EurekAlert! Chinese Academy of Sciences - News Releases from CAS Headquarters

News from CAS Headquarters

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 4-Aug-2025 18:11 ET (4-Aug-2025 22:11 GMT/UTC)

Mice exhibit altruistic rescue behavior driven by oxytocin

Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers led by Dr. HU Li from the Institute of Psychology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Dr. CHEN Zhoufeng from Washington University School of Medicine and the Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation have found that mice can instinctively exhibit rescue-like behavior toward anesthetized conspecifics—without any prior training or external rewards. The study, published in PNAS, offers compelling evidence that prosocial behavior may be deeply rooted in biology, extending even to small mammals like mice.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Chinese scientists prove swamp forest collapse linked to human activity

Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Chinese scientists have discovered that fragile swamp forests in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region suddenly collapsed around 2.1 thousand years ago (ka)—with human activity as the cause.

Journal: Science Advances

Scientists develop strategy to improve flexible tandem solar cell performance

Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Chinese scientists have found a way to make flexible tandem solar cells more efficient and durable by enhancing the adhesion of top layers to the bottom layers of the cell.

Journal: Nature Energy

Pangenome study unveils genetic diversity of wild and cultivated rice

Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A study led by Prof. HAN Bin's team at the Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has constructed an unprecedented pangenome map of wild and cultivated rice, decoding the genetic architecture and diversity of rice. This study offers a powerful resource for breeding and agricultural innovation, while shedding new light on the evolutionary and domestication history of rice.

Journal: Nature

Nanofiltration and reverse osmosis offer hope for removing disinfection byproducts

Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A collaborative research team conducted a comprehensive analysis of nanofiltration and reverse osmosis technologies in the context of disinfection byproduct removal, highlighting both their potential benefits and current limitations.

Journal: Nature Water

From disorder to order: scientists rejuvenate aging batteries

Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A team of scientists led by Prof. LIU Zhaoping at the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Chicago and other institutions, has developed zero thermal expansion (ZTE) materials. This innovation has achieved nearly 100% voltage recovery in aging lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), as detailed in a study published in Nature.

Journal: Nature

Scientists uncover novel function of autophagy protein ATG-9 in regulating lysosome integrity

Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A research team led by Prof. ZHANG Hong from the Institute of Biophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has uncovered the molecular mechanism by which the key autophagy protein ATG-9 promotes the repair of damaged lysosomes by regulating phospholipid scramblase activity.

Journal: Journal of Cell Biology

Scientists uncover spin–catalytic activity correlation in single-atom and -electron tailored gold nanoclusters

Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In a breakthrough that brings nanoscience one step closer to precise control of chemical reactions, a team of researchers from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has consecutively removed the innermost atom and the outermost electron of a gold nanoparticle—without disturbing its overall structure. This precise manipulation allowed them to probe how the magnetic spin of the material influences its catalytic activity.

Journal: Science Advances

New mechanism found to drive α-synuclein spread in Parkinson's disease and related disorders

Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A study by HE Zhuohao's team from the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with collaborators, has revealed the critical role of the "fuzzy coat" of α-synuclein—the flexible, disordered regions that extend from the fibril core—in prion-like pathological transmission in synucleinopathies.

Journal: Neuron

Scientists decode citrus greening resistance and develop AI-assisted treatment

Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Huanglongbing (HLB) is a devastating citrus disease. Prof. YE Jian's team at the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has identified the first citrus resistance mechanism to HLB and developed antimicrobial peptides effective against the disease using artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

Journal: Science

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