The ecosystem of tropical coral islands is relatively isolated, characterized by harsh environmental conditions. It is frequently subjected to climatic stressors such as high temperatures, intense solar radiation, high salinity, and seasonal drought.

Soil microbial communities play a crucial role in maintaining multiple soil functions in terrestrial ecosystems. However, evidence linking soil microbial communities to soil multifunctionality under warming and precipitation changes remains limited. This study shows that the combined effects of warming and increased precipitation can markedly weaken soil multifunctionality in semi-arid grasslands, primarily by intensifying competition between bacteria and fungi. The researchers’ finding appeared October 28, 2025 in Soil Ecology Letters.Soil microbial communities play a crucial role in maintaining multiple soil functions in terrestrial ecosystems. However, evidence linking soil microbial communities to soil multifunctionality under warming and precipitation changes remains limited. This study shows that the combined effects of warming and increased precipitation can markedly weaken soil multifunctionality in semi-arid grasslands, primarily by intensifying competition between bacteria and fungi. The researchers’ finding appeared October 28, 2025 in Soil Ecology Letters.

In the critical habitat of the giant panda, livestock grazing is reshaping the invisible yet vital world of soil microbes in an unexpected way. A new study reveals that while grazing alters soil properties, it paradoxically leads to an increase in soil bacterial diversity. Meanwhile, grazing disrupts the competitive hierarchy of the fungal kingdom, triggering a community shift from the singular dominance of Basidiomycota to a co-dominance structure with Ascomycota.

A new study published in Engineering by Xin Wang, Jian Yao, Jin Zhang and their colleagues proposes a machine-learning-guided strategy that combines data-driven descriptor screening with three-dimensional multiphysics and lattice Boltzmann simulations. The authors elucidate how the PA content and its non-uniform distribution within the catalyst layer govern proton transport, platinum utilization, and local current generation. Guided by these insights, they introduce an EDTMPA–PA dual-proton-conducting system and construct a gradient dual-proton-conductor catalyst layer, enabling single cells to achieve record power densities at 160 °C while maintaining long-term operational stability under aerospace-relevant conditions.

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are emerging contaminants that are widely distributed in agricultural soils and pose potential threats to human health through the soil‒plant system.

The advent of the fifth-generation (5G) technology has revolutionized the way we think about communication networks, enabling a plethora of new use cases and scenarios that were not possible with previous generations of wireless technology. The existing 5G communication networks predominantly rely on terrestrial communication infrastructure, which, however, exhibits several notable limitations such as capacity constraints, latency issues, and energy inefficiencies, necessitating this next-generation leap. The 6G aims to provide a comprehensive solution for a hyperconnected, intelligent, and immersive digital ecosystem, seamlessly integrating terrestrial, airborne, and spaceborne networks which is referred to as the space-air-ground-sea integrated network (SAGSIN). A traditional SAGSIN scenario mainly includes 3 segments: spaceborne network, airborne network, and terrestrial network. The classical SAGSIN architecture has shown remarkable capabilities in providing massive connectivity by integrating spaceborne, airborne, and terrestrial cellular networks, which, however, encounters inherent technical challenges against their respective practical implementation. On the other hand, the philosophy of near-space communications (NS-COM) is gradually emerging. The distinctive location of near space which is 20 ~ 100 km above Earth’s surface positiones at the core of the SAGSIN, thus allowing the NS-COM network to address the shortcomings of traditional spaceborne, terrestrial, and airborne networks. NS-COM present a promising addition to SAGSIN, making them the final piece of the SAGSIN puzzle.

On December 8, 2025, Space: Science & Technology was officially indexed in the Web of Science: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE). All articles published since 2021 will be progressively included into the SCIE database.