A collaborative research team from Peking University has developed a novel method to enhance the tumor-targeting efficiency of γδ T cells through chemical engineering. By conjugating or gluing the cancer cell-targeting antibodies to γδ T cells via fast metabolic glycan labeling and click chemistry, the team achieved improved anti-tumor efficacy both in vitro and in vivo. This innovative approach holds significant promise for advancing adoptive cell therapy in cancer treatment.

A research team has studied the development of the Shanghai Typhoon Model from a traditional physics-based regional model toward a data-driven, machine-learning typhoon forecasting system. They summarize the model’s performance in Typhoon Danas in 2025, noting that a hybrid Shanghai Typhoon Model provides a significant advancement in forecast accuracy. Their paper outlines a roadmap for evolving the physically driven Shanghai Typhoon Model into a purely data-driven, regional machine-learning weather-prediction model designed for typhoon prediction.

Current clinical protocols predominantly utilize mononuclear gadolinium(III) complexes as contrast agents. Recently, coordination clusters composed of multi-nuclear paramagnetic metal ions have demonstrated promisingly higher relaxation rates as MRI contrast agents and adaptable stability in various solutions, offering promising medical application prospects. This review mainly highlights such advancements, focusing on the influence of ligand selection and structural design on the relaxation rates of metal clusters as MRI contrast agents.

Two-photon upconversion is an emerging technique to probe excitonic dark states. Towards high-efficiency upconversion, scientists in China employed a doubly resonant plasmonic nanocavity, achieving 2440-fold enhancement of two-photon luminescence due to improved light collection, magnified excitation rate and increased quantum efficiency. To clarify the physical mechanism, single-resonance-enhanced second-harmonic generation and photoluminescence alongside thermally tuned dual-resonance upconversion are investigated. These results establish a foundation for developing high-performance nonlinear photonic devices and probing fine excitonic states.

The Ig Nobel Prize honors research that first makes people laugh, then makes them think. Its 35th award ceremony possibly also makes people hungry: ISTA physicist Fabrizio Olmeda and colleagues researched the secret of a perfect cacio e pepe pasta sauce. They received the popular award for their findings on Thursday evening in Boston, USA.

The team of Yanxing Jia and Aili Fan from Peking University used the known ( S )-4-tert-butyldimethylsilyloxy-2-cyclopentenone as the starting material, introduced amino and hydroxyl groups through rhodium-catalyzed aziridination/ring-opening reaction, and constructed the [3.2.1] bridged ring skeleton through Prins cyclization reaction. Finally, through the increase of oxidation state and functional group transformation, they achieved the first total synthesis of hemiketal tetrodotoxin (hemiketalTTX) in 23 steps with a total yield of 0.7%, effectively solving the problem of scarce sources of hemiketalTTX. The research results were published in CCS Chemistry as a Communication.

A team of scientists has discovered that the ability of biochar to conduct electricity can significantly affect methane emissions from rice paddies, one of the largest sources of agricultural greenhouse gases worldwide.