Nanoporous carbon materials have attracted significant interest for applications in lightweight structural materials, microdevices, and bio-integrated systems due to their low density, chemical stability, electrical conductivity, and tunable mechanical properties. However, existing fabrication approaches often struggle to simultaneously achieve precise patterning, controllable porosity, and desirable mechanical performance. A research team led by Professor Min Qiu at Westlake University has developed a new fabrication strategy, termed Mix-ice lithography (Mix-IL), that enables direct construction of nanoporous carbon structures with tunable pore architectures and complex geometries. The study has been published in Science Bulletin.

Researchers from Shanxi University and Nanjing University have demonstrated on-chip two-mode squeezed light at audio frequency as low as 60 Hz, bringing integrated quantum noise reduction into the audio-frequency band. A weak, orthogonally polarized electro-optic reference comb stabilizes the homodyne measurement phase without placing a bright locking tone at the quantum frequencies. The experiment observed approximately 1 dB of squeezing from 60 Hz to 5 kHz, reconstructed the two-mode covariance matrix, and verified entanglement using the positive partial transposition criterion.

A research team has developed a simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) system that helps robots remain oriented when their own rapid movement makes camera images difficult to interpret.

Hepatocellular carcinoma remains one of the deadliest cancers worldwide, driven by late-stage diagnosis and recurrence rates that approach 70 percent within five years after curative-intent resection. 

A new study has developed a sophisticated spatial modeling framework that provides an unprecedented, fine-resolution view of heat-related health risks. 

In the pollination evolution of angiosperms, oil flowers represent a highly unique group. Approximately 2000 species across 11 families secrete lipids (rather than traditional nectar) through specialized oil glands as floral rewards. Oil-offering plants rely heavily on specialized oil-collecting bees for pollination, with females using specialized brushes on their legs to collect lipids for nest-building and larval provisioning. Among them, Macropis (Melittidae) is a classic genus of oil-collecting bees known for their strict oligolecty on the genus Lysimachia (Primulaceae). However, for decades, studies in Europe and North America generally assumed that Macropis bees primarily associate with oil-secreting loosestrifes, where males also patrol for mates. Prior to this work, specialized visits by Macropis bees—especially males—to non-oil, nectar-bearing Lysimachia species had not been documented.

This study develops a novel “Panning for Gold” framework that integrates Koopman analysis with clustering algorithms to identify representative water quality dynamic data for wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Using a full-scale Anaerobic-Anoxic-Oxic process in southern China as a case study, the research demonstrates that machine learning models can maintain predictive accuracy with 43.59% less training data, establishing a low-data-requirement paradigm for efficient water system management.

Researchers developed a palladium-engineered nickel phosphide catalyst for selective bio-oil upgrading. In anisole tests at 200 ℃, NiPdP achieved near-complete conversion and 97.28% selectivity to cyclohexane; with m-cresol at 250 ℃, selectivity to methylcyclohexane reached 95.72%. Palladium altered catalyst formation, lattice strain and electronic structure, helping suppress unwanted carbon–carbon bond cleavage, sintering and coke formation while supporting reuse over 10 cycles.

The present study investigated the disease burden and associated productivity losses attributable to T2DM among adults, while also forecasting the disease burden through 2050. The study adopted a quantitative approach and drew upon datasets obtained from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 database, the World Bank, the United Nations, and the International Labor Organization. Projections based on the BAPC model indicate that the ASDR will rise to 2243.12 per 100,000 population by 2050. The estimated annual productivity loss attributable to T2DM in the region exceeds 220 billion U.S. dollar (USD). Comprehensive and sustainable interventions, including health policies, educational initiatives, and social protection measures, are needed to reduce disparities associated with T2DM.

We are pleased to present a curated collection of our recent cover articles, featuring breakthroughs ranging from enzyme–chemical interaction prediction, genome-scale modeling and novel biosensor development to metabolic engineering of industrially relevant microbial hosts and next-generation gene-editing tools. These studies highlight the field's rapid evolution from fundamental tool discovery to translational industrial applications.