Advanced maternal age impairs embryo development through abnormal fatty acid activation
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Below are the latest research news from Science China Press.
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 24-Oct-2026 14:17 ET (24-Oct-2026 18:17 GMT/UTC)
Embryos with advanced maternal age (AMA) present a decline in early embryonic development, which remains unknown. This study identifies a previously unknown mechanism through which disruptions in the "autophagy-metabolism-epigenetic modification" network compromise the developmental potential of aged embryos. It also offers preliminary insights into potential clinical strategies for improving the quality of aged embryos.
A study by researchers from the Department of Reproductive Medicine, Jinling Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University, and Medical School of Nanjing University suggests that antibiotic residue-related exposure may impair spermatogenesis by disturbing mitochondrial function. The researchers further found that DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, may help protect spermatocytes by restoring ER–mitochondria communication and reducing oxidative stress.
FAST has discovered a rare millisecond pulsar PSR J1810−0623. It spins approximately 220 times per second and forms a binary system with a carbon-oxygen white dwarf in a nearly perfect circular orbit. This discovery provides a crucial observational sample for revealing pulsar recycling mechanisms, binary evolution processes, and the magnetic field structure of the Milky Way.
Not all lung cancers with the same common genetic driver respond equally to powerful targeted drugs. Researchers have now discovered why: subtle differences in the 3D shape of the mutated protein. By classifying these shapes, they identified a subtype that poorly binds to latest-generation drugs, explaining worse outcomes. The good news? Starting with a drug-chemo combo likely overcomes this resistance, offering a clear path to personalize first-line treatment.
Researchers from China Agricultural University have uncovered how two plant hormones, jasmonate and ethylene, cooperate to enhance K+ uptake in cotton under potassium‑deficient conditions. The study identifies a regulatory pathway in which GhMYC2s and GhEIN3dD activate the transcription factor GhZAT10, which in turn upregulates the K+ transporter GhKUP3aD. Field trials demonstrated that combined application of methyl jasmonate and ACC improved leaf K⁺ status, photosynthesis, and seed cotton yield under severe K+ deficiency.
A collaborative team from Tsinghua University, UCAS, and University of Macau has published a comprehensive review on electroactive materials for bioelectronics and regenerative medicine. The article outlines mechanisms, interfaces, and applications of conductive, piezoelectric, triboelectric, thermoelectric, and photoelectric materials, and proposes a framework guiding next‑generation bioelectronic system design.
A new study published in National Science Review has revealed that global warming may reshape the distribution of sunlight reaching Earth’s surface. Climate models project reduced downward surface solar radiation over polar regions but increased radiation over Northern Hemisphere mid-latitudes, especially in local summer. The contrast is driven by increased atmospheric water vapor, reduced mid-latitude clouds, and enhanced polar cloud liquid water.
Zeolite-catalyzed methanol-to-hydrocarbons (MTH) reactions inherently exhibit multiscale spatiotemporal heterogeneity, which is crucial to catalyst design and product selectivity. This review integrates recent advances in spectroscopy, molecular imaging and spatially resolved techniques to connect molecular diffusion, acidity, temperature distribution and coke deposition across molecular, crystal, particle and reactor scales. By clarifying how nonuniform microenvironments emerge, interact and propagate, this review provides insights for the development to guide more efficient and selective MTH catalysis.