4 d. ago Digital embryo gives China a powerful tool to decode the secret of life: scientists

Scientists in China have developed the world’s first 3D model of early mouse embryos, revealing how life forms in its initial stages at single-cell resolution. The team said this was a first step towards a deeper understanding of how diseases such as congenital heart defects develop, while providing insights into organ regeneration and cancer treatment. “Early organogenesis is a crucial stage in embryonic development, characterised by extensive cell fate specification to initiate organ formation...

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4 d. ago Digital embryo gives China a powerful tool to decode secret of life: scientists

Scientists in China have developed the world’s first 3D model of early mouse embryos, revealing how life forms in its initial stages at single-cell resolution. The team said this was a first step towards a deeper understanding of how diseases such as congenital heart defects develop, while providing insights into organ regeneration and cancer treatment. “Early organogenesis is a crucial stage in embryonic development, characterised by extensive cell fate specification to initiate organ formation...

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1 week ago How ancient Chinese wisdom and yeast helped decode cell life cycles

Chinese researchers have decoded the metabolic cycle of yeast using mathematical analysis, revealing striking parallels with the ancient Chinese philosophy of yin and yang. The study, led by Professor Li Lei from the Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, redefines the understanding of metabolic phases in this single-celled eukaryote – one of the smallest model organisms used in the study of molecular life mechanisms. While yeast metabolism has long been...

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2 w. ago Study shows China’s temples act as rare sanctuaries for ancient trees

At the foot of Zhongnan Mountain in the Chinese city of Xian, the ancient Guanyin Chan Temple is home to a ginkgo tree with a history spanning over 1,400 years. As autumn approaches each year, this ancient ginkgo tree bursts into a spectacular golden display. The tree is said to have been planted by Emperor Li Shimin of the Tang dynasty (618-907) during a visit to the temple. According to a new study, temples across China – both Buddhist and Taoist – have safeguarded tens of thousands of ancient...

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3 w. ago Baijiu blues and plum pickings: tastes of China’s Gen Z rewrite liquor industry

Selecting which crops to grow each season can be a make-or-break decision for farmers. And in the ancient Chinese town of Baisha, famous for its liquor production, more and more are sowing seeds of change in a bid to capitalise on the evolving tastes of consumers. Located in the southwestern megacity of Chongqing and home to the distillery of Chinese baijiu distilled-liquor brand Jiang Xiao Bai, the town is seeing its farmland increasingly being used to grow green plums instead of sorghum...

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3 w. ago Mothers were in charge of ancient Chinese society, Neolithic burial site reveals

Sometime around 4,500 years ago, a matrilineal community lived in what is now Shandong in eastern China. They farmed millet near the coast, raised animals and possibly engaged in fishing. This was the world’s earliest known matrilineal society and it lasted 250 years, maintaining a stable lineage through at least 10 generations, a Chinese-led team has discovered. To decipher their family history, the team analysed ancient DNA from 60 individuals dating to between 2750 and 2500 BC. Their findings...

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