Accurately reading crop canopy structure can help breeders see how plants capture light, compete for space and convert energy into yield. 

Xiaojun “Lance” Lian, associate professor of biomedical engineering and of biology at Penn State, alongside biomedical engineering doctoral candidate Tahir Haideri contributed to a paper recently published in Matter. The research, led by scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), introduced a physical system that squeezes cells, temporarily loosening the DNA inside and making space for gene-editing tools to reach the target genes.

The team said this is an improvement upon previous approaches because it enables a better yield of cell reprogramming, when researchers can coax one cell type to turn into another cell type. Lian and Haideri supported the research by guiding the molecular engineering of reprogramming cells from one type to another, building on their prior work improving how gene-editing tools are delivered to the cell’s genetic material.

Editor’s note: The full article describing this work can be found on the UCLA news site.

Meteorites carry some of the most complex organic chemistry known outside biology — tens of thousands of compounds that may predate life itself — yet most studies track only a few star molecules such as amino acids. Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences now propose "prebiomics," applying omics-style, high-throughput analysis to the full soluble organic inventory of meteorites. Combining 10-micrometer-resolution mass spectrometry imaging with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography across nine meteorites spanning weak to strong water alteration, they mapped roughly 3,000 soluble organic components. The organics cluster in water-altered phyllosilicates and chondrule rims but avoid carbonates; their abundance tracks alteration degree in CM2 chondrites while highly altered CI1 samples break the trend — evidence that source region, parent-body fluids and mineral microenvironments jointly govern extraterrestrial organic evolution.

Earth Orientation Parameters (EOP) describe changes in the planet’s rotational motion and connect coordinate systems on Earth and in space. Focusing on UT1-UTC and Length of Day (LOD), researchers developed a hybrid model that combines deep learning with information about atmospheric, oceanic and hydrological influences. Tests indicate improved medium-term forecasts that could support satellite navigation, astronomy and spacecraft tracking.

How can a spectrometer measure accurately on the scorching lunar farside? A new calibration framework for the Chang’e-6 Lunar Mineral Spectrometer corrected heat-induced spectral distortions, improving repeated measurement consistency by about 65%. The high-fidelity in situ data now bridge orbital observations, lunar surface measurements, and returned sample analyses, offering a clearer cross-scale view of the Chang’e-6 landing area.