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.
CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Chemical biology: Radical transformation
The enzyme NosL catalyses an unprecedented rearrangement reaction that is key to nosiheptide biosynthesis
Immunology: Allergy control
Reducing the amount of extracellular matrix protein in helper T cells may help to relieve asthma and allergies
Medical biology: To my heart's keeper
MicroRNA modulation is a promising approach for preventing heart attacks
Structural biology: Vitamin transport
Protein structure reveals a common mechanism for vitamin uptake across the bacterial membrane
CHEMISTRY
Organic chemistry: Come together
Nickel catalyst could mediate the reaction of alkynes with carbon dioxide to form useful alkenoic acids
Photochemistry: Graphene lithography
The photochemical process used to remove organic pollutants can also be used to pattern graphene
GENETICS
Plant genomics: Soy story
Researchers in China have discovered how domestication and human selection have negatively affected the genetic diversity of soybeans
MATERIALS
Metals: Strong and stretchy
Researchers in Shenyang have developed an approach for enhancing both the strength and ductility of metals
Surface and thin films: Two sides of the same coin
Janus flakes formed by crushing hollow particles may help to clean up oil spills
PHYSICS
Solid-state physics: Small vibrations, big applications
Zinc oxide microspheres that vibrate when exposed to green laser light may provide a compact source of terahertz radiation
