News from Science China Press

In a study of 976 patients who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) after myeloablative conditioning, the presence of donor-derived unlicensed natural killer cells (U-NK cells) was associated with faster hematopoietic recovery and improved clinical outcomes. Further experiments explored the potential underlying mechanisms, demonstrating that U-NK cells enhanced the in vitro colony-forming capacity of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. In vivo infusion of U-NK cells accelerated donor neutrophil and platelet engraftment after myeloablative conditioning and increased the numbers of granulocyte-monocyte progenitors, megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitors, and multipotent progenitors during the early post-transplantation period. These changes were accompanied by elevated plasma levels of factor VII and serum amyloid A1, providing further clues to the mechanisms by which U-NK cells may promote hematopoietic recovery. In summary, U-NK cells may provide a valuable reference for donor selection in HSCT and may facilitate the development of therapeutic strategies for poor hematopoietic engraftment or graft failure.

Researchers from Nankai University developed a urea‑modified covalent organic framework (urea‑COF) via linker‑editing strategy. Ordered hydrogen‑bond networks inside COF pores serve as proton highways, accelerating Grotthuss proton transfer and overcoming the sluggish water‑oxidation bottleneck. The urea‑COF achieves a high H₂O₂ production rate of 4104 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹, 2.8‑fold higher than imine‑COF. A buoyant tri‑phase hydrogel‑bead reactor was further constructed for in‑situ water disinfection. Techno‑economic analysis shows a competitive levelized cost of 14.6 USD kg⁻¹ for distributed solar‑powered water treatment.

Solid–solid interfaces and surfaces govern material properties but are hard to resolve in 3D. Researchers at Peking University present an integrated framework for atomic-resolution electron tomography: a multi-metric evaluation strategy, the ZhouTomo automated acquisition software, and high-tilt in situ heating and cryogenic holders. The work outlines a pathway toward faster, reproducible and dynamic 3D atomic characterization of buried interfaces.

Fine-scale eddies (FEs) serve as critical drivers for vertical transport that helps sustain primary production, but their small scales hindered global observation prior to the SWOT mission. Combining SWOT with multi-platform datasets, researchers reveal that FEs are ubiquitous and an order of magnitude more abundant than mesoscale eddies. In contrast to mesoscale eddies, fine-scale cyclones are systematically ~10% stronger than anticyclones. Furthermore, positive chlorophyll anomalies from cyclonic FEs exceed the negative anomalies of anticyclonic FEs twofold, producing a consistent net positive effect on surface chlorophyll globally, which arises from the combined effect of horizontal and vertical motions of FEs. This study provides the first observational benchmark for FEs, constraining future models and reducing longstanding uncertainties.

Upper and lower molars occupy separate places, but a mouse study suggests that their earliest beginnings are shared. Researchers traced a common molar-forming region that separates as the jaws develop. Excess BMP4 signaling disrupted this process in a jaw-fusion model. Blocking the p38 pathway restored separate upper and lower molar germs in six of nine treated mutants without correcting jaw fusion, revealing a distinction between tooth patterning and jaw development.

Global data, field surveys and controlled experiments show more microbial necromass in karst than non-karst soils, with carbonate rock weathering as a key predictor. Weathering helps microbes process complex plant-derived carbon and turn simple carbon into microbial necromass more efficiently. Calcium helps microbial necromass bind to minerals and persist. This finding reveals how carbonate rock weathering supports soil organic carbon formation and protection, beyond inorganic carbon uptake.

Feeding an expanding global population under extreme climate threats requires a revolution in crop improvement. In a new review in SCIENCE CHINA Life Sciences, scientists from China Agricultural University systematically evaluate how generative AI is shifting crop breeding from selecting natural genetic variants to de novo molecular creation. The authors establish the "DESIGN" framework (Discover, Engineer, Simulate, Integrate, Generate, Navigate), linking molecular generation to field trials in a closed-loop learn-design-build-test cycle to accelerate Breeding 5.0.