Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects social communication and development. A key characteristic in its clinical diagnosis is that autistic children rarely look at others’ faces, which is internationally recognized as a significant behavioral marker. Now, however, a new study aims to challenge this idea by using a combination of child-friendly testing environments and artificial intelligence to better understand the relationship between eye contact, cognitive development, and children’s attention skills.

Recently, the research team led by Professor Heping Zhang at the Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Engineering, Ministry of Education, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, published a groundbreaking study in the prestigious journal Science Bulletin. Titled "A Genomic Compendium of Cultivated Food-Derived Lactic Acid Bacteria Unveils Their Contributions to Human Health", the study details the development of the comprehensive genomic dataset of food-derived lactic acid bacteria (FLAB). By systematically revealing their diversity and potential applications in food fermentation and human health, this research provides valuable scientific insights and foundational support for future studies and practical applications of LAB.