Scientists from six Asian countries have launched an ambitious 10-year effort to build synthetic cells from non-living molecules, marking the region's first coordinated push to create an artificial single-celled biological system. 

A research team led by Prof. LIU Lingli from the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences identified a mean annual precipitation (MAP) threshold of approximately 700 mm, beyond which the dominant controls on ecosystem nitrogen retention shift.

Grasslands, covering 40% of the Earth’s vegetated surface, play a crucial role in the global carbon balance but are increasingly threatened by climate-driven water scarcity. A new study published in Science Advances finds, however, that a widespread wind speed decline—a phenomenon known as “terrestrial stilling”—is enhancing the ability of global grasslands to absorb more carbon while minimizing water loss. This shift offers a crucial buffer for these water-limited biomes under climate change.