Below are this week’s research highlights from Nature China, dedicated to highlighting the best research from mainland China and Hong Kong, and providing scientists from around the world with a convenient portal into research in all disciplines. The editors select the best research recently published and provide a summary of the results as research highlights. Users can also recommend papers to be included in Nature China and vote/comment on those suggestions.

CHEMISTRY

Organometallic chemistry: Tied at both ends. A zinc-zinc-bonded compound with a longer bond length

CLINICAL MEDICINE

Sexually transmitted diseases: Fatal attraction. The spread of sexually transmitted diseases in a population is affected by the fatality of the disease

ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION

Primitive animals: No hurry to grow. Fossilized embryos from the first animals show evidence of a resting phase during development

GENETICS

Rice yield: Bumper crop?The control of the size and weight of rice grains revealed

Cancer: Deadly insert. Variations in the immune system can influence cancer risk

MATERIALS

Carbon nanohorns: Miniature drug dealers. Carbon nanohorns coated in a special organic polymer can safely

deliver drugs into cells

Quantum dots: Cell illuminators. Soluble, non-toxic, fluorescent quantum dots can provide excellent

illumination for biological images without harming cells.