A new study  led by Prof. FENG Xiaojuan from the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences reports that climate warming can increase soil carbon accumulation in boreal Sphagnum peatlands by boosting plant productivity, protecting iron, and inhibiting microbial decomposition. These responses contrast sharply with warming-enhanced soil carbon mineralization—the process by which carbon is released as CO₂—in boreal forests and tundra.

A decade-long study has revealed that rising atmospheric CO₂ and warming work together to reduce the availability of phosphorus in rice-upland crop rotation systems, potentially threatening future food security. The research, which was led by scientists from the Institute of Soil Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, shows that warming plays a dominant role in redirecting phosphorus into less accessible soil pools.

A new scientific study has confirmed the accidental capture of a juvenile white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) within the Spanish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), providing rare evidence of the species' persistent presence in the Mediterranean. The findings, published in Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria, contextualize this 2023 encounter within 160 years of regional records and highlight the urgent need for conservation of this iconic species.

A team from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, uses a multi-model approach to improve climate modeling. Isotope analysis allows researchers to track the global water cycle and identify changes in atmospheric dynamics in a warming climate. Their simulation data, identification of parameter sensitivity, and discovery of ongoing challenges in understanding the behavior of atmospheric water vapor provide a baseline for better general climate models in the future.

Across the world, significant tree planting campaigns are underway. However, Professor Subke believes the recent findings show that using forests and deposition of carbon to deep soils may not be as safe a long‑term option as previously hoped.

This 307-million-year-old fossil was one of the earliest known land-dwelling vertebrates that evolved the ability to eat plants.

The Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists today announced the Finalists for the 2026 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in the United Kingdom. The Awards recognise scientific advances by UK researchers across Life Sciences, Chemical Sciences, and Physical Sciences & Engineering. Now in its ninth year, each Blavatnik Awards Laureate will receive an unrestricted £100,000 (US$135,000) prize, while the remaining six Finalists will be awarded £30,000 (US$40,400) each. 

This year’s Finalists include:

 

Chemical Sciences Finalists

Michael J. Booth, PhD – University College London (UCL)

Mathew H. Horrocks, PhD – The University of Edinburgh

Maxie M. Roessler, DPhil – Imperial College London

 

Life Sciences Finalists

Nicholas R. Casewell, PhD – Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

Thi Hoang Duong (Kelly) Nguyen, PhD – MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology

Pontus Skoglund, PhD – The Francis Crick Institute

 

Physical Sciences & Engineering Finalists

Radha Boya, PhD – The University of Manchester

Paola Pinilla, PhD – University College London (UCL)

Iestyn Woolway, PhD – Bangor University