Nature China highlights the best research coming out of Mainland China and Hong Kong, providing scientists from around the world with a convenient portal into publications drawn from across all scientific disciplines. Each week, our editors select the best published research and provide a summary of the results.
Structural biology: Making the first cut
Revelations into an enzyme's self-activation process could help counter the effects of neurodegenerative disease
Organometallic chemistry: Reel in the rhodium wire
Organorhodium complexes can form ultralong nanowires with near-infrared luminescence and good conductivity
Synthesis: Cage trapping
Researchers in Hong Kong have prepared a carborane that has a functional group attached to both its carbon and boron sites
Genomics: Searching for hidden threats
Large-scale genomic analysis of a European population suggests that small changes may make a big contribution to human health
Plant genetics: Mix and match
Combining complementary genes from different maize lines could lead to better crop varieties
Rice genetics: Dissecting complex rice traits
Mapping and identifying the genes responsible for the desirable attributes of local rice varieties will help to improve rice breeding
Optoelectronic materials: From spheres to dots
Porous silica spheres can be used as templates for the preparation of photoluminescent carbon nanoparticles
Cognitive neuroscience: Keeping flies in the dark
Researchers in Beijing have revealed the neural mechanisms underlying the light preference of fruit flies
Molecular neuroscience: The basics of pain
A protein channel long thought to function as an acidic sensor also has other functions
Astrophysics: Bench-top solar flares
An X-ray source observed in solar flares can be recreated using high-intensity lasers
