How do trees regrow roots after being cut? A new study sheds light on this question using cutting-edge spatial transcriptomics to track how poplar stems regenerate roots. 

Scientists at the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, have completed the largest taxonomic and genomic investigation yet of the bellflower genus Adenophora. By mining 9.89 TB of deep genome skimming data—nearly every known species in the group—they have clarified how hybridisation and gene flow shaped this lineage and, in turn, propose a new generic framework.

Researchers installed coloured concrete panels on Sydney Harbour seawalls to test whether red, yellow, green and grey surfaces attract different marine life. The year-long experiment revealed surprising differences in which species chose each colour.

Recently, a team from the Zhang lab at Shanghai Jiao Tong University published an article "High-throughput quantitative assessment of ABA-responsive elements at single-nucleotide resolution " in the journal Quantitative Biology. Using synthetic STARR-seq to quantitatively assess the effects of single-nucleotide substitutions on ABRE activity, they found that the nucleotide substitutions in both the ACGT-core and ACGT-flank regions affected transcriptional strength.

The latest awards enable development and implementation of cross-disciplinary projects tackling real-world sustainability challenges in food and agriculture, industry, water, electricity, and biology.

Researchers at RIKEN in Japan have used theoretical physics to discover how our biological clock maintains a consistent 24-hour cycle—even as temperatures change. They found that this stability is achieved through a subtle shift in the “shape” of gene activity rhythms at higher temperatures, a process known as waveform distortion.