication

This paper analyzes the mean fine particulate (PM_2.5)and ozone (O₃)levels in 2025, and high-impact air-pollutant events and compound events in China.

Journal: Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters

Mushrooms as potent autophagy modulators in cancer therapy: Current evidence and therapeutic prospects

Chinese Medical Journals Publishing House Co., Ltd.

Mushrooms, recognized for their culinary and medicinal applications, are emerging as promising autophagy modulators in cancer therapy. Autophagy is cellular degradation triggered by organelle damage, protein aggregation, metabolic disturbances, or nutrient scarcity. It contributes to the suppression of early tumor development and the promotion of cancer cell survival at advanced stages. This review systematically assesses the current evidence on the anticancer potential of mushrooms and their bioactive compounds, focusing on the ability of these mushrooms and their bioactive compounds to modulate autophagy. The review lists over 18 mushroom species (e.g., Ganoderma lucidum, Cordyceps, Phellinus) and 28 bioactive compounds (such as Ganoderic acid DM, Cordycepin, Hispidin) that affect autophagy, demonstrating efficacy against 15 cancer types, including colorectal, lung, breast, and liver cancers. Essential compounds modulate autophagy through phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and Beclin-1 pathways, resulting in notable anticancer effects. G. lucidum extracts significantly reduced colorectal tumor growth by up to 60% in vivo. Additionally, Cordycepin induced autophagic cell death in lung cancer cells, with IC₅₀ values as low as 25 μmol/L. The findings highlight the potential of mushrooms as low-toxicity adjuvants to conventional therapies, providing advantages such as immune modulation and antioxidant activity. Mushrooms and their bioactive components present promising avenues for cancer therapy through the modulation of autophagy. The context-dependent effects of autophagy, along with the limited clinical evidence, present considerable challenges. Future clinical trials must focus on developing standardized extracts and personalized approaches to effectively translate this potential into clinical practice.

Journal: Cancer Pathogenesis and Therapy

Tandem catalysis turns polyethylene and CO₂ into separable aromatics at atmospheric pressure

Higher Education Press
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Waste plastic and carbon dioxide are two major global waste carbon sources. A new study in Engineering introduces a simple, atmospheric-pressure catalytic method that turns polyethylene and CO₂ into high-value separable aromatics. Using a specially designed oxide–zeolite catalyst, the process delivers high selectivity and stable performance, turning two pollutants into useful petrochemical materials efficiently.

Journal: Engineering

Entropy engineering boosts hydrogenolysis of waste polyolefins

Higher Education Press
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Discarded polyolefin plastics pose severe environmental risks, yet efficient recycling remains challenging. A new study in Engineering presents a simple entropy‑engineering method using silane agents to adjust catalyst surface polarity. This approach stabilizes polymer adsorption, boosts hydrogenolysis activity, and turns waste plastics into high‑value liquid fuels. It works for various catalysts and real‑world plastic wastes, showing strong potential for scalable, sustainable plastic upcycling.

Journal: Engineering

Kinetics-guided depolymerization opens new path for sustainable PET upcycling

Higher Education Press
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Discarded PET plastic brings serious environmental pressure. A latest study in Engineering offers a green and controllable recycling solution. Without extra catalysts, it uses 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM) to gently break down PET into adjustable oligomers guided by kinetic models. These intermediates can be directly reused to make high-performance elastomers and glycol-modified PET, showing good industrial scalability and promising a more sustainable way for plastic circular economy.

Journal: Engineering

PET plastic upcycled into high-value chemicals without external hydrogen

Higher Education Press
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Discarded PET plastic bottles and waste can now be turned into two high-value chemicals without extra hydrogen. A study in Engineering introduces a mild, two-step method using a common Ru/C catalyst to convert PET and methanol into lactic acid and 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid. This green approach makes full use of plastic waste’s carbon and hydrogen, offering a sustainable way for plastic upcycling.

Journal: Engineering

New chemical pathways emerge for closed-loop recycling of polyurethane consumer products

Higher Education Press
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Polyurethane (PU) is one of the most widely used plastics, yet recycling it has long been difficult. A new study in Engineering shares recent progress in chemical recycling methods, including hydrogenation, acidolysis, and chem-solvolysis, that can break down PU into reusable raw materials. It explains how these approaches support a circular economy, while pointing out key challenges for moving lab research into real industrial applications.

Journal: Engineering

Global hail damage is set to rise as the climate warms

Peking University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Hailstorms are sudden weather events that can damage crops, homes, vehicles, and infrastructure within minutes. Scientists have long been unsure whether global warming will make future hailstorms more or less damaging. A team led by Professor Zhang Qinghong from Peking University, together with Professor John T. Allen from Central Michigan University, has now provided the first global estimate of how hail size and damage potential may change in a warmer climate. Their new study, titled “Rising global hail damage potential in a warming world,” has been published in Nature.

AI and multi enzyme systems advance biocatalytic plastic depolymerization

Higher Education Press
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Plastic pollution poses a growing global threat, while traditional recycling methods suffer from high costs and low efficiency. A new article in Engineering explores promising biocatalytic solutions for plastic depolymerization, including AI-designed enzymes and multi-enzyme systems. These mild, eco-friendly approaches show potential to break down plastics like PET and PUR more effectively, supporting sustainable recycling and the shift toward a circular plastic economy.

Journal: Engineering