A team of Chinese researchers has recently elucidated the characteristics of human eyelashes. Their study reveals that eyelashes consist of a hydrophobic, curved, flexible fiber array, featuring surface micro-ratchets and a macro-curvature approximating the Brachistochrone curve. This structure enables eyelashes to rapidly and directionally expel incoming liquid, thereby preserving clear vision.

The evolution of the lunar dynamo is crucial for understanding the Moon’s deep interior structure, thermal history, and surface environment. A recent study by Chinese scientists conducted paleomagnetic analyses on basalts returned by the Chang’e-6 mission and revealed a significant reinforcement of the lunar dynamo approximately 2.8 billion years ago (Ga).

Craniopharyngioma has long been a daunting challenge for neurosurgeons and endocrinologists alike. Chinese researchers recently revealed new insights on the growth of craniopharyngioma and identified a potential therapeutic treatment. Understanding this complex tumor’s growth mechanism and identifying a potentially effective, non-invasive medication to treat it mark a significant step forward.

A recent collaborative study has deciphered the cryo-EM structure of the spinach type I PSII-LHCII megacomplex, providing insights into the principles of higher-order assembly and the potential regulatory mechanisms of plant PSII under low-light conditions.

A recent study has reported a novel breeding strategy to rapidly create climate-smart crops that show higher yield under normal conditions and greatly rescue yield losses under heat stress both in staple grain and vegetable crops.

A research team led by Profs. XU Tao and HE Shunmin from the Institute of Biophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has recently constructed a global polymorphism genetic map of variable number tandem repeats (VNTRs), termed the NyuWa VNTR Polymorphism Map.

A collaborative study has uncovered evidence of rice beer dating back approximately 10,000 years at the Shangshan site in Zhejiang Province, China, providing new insights into the origins of alcoholic beverage brewing in East Asia. This discovery highlights the connection between rice fermentation at Shangshan and the region’s cultural and environmental context as well as the broader development of early rice agriculture and social structures.

Researchers at the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with their collaborators, have achieved the first precise mass measurements of several exotic atomic nuclei. Using this mass data, they have determined the proton dripline for the elements aluminum, phosphorus, sulfur, and argon, and have proposed a new approach to uncovering proton halo structures.