Based on the CAFE-Brazil datasets, a new study from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry shows that deep thunderstorm convection over the Amazon rainforest transports BVOCs up to ten to twelve kilometers above the canopy, where they accumulate during the night, before igniting dawn photochemistry in the upper atmosphere. The study is published in the journal Nature Communications.

New research from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, has revealed that puff adders (Bitis arietans) can be highly efficient at controlling rodent populations that threaten agricultural production on the continent. 

In a Perspective article published in MedComm – Future Medicine, a joint team from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) explores how the emerging large language model DeepSeek-R1 may accelerate the transformation of healthcare. Highlighting its open-source, low-cost and interpretable capabilities, the study discusses how DeepSeek-R1 can enhance diagnostic efficiency, support clinical decision-making, and improve patient engagement across diverse medical settings.

Researchers from the State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide at Guizhou University have discovered how the Cucumber Green Mottle Mosaic Virus (CGMMV) exploits the host protein cytosolic Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase) to form biomolecular condensates (BMCs) through liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), thereby facilitating viral replication. The study further indicates that a novel compound, C1, can effectively disrupt this interaction, leading to significant inhibition of CGMMV infection. The relevant research findings have been published in Science Bulletin.

Led by corresponding authors Prof. Runjiang Song and Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering Baoan Song, the team identified NbFBPase as a key interacting protein of CGMMV’s capsid protein (CP). Mutations in CP residues Tyr18 impaired BMCs formation and reduced viral pathogenicity. Compound C1, a benzo[d]oxazole derivative, specifically targets Tyr18, outperforming existing antiviral agents. Moreover, the researchers found that Tyr18 of CGMMV-CP plays a critical role in regulating photosynthesis-related processes during infection by modulating the expression of genes involved in the Calvin cycle.

This work not only elucidates a key virus-host interaction but also provides a blueprint for designing targeted antiviral drugs.