Recent decades have witnessed unprecedented scientific growth driven by the convergence of clinical medicine, life sciences, information technology, materials science, and quantum computing. Landmark achievements such as the Human Genome Project, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, and multi-omics technologies have provided deep insights into human biology. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence, wearable devices, big data analytics, and the Internet of Medical Things have revolutionized medical data processing, clinical decision-making, and remote patient monitoring. These advances are accelerating drug development, digitalizing public health systems, and transforming medical diagnosis from experience-based practice to AI-augmented precision detection. Personalized medicine now benefits millions of cancer patients, while regenerative medicine offers new solutions for tissue and organ repair. Against this backdrop, the inaugural issue of MedScience is launched as the new identity of the Chinese Academy of Engineering medical journal. Originally established as Frontiers of Medicine in China in 2007 and renamed Frontiers of Medicine in 2011, the journal has achieved indexing in Scopus, PubMed/Medline, and SCI-E. The name MedScience embodies a commitment to both medical service and scientific rigor. The journal will focus on emerging fields including cell and gene therapy, AI-driven drug discovery, organoids, precision medicine, and environmental health, aiming to serve as a dynamic international platform that transcends disciplinary boundaries and contributes to global human health advancement.

Reliable water supply in large canal systems is often compromised by unpredictable lateral offtake discharges.

Researchers have developed a bioinspired cellulose-based cooling aerogel capable of reflecting nearly all incoming sunlight while efficiently releasing heat through the atmospheric infrared window. Inspired by the optical structure of white beetles, the material integrates nanocellulose and hygroscopic metal-organic frameworks to construct a hierarchical photonic scattering network spanning nanoparticles, microfibers, and macropores. The resulting aerogel achieved a solar reflectance of 95.8% and an infrared emissivity of 95%, enabling subambient daytime cooling of up to 7.1 °C under outdoor sunlight. The biodegradable material also demonstrated strong UV durability and the potential to reduce annual cooling energy consumption in buildings by more than 40% in hot regions of China.

Researchers have developed a lightweight cellulose/MXene sediment aerogel capable of simultaneously delivering electromagnetic interference shielding, infrared stealth, and low-voltage Joule heating. By combining TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers with MXene sediment through hydrogen bonding and Zr⁴⁺ ionic crosslinking, the team achieved a robust porous aerogel fabricated entirely through ambient-pressure drying. The material reached an EMI shielding effectiveness of 73.2 dB, exhibited effective infrared camouflage behavior, and rapidly heated to over 100 °C under only 2.5 V, demonstrating strong potential for wearable thermal management, spectra-compatible defense, and advanced electromagnetic protection systems.

A study recently published in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts reports a bioinspired multi-network photonic hydrogel capable of decoupling the traditional trade-off between optical performance and mechanical robustness in mechanochromic materials. The researchers designed a cellulose nanocrystal/polyacrylamide/waterborne polyurethane (CPW) hydrogel featuring a triple-network architecture inspired by octopus iridophores. Through dynamic hydrogen bonding and interpenetrating structural design, the hydrogel achieved a tensile strength of 420 kPa and elongation exceeding 800% while maintaining highly reversible structural color changes from near-infrared to the full visible spectrum. Reflection wavelengths shifted continuously from 467 to 670 nm during stretching, enabling reversible color transitions from blue to red. The material further demonstrated strain-dependent optical encoding and information concealment capabilities with excellent cyclic stability and low-temperature tolerance. The work provides a new strategy for designing intelligent bio-based photonic materials suitable for advanced optical devices and adaptive sensing systems.

Cancer immunotherapy has changed the treatment landscape, yet many tumors still evade immune attack by hiding antigens, blocking T cell entry, and building an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME).

This groundbreaking integrative taxonomic study reveals that a single described ant species in Australia’s monsoonal tropics actually comprises at least 26 genetically and morphologically distinct species, with estimates suggesting the complex contains over 50 species total, challenging long-held assumptions about global ant diversity hotspots.

Applying beneficial microbes to soil sounds simple, but in practice it can be difficult to distribute small amounts of microbial products evenly through growing media or field soils. A study published in Biochar suggests that carefully selected biochar could help solve this problem.

A global analysis suggests that biochar, a charcoal-like material made from biomass, could play a larger role in climate-smart agriculture when it is applied according to local soil and climate conditions. The study, published in Biochar, combines global meta-analysis, machine learning, and density functional theory calculations to identify how different biochar types and application rates can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from croplands while improving crop yields.