Solid-state batteries represent the next frontier in energy storage technology, promising higher energy density and enhanced safety than conventional lithium-ion batteries. However, a persistent challenge has hindered their commercialization: the unstable interface between lithium metal anodes and solid electrolytes. Researchers have now developed an innovative solution using a Li_xAg alloy that could finally unlock the full potential of all-solid-state lithium metal batteries (ASSLMBs).

Electric vehicles (EVs) have emerged as a cornerstone of sustainable transportation, but their widespread adoption faces a critical safety challenge: lithium plating in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Lithium plating occurs when lithium ions accumulate on the surface of a battery's negative electrode rather than intercalating properly into the graphite structure. This phenomenon typically happens during fast charging, at low temperatures, or at high states of charge, which can lead to rapid capacity degradation and even catastrophic safety incidents. Traditional detection methods either require specialized equipment or lack sufficient accuracy for real-world applications. Researchers from University of Shanghai for Science and Technology have now developed a feasible solution that could optimize EV battery safety monitoring.

Prototheca wickerhamii (P. wickerhamii), an opportunistic pathogen affecting both humans and animals, is widely distributed in the environment, including soil, mud, and water sources such as rivers. However, human infections caused by this genus are rare. Unfortunately, due to the nonspecific clinical manifestations and limited awareness among clinicians, protothecosis is often underestimated and misdiagnosed. P. wickerhamii has been shown to exhibit low cytotoxicity to macrophages, potentially allowing it to evade immune clearance. Currently, the high-quality genome offers insights into the evolution and pathogenicity of Prototheca, while also serving as a genomic resource for improved diagnosis. In this study, we combined traditional culturing methods with microbiome sequencing techniques to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the microbial diversity in infected skin.

This study conducts a comparative analysis of the standard-sample-bracketing (SSB) method and the double-spike (DS) method, aiming to provide practical recommendations to researchers for selecting optimal analytical approaches for natural samples. The DS method shows greater potential to reveal subtle Mg isotope fractionations in processes such as equilibrium inter-mineral Mg isotope fractionation, partial melting of magma, and the possible fractionation during crystallization differentiation. Continuous optimization efforts will further improve the versatility and accuracy of the DS method, particularly through expanding its application scope to incorporate more diverse standard samples. Such expansion is critical for thoroughly investigating the fundamental causes of analytical discrepancies between DS and SSB methods in Mg isotope studies.

In a paper published in National Science Review, a research team from Peking University presents new insights into magnetic field sensing. The study investigates the limits of quantum magnetometers and explores criteria for determining whether a magnetometer is essentially quantum.

In an original research article published in MedComm - Oncology, an antiallergic drug fexofenadine was identified as a new Met inhibitory agent by a computational drug repurposing tool called “DRAR-CPI” via chemical-protein interactome analysis of known Met inhibitors. Fexofenadine was shown to overcome osimertinib resistance in non-small cell lung cancer by inhibiting Met in vitro and in vivo.

The team of Professor Heng-Yu Fan from the Life Sciences Institute (LSI) of Zhejiang University (with ph.D. student Yuxuan Jiao as the first author) published a research paper titled “DHX36-mediated G-quadruplexes unwinding is essential for oocyte and early embryo development in mice” in Science Bulletin. This study, for the first time, revealed the spatiotemporal consistency of DHX36 with the formation of G4 structures during mammalian oocyte and early embryo development. DHX36 specifically binds to G4 structures on DNA (particularly in rDNA regions and transcription start sites) and pre-rRNA, thereby regulating chromatin conformation, gene transcription, and pre-rRNA processing, which are essential for maintaining normal oocyte and embryo development.

This work presents an energy-efficient classical simulation algorithm using GPUs that outperforms Google's Sycamore processor in speed and energy consumption, challenging the claim of quantum computational advantage.