Soil contamination by heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd) poses a growing threat to global food security and human health. A new study published in Biochar reports that combining arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) with biochar can reshape soil microbiomes, reduce cadmium uptake, and dramatically improve plant growth, offering a sustainable strategy for farmland restoration.

Microplastics are no longer just an ocean pollutant—they are increasingly found in agricultural soils and even inside plants, according to a new review published in New Contaminants. The study highlights how microplastics can enter crops, impact plant health, and ultimately raise risks for global food security and human exposure.

The quest for high-performance energy storage solutions continues to drive innovation in materials science. A new study titled "Unlocking Colossal Storage Capacity and Energy Density of Two-Dimensional Biphenylene Oxide for Li-, Na-, and K-Ion Batteries" presents a groundbreaking advancement in the development of anode materials, offering a significant leap forward in battery technology.

Triterpenes, a diverse family of plant-derived molecules, are increasingly recognized for their potential in medicine, food, and sustainable industry.

Flowering in woody bamboos has long been considered one of botany's great mysteries, due to its rarity, unpredictability, and the eventual death of clumps after blooming. 

Researchers from the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and their collaborators discovered and analyzed a large pipe swarm—a cluster of cylindrical geological structures—with remnants of hydrogen hydrothermal activity on the east Caroline Plate, west of the Mussau Trench.

Adaptive camouflage that can operate across both the visible and infrared spectrum has long been a goal for defense and photonics research, offering practical advantages in extreme and dynamic environments. Researchers from Zhejiang University and Westlake University have now demonstrated a multilayer design that integrates thermochromic, electrochromic, and thermoelectric control to achieve wide-range, independent dual-band camouflage. The breakthrough, published in PhotoniX, achieves record thermal modulation and scalable multipixel integration, paving the way for next-generation multispectral stealth technologies.

Researchers at Nankai University have demonstrated a Surface Plasmon Driven Atomic Migration Mediated by Molecular Monolayern under room temperature and atmospheric conditions. By harnessing localized surface plasmons and molecular monolayers, the team achieved light-driven atomic manufacturing with high efficiency and controllability, paving the way for atomic-scale patterning and nanodevice fabrication.