Wuhan, China - A research team led by Professor Mingqiu Dai from Huazhong Agricultural University published a study titled "Natural variations in ZmCCT2 regulate maize mesocotyl elongation and higher altitude adaptation." This study marks the first cloning of a quantitative trait locus (QTL) responsible for regulating maize mesocotyl elongation, confirming the regulatory role of the maize CCT-like transcription factor family gene ZmCCT2 in maize mesocotyl elongation. The study delves into the molecular and genetic mechanisms by which ZmCCT2 and its natural variantion ZmCCT2^TypeA positively regulate maize mesocotyl elongation and adaptation to higher altitude.

Mononuclear macrophages serve as the primary target cells for the in vivo metabolism of iron-based nanomaterials. The uptake of nanoparticles by mononuclear macrophages is influenced by various factors, such as particle size, surface charge, and administration route, which subsequently affect the metabolic process. During this process, iron-based magnetic nanomaterials can induce macrophage reprogramming and participate in immune modulation. This is primarily reflected in their regulation of macrophage function through enzyme-like activities, intracellular iron metabolism, cell signaling pathways, mitochondrial energy metabolism, and responses to magnetic fields.

A research paper by scientists at Beijing Institute of Technology presented a steering control strategy for cyborg insects in operant learning training of cockroaches in a T-maze. Cockroaches developed a preference for specific maze channels after only five consecutive sessions of unilateral cercus electrical stimulation and steering behavior induction, achieving a memory score of 83.5%, outperforming traditional punishing training schemes.

A research team led by Prof. YAN Ya from the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with scientists from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and the University of Auckland, has developed a highly stable and efficient water oxidation catalyst, marking a major advancement in the field of green hydrogen production via water splitting technology.

Researchers from Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) and the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) have developed a novel top veto tracker system for the Taishan Antineutrino Observatory (TAO) experiment. Comprising 160 plastic scintillator (PS) modules with optimized wavelength shifting fiber (WLS-fiber) arrangements and silicon photomultipliers, the system offers enhanced light yield and muon detection efficiency.