Shortly after transcription initiation, RNA polymerase II (Pol II) pauses near gene promoters before entering productive elongation, representing a key regulatory step in gene expression. In the recent study published in Science Bulletin, researchers from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, combined acute protein degradation with genome-wide analyses to capture the immediate functions of the transcription factor GABPA in mouse embryonic stem cells. They discovered that, independently of its canonical partner GABPB, GABPA recruits the Integrator complex to promoter regions, thereby promoting productive transcription elongation. The study uncovers an unexpected role for a classical transcription factor and reveals how the Integrator complex is selectively recruited to specific genes.

Drought is the single greatest threat to global crop production, and helping plants survive with less water has become a race against climate change. 

Safflower has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over two thousand years to promote blood circulation, yet the genetic machinery behind its most valuable medicinal compounds has remained largely mysterious. 

A new study shows that plants communicate defensive warnings more effectively with species sharing similar volatile profiles, not necessarily close evolutionary relatives. Researchers exposed nine plant species to volatiles from invasive Phytolacca americana and found that defense priming was the dominant response. The strength of this response was better predicted by volatile similarity than by phylogenetic distance. The findings offer new insights into mechanisms of plant–plant communication.

Researchers developed a battery-free hydrogel bioelectronic patch that wirelessly monitors periodontal inflammation and releases miRNA therapy in response to disease-related enzyme activity. The device links local inflammation sensing with immune modulation, offering a new approach for integrated monitoring and treatment of periodontitis.

A recent study published in National Science Review has revealed a hidden population of high-frequency magnetohydrodynamic waves in the Sun’s polar corona. Using high-resolution Solar Orbiter observations, researchers found that these waves carry substantial energy, offering new clues to coronal heating and the acceleration of the fast solar wind.

Structures exposed to wind, waves or flowing water can be difficult to model and monitor, especially when reliable measurements are scarce. A research team has developed FSI-PINNs, a physics-informed neural network framework that links fluid pressure with structural motion. Using no more than 1% of a simulated dataset, the method predicted flow fields and beam displacement and identified unknown structural density, offering a possible new tool for engineering problems in data-scarce environments.

We have developed a facile dip-coating method for fabricating ordered two-dimensional (2D) self-assembled block copolymer (BCP) micelle templates on substrates. Through point-to-point adsorption on these micelle templates, 2D non-close-packed, short-range ordered gold nanoparticle (AuNP) arrays were successfully obtained. The study elucidates the governing principles of critical processing parameters: the effects of withdrawal speed and micelle concentration on template morphology, as well as the influence of nanoparticle size and micelle corona thickness on the electrostatic adsorption process, thereby enabling the controllable fabrication of large-area 2D non-close-packed nanoparticle arrays. When employed as nanoscale floating gates in non-volatile memory devices, these BCP@AuNP composite arrays demonstrate superior performance—specifically, the incorporation of AuNPs broadens the memory window and enhances device operational stability compared to pure BCP micelle template layers. This strategy offers distinct advantages including operational simplicity, high efficiency, broad applicability, and cost-effectiveness, without requiring additional pre- or post-treatment steps. The entire process demonstrates substantial potential for industrial-scale fabrication of controllable 2D non-close-packed nanoparticle arrays.