EurekAlert! Chinese Academy of Sciences - News Releases from CAS Headquarters

News from CAS Headquarters

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 25-Jun-2026 15:15 ET (25-Jun-2026 19:15 GMT/UTC)

"cold insurance" for crops: Researchers unlock "on-demand" climate resilience

Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A team led by Prof. XU Cao from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences identified RGF as the first small peptide signal that senses cold during pollen development. Researchers uncovered an "on-demand" peptide-receptor-ion channel signaling axis, offering a powerful genetic strategy to shield crops from sudden climate shocks without compromising baseline yields.

Journal: Nature

Researchers recover high-protein maize gene from wild ancestor

Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Chinese researchers have successfully isolated a key gene from maize's wild ancestor, teosinte, which significantly enhances seed protein content. The gene, THP3-T, was identified and cloned by research teams led by WU Yongrui and WANG Haihai from the Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with the collaborators.

Journal: Nature

Researchers reveal how supergiant deep-sea isopods survive years without food

Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A research team from the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS) has uncovered the mechanisms enabling these deep-sea supergiants to thrive under extreme nutritional constraints.

Journal: Cell

Researchers develop "all-in-one" platform for multiple trait stacking in crops

Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A team led by GAO Caixia at the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a genome engineering platform that allows multiple trait stacking in crops by combining gene knockout, precise sequence editing, and chromosome engineering within a single framework.

Journal: Nature Biotechnology

Study reveals high sedimentation risk in small reservoirs worldwide

Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Reservoirs around the world are losing storage capacity at an average rate of 7.3 percent per decade—disproportionately affecting small reservoirs, which together provide water to billions of people. The data come from a study published in Nature Sustainability on June 5, which offers the clearest global assessment of reservoir sedimentation to date.

Journal: Nature Sustainability

Researchers advance understanding of RNA-guided transposon mechanics

Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study led by XUE Chaoyou from the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with LOU Huiqiang at China Agricultural University and RAO Shuquan from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences has shown that RNA-guided IS110 transposons use two mechanistically distinct pathways to mobilize DNA.

Journal: Molecular Cell

Asian scientists unveil 10-year roadmap for building synthetic cells

Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Scientists from six Asian countries have launched an ambitious 10-year effort to build synthetic cells from non-living molecules, marking the region's first coordinated push to create an artificial single-celled biological system.

Journal: Nature Biotechnology

Chang'e-5 Regolith studies reveal nanoscale space-weathering processes

Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A collaborative team jointly led by Prof. YIN Zongjun from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), together with Profs. SHEN Bing and ZHOU Jihan from Peking University, has conducted systematic studies of impact-glass particles associated with Chang'e-5 lunar regolith grains.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Study reveals precipitation threshold regulating ecosystem nitrogen retention

Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A research team led by Prof. LIU Lingli from the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences identified a mean annual precipitation (MAP) threshold of approximately 700 mm, beyond which the dominant controls on ecosystem nitrogen retention shift.

Journal: Nature Geoscience

Scientists discover thriving hard-substrate fauna in Oceania’s deep sea

Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In the crushing darkness of the hadal zone—deep ocean trenches plunging 6,000 m to nearly 11,000 m—scientists have uncovered a hidden community. A study published in Science on May 14 reports the discovery of a protist-dominated hard-substrate fauna across seven hadal regions in Oceania, highlighting an overlooked yet highly active carbon “hotspot.”

Journal: Science

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