Comparative genomics in Drosophila relies on accurate ortholog identification, yet existing resources predominantly center on Drosophila melanogaster, limiting cross-species analyses. To address this gap, researchers from Guangzhou Medical University and Nankai University have launched DrosGB, an integrated multi-omics database covering 35 Drosophila species (https://www.drosgb.com). DrosGB harmonizes genomic annotations, 876 transcriptomic datasets, and approximately 420,000 predicted protein structures. By integrating four orthology inference tools, OrthoFinder, TOGA, Foldseek, and SonicParanoid2, the team generated a high-confidence ortholog set requiring support from at least three methods. The platform offers five modules for browsing, downloading, and analyzing data, including gene search, BLAST, phylogenetic tree construction, and 3D structure visualization. Initial analyses revealed that nearly 90% of genes in non-melanogaster species have orthologs in D. melanogaster, with about 70% retained under stringent criteria. Functional enrichment highlighted core Drosophila genes involved in fundamental metabolic processes, while species-specific genes were linked to reproductive adaptations. DrosGB provides a comprehensive resource to accelerate evolutionary and functional genomics research across the Drosophila genus.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection triggers the formation of migrasomes, yet their exact role in CHIKV pathogenesis remains unclear. Professor Leiliang Zhang's group investigates the mechanisms behind mitochondrial damage caused by CHIKV and the potential protective role of migrasomes. Their findings demonstrate that CHIKV infection leads to mitochondrial impairment mediated by the viroporin proteins transframe (TF) and 6K. Notably, migrasomes induced by non-structural protein 1 (nsP1) efficiently clear damaged mitochondria through mitocytosis. The study also identifies the arginine residue R37 within CHIKV's viroporin proteins as crucial for inducing mitochondrial damage via elevated intracellular calcium levels, a characteristic also observed in TF from other alphaviruses. Overall, this research highlights the complex relationship between CHIKV and mitochondrial dysfunction, suggesting that migrasomes could play a vital role in mitigating CHIKV-induced mitochondrial injury.

Radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) is a common complication of radiotherapy. Berberine, a natural compound used in traditional Chinese medicine, has been associated with reduced RILI incidence, but its mechanism remains unclear. In a mouse model of thoracic irradiation, researchers found that berberine reshaped the gut microbiota and increased beneficial microbial metabolites, which were linked to reduced lung inflammation and tissue injury. The findings highlight the gut–lung axis as an important regulator of radiation responses and suggest new opportunities to improve the safety of radiotherapy.

Iron-based molecular sieves show great promise for high-temperature NH₃-SCR due to their intrinsic shape selectivity and thermal stability. However, excessive ammonia oxidation at high temperatures limits NO_x conversion and long-term stability, and its kinetic transition remains poorly understood. A team led by Zhiqiang Sun, Hanzi Liu, and Xinlin Xie has developed a high-temperature Fe@ZSM-5 catalyst and established a coupled kinetic model to describe ammonia oxidation behavior at high temperatures. Their work was published in the journal Industrial Chemistry & Materials in December 2025.

Bats are critical viral reservoirs that harbor viromes with a high risk of cross-species transmission. However, the diversity of their viromes in the Indochina Peninsula remains underexplored. A study on bat viromes across China’s Yunnan, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and Cambodia identified 137 viral strains, including 40 new species. Viral richness was highest in Rhinolophidae bats along China’s southwestern border, and Cambodian bat viruses were more evolutionarily distant from known viruses. A porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV)-related virus was discovered in Cambodia, showing 90.36% genome homology with PEDV CV777, and exhibiting recombinant features between Suidae-adapted ORF1ab and Chiroptera-adapted Spike genes, suggesting that bat coronaviruses could be the evolutionary source of PEDV. Bat virome and deep learning models predict cross-species transmission risks, highlighting the need for enhanced One Health surveillance targeting viral recombination hotspots and human-bat interfaces in this ecologically critical region.