A research team has uncovered a possible epigenetic mechanism that enables the elite ‘Shuxinyou’ (SXY) cultivar of Aquilaria sinensis to produce agarwood more efficiently than ordinary ‘Baimu’ (BM). 

A research team has identified MaLBD50 as a key positive regulator of banana ripening that accelerates starch breakdown by directly activating the β-amylase gene MaBMY1. 

Development of an aqueous zinc-ion battery using precision removal of lithium ions, replaced with zinc ions, to produce a new material called ZLVP (Zn_0.62Li_1.2V₂(PO₄)₃) shows promise in developing a sustainable and powerful energy storage solution. ZLVP maintains stable performance over 5,000 cycles with an operating voltage of 1.51 V, offering a safer alternative to conventional lithium-ion systems.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are a safer, more cost-effective energy storage option than lithium-ion batteries, but cathode material limitations hinder the practicality of the technology. A team of researchers recently produced ball-milled manufactured electrolytic manganese dioxide (MnO₂), which introduces oxygen vacancies that improve material performance as an AZIB cathode, bringing the technology closer to reality.

SiC ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) are suitable for hot-section components of gas turbine blades, but in combustion environments containing water vapor and molten salt impurities, CMCs suffer from severe recession and corrosion; therefore, environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) are applied to isolate CMCs from aggressive environments and improve stability and service life. The study designed and synthesized six non-equimolar monoclinic-prime (m') RETaO₄ HECs to clarify composition-structure-property relationships. HE-3 exhibited the lowest TECs of 6.2 × 10^-6 K^-1 at 1500 °C, closer to SiC-based CMCs than the other compositions, and the lowest thermal conductivity reached 1.52-2.68 W·m^-1·K^-1 at 25-900 °C, indicating its potential as candidate EBCs.

Ceramics combine high strength, thermal stability and corrosion resistance, yet usually fracture before they can deform at room temperature. A new review in Journal of Advanced Ceramics synthesizes evidence that selected or engineered ceramics can undergo irreversible deformation through six fundamental pathways. The authors distinguish plasticity from toughness and tensile ductility, compare material systems and testing methods, and outline a roadmap toward bulk, reproducible and damage-tolerant ceramics for aerospace, electronics, energy and biomedical technologies.

Positive-strand RNA viruses extensively remodel the cellular endomembrane system to form specialized viral replication organelles (ROs). Coronaviruses generate double membrane vesicles (DMVs) that function as platforms for viral RNA (vRNA) synthesis and protect vRNA from detection by the host innate immune system. Coronaviruses hijack the host GBF1-ARF1-COPI vesicle transport pathway to utilize Golgi-derived membranes for promoting DMV formation.