Scientists have unveiled a pioneering method that could help farmers reclaim lands blighted by toxic metals and boost the safety of crops grown in contaminated soils. The study, led by a research team in China, reveals that phosphorus-modified biochar, a carbon-rich material derived from apple tree branches, can dramatically reduce the threat posed by heavy metals in agricultural soils near mining areas.

You might think adding crop straw to soil is a no-brainer: it enriches the earth, boosts organic matter, and supports sustainable farming. But what if the weather could turn this green practice into a hidden risk for heavy metal pollution? A groundbreaking new study, published on August 1, 2025, in Carbon Research—has uncovered the complex, climate-driven dance between straw incorporation, soil organic matter, and lead (Pb) mobility. And the results are reshaping how we think about safe soil remediation in a changing climate. Led by Dr. Song Cui from the International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances (IJRC-PTS) and Research Center for Eco-Environment Protection of Songhua River Basin, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China, in collaboration with Dr. Yongzhen Ding from the Agro-Environmental Protection Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tianjin, China, this research dives deep into the invisible world of dissolved organic matter (DOM)—and how it can either lock away or unleash toxic metals.

In order to efficiently dehydrogenate propane to propene over CoO_x/Silicalite-1, supported CoO_x species no larger than 2 nm should be reduced in situ to metallic Co⁰ and then become decorated with carbon deposits.

Early-stage disease diagnosis relies on the highly sensitive detection of biomarkers. Optical whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) microcavity sensors have emerged as a highly promising technology for precise, label-free biosensing. However, major challenges remain in the rapid fabrication of large-scale arrayed WGM microcavity sensors and their integration into lab-on-a-chip devices for biomedical applications. In a noteworthy advance, researchers at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have developed a novel 3D micro-printed WGM microlaser sensor for highly sensitive on-chip biosensing. This innovation drives the development of next-generation biosensing tools, enabling direct, ultrasensitive and quantitative measurement of biomarkers for early disease detection.

Black wolfberry (Lycium ruthenicum), a plant prized for its resilience and high anthocyanin content, has long intrigued scientists seeking to understand its health benefits and adaptive strength. 

Hypoxia, or low oxygen in the body, is common in solid tumors. Now, researchers have identified that an RNA molecule, EUDAL, enables oral cancer cells to resist chemotherapy by keeping a growth receptor permanently switched on under low-oxygen conditions. This drives autophagy, a cellular process that helps tumors evade treatment. These findings suggest that EUDAL is both a warning sign for poor treatment response and a potential therapeutic target, offering new hope against stubborn cancers.

A large cross-sectional study of 8,412 first-grade children in Shanghai, led by Southeast University researchers, found that dietary preferences may influence asthma risk. Children who favored pickled and smoked foods were nearly twice as likely to develop asthma, and girls preferring fried foods showed a particularly strong association. Conversely, seafood preference in normal-weight children was linked to reduced asthma risk. The findings highlight diet as a potential target for childhood asthma prevention strategies.

An automatic diagnosis system based on wearable augmented reality (AR) glasses and an artificial intelligence (AI)model was developed to assess leafminer damage levels, and it achieved 92.38% accuracy. The DeepLab-Leafminer model incorporated an edge-aware module and the Canny loss function into the DeepLabv3+ model, which enhanced its ability to segment the leafminer damaged area in leaves.A mobile application and a web platform were developed to display the diagnostic results of leafminer damage levels for surveyors to guide their scientific decisions for leafminer prevention and control.

Solar-driven interfacial desalination has long faced challenges such as huge heat loss, relatively low efficiency, and easy coating shedding. Now, Wang Zhenxing's team from Nanchang University has successfully developed a new type of bionic cracked metal phenolic coating inspired by crocodile skin and plant veins. The unique crack structure enables ultra-thin water layer transport and compression resistance, with a high evaporation rate of 3.2 kg m^-2 h^-1 and efficient photocatalytic degradation of pollutants. The results, published in Science Bulletin, provide a breakthrough solution to the global freshwater crisis.

Researchers at the Institute of Chemistry, CAS, have developed a light-driven catalytic system based on Au/NiCo₂O₄ photoanodes that efficiently converts styrene to epoxide using water as the sole oxygen source. This work highlights the critical role of plasmon-induced photothermal effects in improving mass transport and catalytic performance under solar illumination.