Recently, Professor Jiao Licheng's team at Xidian University conducted a systematic and in-depth review of the integration of large language models and evolutionary algorithms. The review, titled "When Large Language Models Meet Evolutionary Algorithms: Potential Enhancements and Challenges," was published in Research.

To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying cellular response to graded hypoxia, Wei Wang's team at Nanjing University, developed a quantitative regulatory network model of HIF-1α. By integrating dynamic simulations, bifurcation analysis, mechanistic prediction, and functional validation, the study systematically revealed that HIF-1α activation is a progressive process. This activation is primarily governed by the sequential inactivation of two classes of hydroxylases—prolyl hydroxylases (PHDs) and factor inhibiting HIF (FIH)—which orchestrate tiered cellular adaptive responses.

Researchers at Harbin's Northeast Agricultural University show that dietary isobutyrate supplementation alleviates colitis in a pig model by restoring gut microbiota balance and strengthening intestinal barrier function, pointing to a promising, food-derived approach for safe, low-cost IBD treatment.

The rapid advancement of single-cell and single-nucleus RNA sequencing (sc/snRNA-seq) has opened unprecedented windows into cellular diversity, yet existing methods for multiplexing samples struggle with scalability and accuracy. Traditional techniques relying on antibodies or lipid-based barcodes often fail to uniformly label cells across different types or species, particularly in complex clinical samples. These limitations—cell-type bias, cross-contamination risks, and loss of rare cell populations—hinder large-scale studies and clinical translation. To overcome these challenges, a team led by Professor Yiwei Li at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) has pioneered Toti-N-Seq, a groundbreaking technology that harnesses the universal presence of N-glycans on cell and nuclear surfaces. Published as a cover story in Research (2025, DOI: 10.34133/research.0678), this innovation redefines how researchers approach high-throughput cellular profiling.

Researchers have uncovered a hormone-sensitive neural circuit between the hypothalamic medial preoptic area and paraventricular nucleus that, when modulated, powerfully alters depressive-like behaviors in a mouse model of postpartum depression, pointing to a promising target for future treatments.