Sperm carry far more than DNA. As they develop in the testis and mature in the epididymis, they also carry a shifting set of chemical marks on RNA — a molecular layer that may help shape fertility and influence how paternal experiences are passed to the next generation.

Now, researchers have produced a detailed map of this changing “sperm RNA modification code.” In a study published in Science China Life Sciences, the team profiled 27 types of RNA modifications across mouse testis development, purified spermatogenic cells, sperm collected from different regions of the epididymis and a typeⅡdiabetes mellitus mouse model. The work reveals that sperm RNA modifications are not static labels, but a dynamic program that is written, erased and reorganized as sperm move toward maturity.

Future terahertz systems need front ends that can not only transmit data but also process signals directly. Scientists in China, Poland and Japan have developed a subarray programmable terahertz metasurface that performs optical Boolean logic and four-level amplitude modulation on the same chip. By gating four HEMT-based subarrays, the device achieves broadband control from 170 to 260 GHz, real-time logic up to 200 MHz, PAM-4 signaling, and 6 GHz modulation response.

The gut microbiome is no longer viewed as a mere spectator in cancer development – it is increasingly recognized as a key driver of tumor initiation, progression, and treatment response.

The world’s soils are vast reservoirs of organic carbon, vital for both climate change mitigation and sustaining agricultural productivity. A major component of this vital carbon pool is Extracellular Polymeric Substances (EPS), a sticky "slime" secreted by microorganisms. Despite its importance, how EPS transforms and persists within soils, particularly in interaction with minerals, remains poorly understood. A study from Huazhong Agricultural University sheds new light on these intricate processes, revealing that microbial activity, rather than simple surface attachment, drives significant changes in soil organic matter (SOM) composition, with iron (oxyhydr)oxides emerging as key players in carbon stabilization.

This investigation addressed a critical gap in understanding the intricate relationship between microbial life and geological structures beneath our feet. The team's work illustrates the complex pathways through which bacterial EPS contributes to SOM persistence, a process crucial for maintaining soil health and securing long-term carbon storage. EPS primarily comprises polysaccharides, proteins, and nucleic acids, acting as the interface for microbial interactions with their environment and impacting the stability of soil aggregates.

Soft robots capable of self-driven information transmission show great potentials in future. Recently, scientists in China have developed an optically interactive soft robotic system that can transmit encoded instructions through holographic feedback, thereby guiding operators to perform tasks with high precision. This strategy establishes a new framework for the development of interactive soft robots that mimic biological systems by employing light as the central carrier of information.

Scientists in China developed a hybrid frequency-dimension simulator on a thin-film lithium niobate chip. By combining intra- and inter-resonant frequency lattices, it realizes models such as the Hall ladder, Creutz ladder, and SSH model, enabling direct band-structure readout of the SSH model. Phenomena including spin-momentum locking, topological flat bands, and the Aharonov–Bohm cage are observed, while applications like piecewise-continuous optical frequency shifting are enabled via device cascading.