分类： science

Chinese researchers from the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology (CAS) have pioneered a groundbreaking temporal livestock management approach to address the persistent global challenge of human-wildlife conflicts. Their innovative study, published in Integrative Zoology, offers a scientific framework for balancing biodiversity conservation with sustainable development in agropastoral communities.

The research team, led by Dr. Lian Xinming, conducted an extensive decade-long field investigation in China’s ecologically critical Sanjiangyuan region—known as the nation’s water tower. Through sophisticated monitoring techniques involving 422 infrared cameras across 2,580 square kilometers, scientists gathered unprecedented data on four large carnivores: snow leopards, wolves, lynxes, and brown bears.

Employing advanced kernel density estimation methods, the team analyzed diel activity patterns and seasonal variations among these predators. The findings revealed distinct nocturnal behaviors with species-specific peak activity times. Wolves demonstrated particularly notable seasonal variations in their activity patterns compared to other species.

Crucially, the research identified precise high-risk windows for livestock predation and human encounters. For brown bears, the most dangerous period for home invasions occurs between 20:42 and 02:36, requiring heightened vigilance during these hours. The study recommends strategic interventions including guard dogs and electronic deterrents during identified risk periods.

Dr. Lian emphasized that integrating spatial utilization zoning with temporally-regulated grazing schedules can significantly reduce human-carnivore encounters. This evidence-based approach represents a paradigm shift from reactive conflict management to proactive, scientifically-informed coexistence strategies that benefit both wildlife conservation and local livelihoods.

China’s ambitious Phase II expansion of its premier scientific facility, the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS), has achieved a groundbreaking milestone with the successful generation of its first neutron beam. This achievement marks a pivotal moment in the project’s development timeline, demonstrating significant progress in China’s advanced scientific infrastructure capabilities.

Situated in Dongguan, Guangdong province, the CSNS represents China’s inaugural pulsed spallation neutron source and ranks as the world’s fourth such facility. Operated under the auspices of the Institute of High Energy Physics within the Chinese Academy of Sciences, this sophisticated installation functions as an ultra-precise microscopic observatory. By employing neutron scattering techniques, scientists can examine materials at unprecedented resolutions, revealing critical structural information about metal fatigue, battery performance characteristics, and numerous other material properties that remain invisible to conventional imaging methods.

The newly operational neutron technology development station serves as a specialized testing platform for advancing detection methodologies. Featuring an ultra-clean environment with minimal interference, this station enables researchers to capture extremely faint neutron signals with remarkable efficiency. The successful beam output follows five years of intensive interdisciplinary collaboration addressing complex engineering challenges including precise neutron beam control, dynamic equipment switching mechanisms, and the relocation of heavy components.

Concurrently, CSNS has demonstrated remarkable operational stability, achieving a record-breaking 185 kilowatts beam power on target during a 72-hour continuous operation period. This performance builds upon previous milestones of 160 and 170 kilowatts reached in 2024. The enhanced power output significantly reduces experiment durations while optimizing facility utilization, providing stronger technical support for cutting-edge scientific investigations.

The Phase II project, initiated in 2024 with anticipated completion by 2029, will elevate the facility’s proton accelerator target power to 500 kilowatts. This substantial enhancement will increase the neutron beam’s intensity, enabling scientists to detect fainter structural signals and achieve nanoscale precision in material analysis. The advancements will significantly bolster China’s research capabilities across multiple disciplines including renewable energy development, aerospace engineering, and bioscience innovation.

Chinese researchers have achieved a groundbreaking advancement in planetary science by creating the first high-resolution global chemical atlas of the Moon incorporating critical ground truth data from its far side. This scientific milestone, led by the Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, addresses a long-standing gap in lunar geological understanding.

The research team developed an innovative intelligent inversion framework utilizing residual convolutional neural networks, combining Chang’e-6 mission samples with high-resolution multispectral orbital imagery. This sophisticated approach enabled the generation of unprecedented high-precision global maps detailing the distribution of major elemental oxides across the lunar surface.

Previous lunar chemical mapping efforts relied exclusively on near side calibration data, creating significant uncertainties in geological models, particularly within the scientifically crucial South Pole-Aitken basin. The incorporation of far side ground truth information has now successfully constrained the composition and extent of previously uncharacterized lunar terrains.

The refined chemical maps reveal a substantially higher proportion of magnesian anorthosite in the far side highlands compared to the near side hemisphere. This quantitative evidence provides compelling support for the theory of asymmetric crystallization and differentiation within the lunar magma ocean during the Moon’s early formation.

This research represents a transformative development in lunar science, offering new insights into crust-mantle structure, hemispherical evolutionary differences, and the formation mechanisms of the Solar System’s largest impact basin. The high-precision geochemical data will inform future landing site selection, resource exploration strategies, and mission planning for lunar exploration programs worldwide.

The Chang’e-6 mission, which launched on May 3, 2024, and returned with 1,935.3 grams of far side samples on June 25, 2024, provided the essential ground truth data that made this scientific breakthrough possible. The findings were published in the prestigious journal Nature Sensors.

Chinese researchers from the Institute of Process Engineering at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have engineered a groundbreaking molecular enhancement that significantly improves the effectiveness of CAR T-cell therapy against leukemia. Published in the prestigious journal Cell, their innovation addresses a critical limitation of current cancer immunotherapies where malignant cells evade detection by shedding surface markers.

The team developed a novel helper molecule dubbed FACE (Ferritin-based Adhesion and Connection Enhancer), constructed from naturally occurring ferritin protein. This breakthrough emerged from analyzing patient samples that revealed both leukemia cells and immune cells abundantly express the CD71 surface protein. FACE strategically exploits this commonality by binding to CD71 receptors on both cell types, effectively creating a molecular bridge that maintains cellular connection even when cancer cells attempt to hide.

Dr. Wei Wei, lead researcher on the project, explained: “FACE functions as both a microscopic bridge and powerful biological adhesive. When leukemia cells reduce their identifiable markers to escape detection, FACE ensures CAR T-cells maintain their grip and complete their therapeutic mission.”

Laboratory results demonstrate remarkable efficacy. In mouse models where conventional CAR T therapy failed due to diminished cancer cell markers, the FACE-enhanced approach achieved 100% survival rates by enabling continuous cancer cell targeting and elimination. The technology shows particular promise because it utilizes biologically compatible materials already approved for medical applications, potentially streamlining regulatory approval processes.

The research has been validated across multiple clinically relevant animal models and human patient-derived samples, indicating strong translational potential. This development represents a significant advancement in adaptive cancer immunotherapy, offering new hope for patients with recurrent or treatment-resistant leukemia without adding substantial complexity or cost to existing therapeutic protocols.

A groundbreaking paleontological discovery in China’s Chongqing Municipality has revealed the world’s oldest articulated bony fish fossil, fundamentally altering our understanding of vertebrate evolution. The exceptionally preserved specimen, named Eosteus chongqingensis, was excavated from a site in Xiushan county renowned for its exceptional preservation of ancient life forms.

Dating back approximately 440 million years to the early Silurian Period, this remarkable fossil represents a pivotal moment in paleontological research. The findings, published in the prestigious journal Nature, effectively push back the evolutionary timeline of jawed vertebrates by nearly 11 million years, providing unprecedented insights into the origins of bony vertebrates that would eventually include humans.

The research collaboration, spearheaded by the Chongqing Bureau of Planning and Natural Resources in partnership with the Chongqing Institute of Paleontology and led by Chinese Academy of Sciences academician Zhu Min, has yielded the most complete record of jawed vertebrates from the previously poorly understood Silurian Period. The exceptional articulation of the fossil provides researchers with unprecedented anatomical details that were previously unavailable from fragmentary remains.

This discovery not only underscores Chongqing’s emerging significance as a paleontological research hub but also illuminates critical evolutionary transitions that occurred in ancient marine environments. The fossil’s preservation quality offers scientists a rare window into the anatomical features that characterized early jawed vertebrates, enhancing our comprehension of how life diversified from oceanic habitats to eventually colonize terrestrial ecosystems.

At the ongoing 14th National People’s Congress, Deputy Song Bao’an has presented a comprehensive proposal advocating for enhanced plant protection measures and new legislative frameworks. The lawmaker, who also serves as President of Guizhou University, emphasized that robust plant protection systems are fundamental to preventing widespread crop pest outbreaks and safeguarding both staple food crops and commercial agricultural products.

Speaking from a decade of frontline research experience, Song highlighted China’s paradoxical position as an agricultural powerhouse that still grapples with systemic challenges including pesticide overuse and recurrent crop diseases. “Despite numerous efforts in this field, China lacks a high-level legal framework specifically addressing plant protection,” Song noted, referencing the nation’s 2025 food output of 714.88 million metric tons according to National Bureau of Statistics data.

The proposal calls for establishing clearly defined regulatory bodies and specialized enforcement teams to ensure nationwide plant health monitoring. Song’s research team has pioneered innovative green pest control methods, particularly for tea cultivation—a crucial crop covering approximately 466,667 hectares in Guizhou province. Their breakthrough approach involves deploying natural predator insects to combat tea pests, creating a sustainable biological control system.

These integrated pest management techniques have demonstrated remarkable success domestically, with implementation expanding across Guizhou, Hainan, and Hunan provinces. The methods have also gained international recognition through the China-Sri Lanka Joint Laboratory for Green Tea Pest Control Technology, established in 2024. Since January 2025, Professors Jin Linhong and Hao Gefei have led repeated technical missions to Sri Lanka, where small family tea farms struggle with extensive management and severe pest problems.

After one year of trials combining biological control with improved farming practices, demonstration tea gardens reported a 50% reduction in disease incidence and improved soil conditions. Yield increases ranged from 23% to an extraordinary 110%, with the project expanding from initial pilot areas to approximately 333 hectares. The program has also facilitated knowledge exchange, with over 50 Sri Lankan students studying at Guizhou University and implementing these techniques upon returning home.

Song directly links advanced plant protection to broader national priorities: “Crops from the field end up on people’s plates. Strengthening oversight and legislation concerns not just tea or cash crops but personal health and national food security.” The proposal positions green agriculture—incorporating organic fertilizers, biopesticides, and water-saving irrigation—as essential for addressing soil depletion, water pollution, and climate change challenges through drought-resistant varieties and climate-smart farming practices.

“China’s agriculture has reached a turning point,” Song concluded. “Matching laws are essential to ensure practitioners can implement technologies correctly and scientifically, making agriculture greener and food safer.”

A pioneering agricultural development model pioneered by China is poised for international scaling as national legislator Zhang Fusuo proposes its formal integration into the country’s foreign assistance programs. The Science and Technology Backyard initiative, which dispatches graduate students and researchers to provide hands-on technical assistance to farmers, has demonstrated remarkable success domestically with 5,700 installations established across China since 2009.

The innovative program, which connects academic institutions directly with agricultural communities, has already expanded tentatively to ten countries including Malawi and Kenya through 14 international backyards established since 2019. These pilot projects have contributed significantly to food security in numerous villages across the Global South.

Professor Zhang, an NPC deputy and academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, emphasizes that the program’s next developmental phase requires systematic incorporation into China’s national foreign aid framework. This institutionalization would address critical challenges including reliance on research funding and the absence of stable financial channels for international operations.

The current model faces limitations in private sector and non-governmental organization participation, hindering a comprehensive approach that integrates education, technology and industry. Zhang proposes creating standardized operational procedures and dedicated funding streams while offering financial incentives for domestic agricultural companies to partner with overseas backyards.

The Global Science and Technology Backyard Center in Hainan Province serves as a strategic hub, attracting both Chinese and international agricultural enterprises to establish operations. Researchers in Sanya are transforming high-quality agricultural practices into replicable business models suitable for international expansion, particularly in tropical regions resembling Hainan’s climate.

Complementing technological transfer, the initiative emphasizes human capital development through expanded scholarship programs for Global South students and a innovative ‘1+1+1’ model combining study in China, practical experience in home countries, and further training in China. A dual-mentor system pairing Chinese and local experts ensures effective adaptation of technology to local languages, cultures, and policies.

This approach represents an evolution from traditional aid models, shifting from direct implementation toward guidance and capacity building that empowers local communities to sustain agricultural development independently.