[Message from the editor: Prof. CHEN Yunmin, featured in the latest university video, found a solution to tackle soil settlement, increasing the high-speed rail safety.] Quotes from the interview: -       The most challenging problem in building high-speed railways is that the speed of high-speed trains needs to reach the speed of wave transmission in the foundation. In this case, the so-called Mach effect will arise in the foundation, which is known as a reson...

Photosensitization reactions for the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) play crucial roles in many applications, including energy conversion, organic waste decomposition, and photodynamic therapy (PDT). Using near-infrared (NIR) light for photosensitization is attractive because NIR excitation offers deeper penetration through various media such as wastewater and biological tissues. However, conventional approaches for NIR photosensitization are hampered by low conversion efficiency and...

On April 22, the debut Faculty Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition of the School of Art and Archaeology kicked off in the Hall of Ancient Books in the Zhejiang University Library.The exhibition puts on display over 50 works created by 15 faculty members, including traditional Chinese paintings, elegant calligraphic works and unique carvings.To celebrate the 124th anniversary of Zhejiang University, Prof. CHI Changqing donated his immense calligraphic work—Zhejiang University’s Alma Ma...

The cryo-EM structure of the bacterial flagellar motor-hook complex (Cover image)Many bacteria are capable of swimming 60 or even 100 times their own length in a second. This mobility constantly outdistances the cheetah—the fastest animal on the planet. Since Van Leeuwenhoek, known as the Father of Microbiology, first observed mobile bacteria in the 17th century, bacterial mobility and their mechanisms have attracted extensive research interests. A host of microbiologists, biochemists and b...

On International Labor Day today, let’s salute all those who work with their passion and skills to make ZJU a place we call home. The pandemic has changed our daily lives. It is the selfless dedication of our staff that keeps our university running day and night even during the most difficult of times. Here’s a short video dedicated to our support staff.

The rapid development of nanotechnology has opened up new avenues for modern agricultural science and is currently giving birth to major breakthroughs in many cross-disciplinary fields in traditional agriculture. For the first time the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) placed nano-enabled pesticides among the Top Ten Emerging Technologies in Chemistry in 2019, and nanopesticides have become a cutting-edge area in the development of pesticide formulations.Recently, the res...

In honor of the 25th anniversary of Trends, one of their series journals, Trends in Plant Science, invited 10 distinguished scientists from all over the world to reflect on the changes that have occurred within the field of plant breeding during the past 25 years, as well as to contemplate what the future might hold. FAN Longjiang, a professor at the Zhejiang University College of Agriculture & Biotechnology, is one of them. In the TrendsTalk special issue — “Feeding the...

         Soft robotic fish        Robotic vehicleWhat makes this soft robotic fish swim gracefully? What makes this robotic vehicle move forward? They have a common “heart”—a soft electronic pump.This “heart”, designed by the research team led by Professor ZOU Jun at the Zhejiang University School of Mechanical Engineering, is the world’s first self-healing soft pump.“Persistent challenges with the hydraulic systems, such as leaki...

Prof. ZHANG Junsen, who joined Zhejiang University in 2020 as a Distinguished University Professor, has been appointed as the new Dean of the School of Economics. Prof. Zhang took up the role in March 2021, succeeding Prof. HUANG Xianhai, who has helmed the School for the past five years and assumed the position as Vice President of Zhejiang University from October 2020.“I’m deeply honored to come back to my Alma Mater. School of Economics is an energetic and inspiring environment for both our...

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia. It is a progressive disease beginning with mild memory loss and possibly leading to loss of the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to the environment. It involves parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language and can seriously affect a person’s ability to carry out daily activities. AD has become an increasingly severe public health and social problem. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, one patien...