News from China
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 16-Jan-2026 17:11 ET (16-Jan-2026 22:11 GMT/UTC)
Researchers enhance durability of pure water-fed anion exchange membrane electrolysis
Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy SciencesPeer-Reviewed Publication
- Journal
- Advanced Energy Materials
Noncooperative target finite-time surrounding control of spacecraft formation
Beijing Institute of Technology Press Co., Ltd- Journal
- Space Science & Technology
Diabetes drives irreversible organ damage in 500 million adults worldwide
BGI GenomicsmiR-378 as a metabolic-state-dependent switch controling liver autophagy and fat accumulation
Higher Education PressPeer-Reviewed Publication
Emerging evidence reveals that dysregulated autophagy, particularly the selective degradation of lipid droplets (lipophagy), is crucial to maintaining hepatic lipid balance, yet how its activity is regulated under different metabolic conditions has long been an open question.
- Journal
- Life Metabolism
"Ice-fire" forge crafts wafer-scale energy storage capacitors in just one second
Chinese Academy of Sciences HeadquartersPeer-Reviewed Publication
- Journal
- Science Advances
Droplets self-draining on the horizontal slippery surface for real-time anti-/de-icing
Shanghai Jiao Tong University Journal CenterPeer-Reviewed Publication
Undesired ice accumulation on infrastructure and transportation systems leads to catastrophic events and significant economic losses. Although various anti-icing surfaces with photothermal effects can initially prevent icing, any thawy droplets remaining on the horizontal surface can quickly re-freezing once the light diminishes. To address these challenges, we have developed a self-draining slippery surface (SDSS) that enables the thawy droplets to self-remove on the horizontal surface, thereby facilitating real-time anti-icing with the aid of sunlight (100 mW cm−2). This is achieved by sandwiching a thin pyroelectric layer between slippery surface and photothermal film. Due to the synergy between the photothermal and pyroelectric layers, the SDSS not only maintains a high surface temperature of 19.8 ± 2.2 °C at the low temperature ( −20.0 ± 1.0 °C), but also generates amount of charge through thermoelectric coupling. Thus, as cold droplets dropped on the SDSS, electrostatic force pushes the droplets off the charged surface because of the charge transfer mechanism. Even if the surface freezes overnight, the ice can melt and drain off the SDSS within 10 min of exposure to sunlight at −20.0 ± 1.0 °C, leaving a clean surface. This work provides a new perspective on the anti-icing system in the real-world environments.
- Journal
- Nano-Micro Letters
Researchers boost biosynthetic capacity in yeast through extended lifespan
Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy SciencesPeer-Reviewed Publication
- Journal
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Structured light gets intelligent
Light Publishing Center, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics And Physics, CASPeer-Reviewed Publication
Imbuing light with "structure" adds complexity, mixing properties in exotic ways. In parallel, machine intelligence based on complex deep neural networks complexity for its learning, mimicking the complex connections of neurons in the brain. Now researchers have shown the exciting benefits at the interface of the two, from machines unravelling complexity in light, to optical systems enabling ultrafast learning machines. This symbiotic relationship is set to drive a new revolution in photonics.
- Journal
- eLight
- Funder
- National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Open Fund of the State Key Laboratory of Precision Space-time Information Sensing Technology, South African Quantum Technology Initiative, Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE) AcRF Tier 1 grant, Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE) AcRF Tier 1 Thematic grant, Imperial-Nanyang Technological University Collaboration Fund, Nanyang Technological University SPMS Collaborative Research Award 2024, Singapore Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) MTC Individual Research Grants
Linearizing tactile sensing: A soft 3D lattice sensor for accurate human-machine interactions
Journal Center of Harbin Institute of TechnologyPeer-Reviewed Publication
Touch is the sense that brings us into direct contact with reality, revealing shape, texture, and resistance. Designing soft sensors to mimic biological fingertips facilitates natural haptic communications in telerobotics and prostheses, but suffers from inaccurate tactile decoding. Scientists at Shanghai Jiao Tong University reported a 3D-architected pressure sensor featuring a hydrogel lattice encapsulated within an origami-inspired framework. The designed linear electro-mechanical responses enable sophisticated pressure input for robotic control and an intelligent fingertip for modulus detection.
- Journal
- SmartBot