Discovery of Novel Plant Immune-Priming Compounds Through WRKY45 Promoter-Based Chemical Screening
Available online 5 February 2026
Plant activators enhance disease resistance by priming host immunity, offering a sustainable alternative or complement to conventional pesticides. To advance this field, we established a high-throughput...
Nano-encapsulation of pyraclostrobin within mesoporous silica mitigates toxicity in zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Available online 5 February 2026
Pyraclostrobin, a widely used broad-spectrum fungicide, poses significant ecological risks to aquatic ecosystems due to its high toxicity to non-target organisms, limiting its application in paddy fields....
A Solarization-Triggered Fungicide Controlled-Release Platform Enabled by “Carrier-in-Carrier” Hiberarchy for On-Demand Soil-Borne Disease Defense
Available online 4 February 2026
Soil application of fungicides is a primary control strategy for soil-borne diseases, while soil solarization provides an economical and eco-friendly supplementary approach. Herein, we propose a novel...
Synthesis, biological activity, and acaricidal mechanism of chiral 2,4-diphenyloxazolines
Available online 4 February 2026
In addition to differences in effects on the target organism, chiral compounds also have different environmental behavior and even mechanisms of action in their two enantiomers. Examining the differences...
Isosteric ring exchange: Design and synthesis of phenylpyrazole derivatives with insecticidal activity
Available online 2 February 2026
The development of novel phenylpyrazole insecticides is essential for managing pest resistance. Nicofluprole, a phenylpyrazole insecticide, serves as a valuable lead compound for structural optimization...
Gibberellin biosynthesis inhibitors in wheat and rice: architectural regulation, agronomic trade-offs, and emerging opportunities
Available online 28 January 2026
Gibberellins (GAs) are central regulators of plant architecture, and their targeted modulation has played a pivotal role in crop improvement. The introduction of semi-dwarf wheat and rice through mutations...
TMK1 phosphorylates and stabilizes PIN2 to reinforce auxin flux during root gravitropism
Available online 19 January 2026
Plant growth depends on tightly coordinated auxin signaling and directional auxin transport, yet the molecular feedback mechanism that directly links these processes during root gravitropism has remained...
Development and mechanism evaluation of a novel molluscicide targeting three parasitic disease intermediate hosts
Available online 17 January 2026
Pomacea canaliculata, Oncomelania hupensis, and Parafossarulus striatulus are gastropod species present to varying extents across the Yunnan Province. These snails are important intermediate hosts for...
Smoke generator for protected agriculture: research progress, key challenges, and future perspectives
Available online 12 January 2026
Smoke generator constitute an important class of pesticide formulations widely used in protected agriculture, forestry, mushroom cultivation, and storage environments. Unlike conventional sprays, smoke...
A fluorescent sensor for non-enzymatic detection of glufosinate ammonium
Available online 5 January 2026
Glufosinate ammonium (GLA) ranks as the second most widely used herbicide worldwide and plays a vital role in modern agriculture. However, excessive or improper application of GLA has resulted in substantial...
Antibiotics pollution in cropland and crops: A comprehensive review
December 2025
Production of synthetic antibiotics has rapidly expanded to meet the increasing demands in human healthcare, animal husbandry, and agriculture. Meanwhile, however, substantial quantities of untreated...
Developing RNAi pesticides in the post genomic era: A review
December 2025
RNA interference (RNAi) has emerged as a promising platform for next-generation pesticides, offering high target specificity and environmental safety. In the post-genomic era, rapid advances in insect...
In-silico analysis of the mechanism of action of Nerium oleander bioactive compounds against Helicoverpa armigera
December 2025
Helicoverpa armigera is one of the most destructive agricultural pests worldwide, noted for its wide host range, high fecundity, and rapid development of resistance to synthetic insecticides. To address...
Targeted stabilization of MYC2 protein: AI-driven resistance design conquers citrus Huanglongbing
December 2025
This Highlight discusses the landmark study by Zhao et al. (Science, 2025) that presents a transformative strategy against citrus Huanglongbing (HLB). The work identifies the E3 ubiquitin ligase PUB21...
Nature biotechnology: Scalable production of secondary metabolites from Streptomyces via a novel regulatory system
December 2025
In the world of microorganisms, the genud Streptomyces is renowned as a “natural pharmacy”. This genus of bacteria is the primary source of clinical antibiotics, with approximately two-thirds of antibiotics...
Dual-strategy approach for fungicide discovery: Machine learning-based activity prediction and fragment co-occurrence network construction
December 2025
The development of fungicides is time-consuming and costly. Introducing a fungicide-likeness assessment strategy at the early screening stage can help reduce development risks and improve the success...
Sensing the dry: Redox-regulated auxin repression shapes root plasticity
December 2025
Root architecture is crucial for plant survival under drought, yet how water stress signals shape root development has remained unclear. Recently, Roy et al. (Science) revealed that drought-induced...
Aflatoxin B1 contamination level detection in almond kernels through short wave infrared hyperspectral image analysis
December 2025
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a toxic fungal metabolite that contaminates almonds from cultivation to harvesting. It leads to chronic health problems and significant economic loss to the producers. Therefore,...
Discovery of diphenyl ethers as novel inhibitors of insect trehalase via virtual screening and biological assays
December 2025
Trehalase hydrolyzes trehalose to glucose to provide energy for insects or building blocks for chitin synthesis. Because trehalase is critical to insects but not to humans, it has long been considered...
Heuristic ab initio elucidation of low-level impurity structures in clothianidin material
December 2025
Clothianidin (CLO) is an insecticide with a high prevalence in environment and food samples. The identification of structural impurities is of great importance for the development of certified reference...
Design and synthesis of triazole sulfonamide inhibitors of bc1 complex
December 2025
Currently, triazole sulfonamide fungicide could be used to effectively control cucumber downy mildew (CDM), caused by Pseudoperonospora cubensis. In this study, a series of triazole sulfonamide derivatives...
SalicS1 FRET sensor enables real-time visualization of salicylic acid dynamics in plant immunity
Available online 29 December 2025
SalicS1 is a genetically encoded, ratiometric FRET biosensor that brings salicylic acid (SA) research to the same real-time imaging standard long available for ABA and GA. Built through a modular Golden...
Construction of star polycation-enabled delivery system for pymetrozine nanometerization: Enhanced aphid control and excellent ecological safety
Available online 12 December 2025
The long-term irrational use of conventional chemical pesticides places considerable pressure on agroecosystems. As an emerging tool, nanotechnology shows great promise for enhancing pesticide activity...
Discovery of 4,5,6-trichloropyridazinone derivatives as potential PSII D1–inhibiting herbicides
Available online 9 December 2025
The application of herbicides remains one of the most efficient and economical strategies for controlling weed populations. In our previous study, 4,5,6-trichloropyridazinone D was firstly found with...
Peroxisome-mitochondria contact-mediated ROS transfer: A key line of defence under plant stress
Available online 5 December 2025
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) act as early messengers in plants exposed to drought, salinity, heat and other environmental challenges. Their timely removal is crucial. Unchecked ROS injure membranes,...