A research team has uncovered a multilayered regulatory network that controls pear seed germination by integrating metabolomic, transcriptomic, and microRNA analyses. 

Myopia has become a major global public health concern. It is not simply a matter of blurred distance vision: as the eye continues to elongate, high myopia can increase the risk of macular lesions, choroidal neovascularization, retinal degeneration, and retinal detachment. With myopia rising among children and adolescents, current management increasingly combines behavioral measures, optical interventions, and pharmacological treatment. While atropine has long been the best-known option, uncovering how these medications work to slow myopia progression is far more complex than expected.

A review titled Pharmacological Management of Myopia: Emerging Agents and Novel Molecular Targets published in Eye Discovery brings together current and emerging pharmacological approaches for myopia control. Written by Tong Zhao of Nanjing Medical University and Meiyan Li of the Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University, the article reviews established and investigational agents, including atropine, pirenzepine, 7-methylxanthine (7-MX), and intraocular pressure-lowering drugs. It also discusses emerging molecular targets linked to endoplasmic reticulum stress, ferroptosis, signaling pathway modulation, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) blockade.

A research team has identified an optimal lipid range for granulated microdiets in largemouth bass larvae, showing that dietary fat can strongly shape growth, feed efficiency, nutrient retention, liver condition, and intestinal development.

Researchers report a programmable mid-infrared photothermoelectric detector based on a suspended nanometer-thick SrTiO₃ membrane. It responds in about 10 microseconds, reaches about 50 volts per watt through dual-gate control, and supports 40 measured response states. A 3-by-3 array further demonstrates programmable infrared image preprocessing and attention-guided thermal target enhancement.

Many vitreoretinal disorders, including retinal detachment (rhegmatogenous, exudative, or tractional), macular holes, proliferative vitreoretinopathy, diabetic retinopathy, and vitreous hemorrhage, often require vitrectomy with retinal repair, followed by intraocular tamponade to stabilize the retina and preserve ocular integrity. The tamponade agents most used in clinical practice are expansile gases and silicone oil. Although these materials can effectively support postoperative retinal reattachment, they remain limited in terms of long-term stability and biosafety. Complications such as cataract formation, elevated intraocular pressure, intraocular inflammation, and retinal injury associated with silicone oil emulsification may still occur. To address this challenge, Prof. Jianhai Yang and Prof. Wenguang Liu (Tianjin University), together with Prof. Xiaorong Li and Prof. Xiaoli Xing (Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital) developed an injectable zwitterionic polymer hydrogel based on poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) (PMPC).

A recent study published in National Science Review, based on Chang'e-6 (CE6) farside samples, has shown that the lunar mantle lacks a clear compositional dichotomy. The farside anorthositic crust is more magnesian, whereas late-stage products of the lunar magma ocean appear thinner on the farside. To reconcile these hemispheric variations spanning from the mantle to the crust, a coherent model of lateral thermal convection within the magma ocean of the tidally-locked Moon has been proposed.

Since the Last Glacial Maximum, the Earth’s climate system has undergone pronounced temperature and hydroclimatic changes. This long-term evolution provides an important context for understanding the natural background of modern climate change and the response of the climate system to external forcing. Over China, climate evolution exhibits substantial regional heterogeneity under the combined influence of the East Asian monsoon and the complex topography of the Tibetan Plateau. Using high-resolution dynamical downscaling simulations, Professor Liang Ning and colleagues at Nanjing Normal University systematically investigated millennial-scale climate evolution over China since the Last Glacial Maximum. The results show that the regional climate model provides a more detailed representation of the spatial heterogeneity of temperature and precipitation associated with complex terrain. In addition, the contrasting Holocene trends of summer cooling and winter warming over northern China, the Tibetan Plateau, and northwestern China provide a new seasonal perspective on the Holocene temperature conundrum between proxy reconstructions and climate-model simulations. The study was published in the 2026 Issue 8 of the Chinese and English editions of SCIENCE CHINA Earth Sciences.

Ag-modified In₂O₃ (Ag-3/In₂O₃) catalyst converts methane to methanol and formaldehyde with 100% liquid-product selectivity under mild photo–thermal conditions (150°C, Xe lamp irradiation). Producing 6544 μmol·g⁻¹·h⁻¹, it outperforms pure photocatalysis by 2.6 times. The catalyst’s unique band structure prevents formation of over-oxidizing hydroxyl radicals, while weak product adsorption avoids deep oxidation. This design eliminates CO₂ emission—a breakthrough for sustainable natural gas utilization.

Titanium is widely used in marine engineering and biomedical implants because of its excellent corrosion resistance. Researchers have discovered that marine electroactive bacteria can weaken titanium’s protective oxide layer through flavin-mediated extracellular electron transfer. The findings reveal a previously unknown bioelectrochemical corrosion pathway and provide new insights for designing titanium materials with improved resistance to microbiologically influenced corrosion.