The Hainan gibbon (Nomascus hainanus), one of the world's rarest primates, saw its population plummet starting in the 1950s, reaching a near-extinction point with only around 13 individuals remaining in the wild by 2003. Since then, the population has steadily recovered to around 42 individuals by 2024. While this rebound is often credited to conservation efforts, the role of genetic factors in the gibbon's recovery remains unknown. A major challenge is the difficulty in obtaining high-quality DNA samples without disturbing these elusive animals. Although fecal samples are one of the few noninvasive options, their use in genomic studies has been limited by concerns over low quantity and degraded host DNA.

Planthoppers and leafhoppers not only feed on rice plants but also act as highly efficient vectors for plant viruses, causing substantial yield losses worldwide. Notably, their persistent ability to evade natural enemies is not merely a matter of chance—it is subtly reinforced by the plant viruses they carry.

A single chip brings new hope for precise treatment to infertility patients. A research team led by Researcher YU Leqian from the Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with scientists from worldwide, has successfully developed a 3D uterine embryo implantation simulating chip. For the first time, the entire process of human embryo implantation has been completely replicated in the laboratory. This research breaks through the long-standing ethical and technical bottlenecks in the field, providing a novel research platform for gaining deeper insights into the mechanisms of maternal-fetal crosstalk and elucidating the pathological basis of Repeated Implantation Failure (RIF), thereby offering a dawn of precise treatment for patients. The related research findings were published in the journal Cell.

Mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, Zika, and yellow fever continue to pose a significant global health threat, infecting millions of people each year. However, current control efforts are increasingly challenged by the rise in insecticide resistance and the limited availability of effective vaccines. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying mosquito reproduction is therefore essential for developing new and sustainable strategies to control mosquito populations and reduce disease transmission.

Climate change is driving drastic environmental shifts and accelerating global biodiversity loss. Hybrid introgression has recently been recognized as an important mechanism facilitating rapid adaptation to historic climate change. However, empirical evidence remains lacking as to whether introgression can enhance future climate resilience, particularly for narrow-ranged species inhabiting mountainous regions that serve as biodiversity hotspots.