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China Builds Extreme "super lab" to Assist Global Scientists in Probing Mysteries of Matter
Researchers adjust beam path at an experimental station of the Synergetic Extreme Condition User Facility (SECUF) in Huairou District, Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)
What astonishing phenomena might materials reveal when they are subjected to conditions mimicking the extremes of the cosmos-ultra-low temperatures, magnetic fields that are hundreds of thousands of times stronger than Earth's, and pressure close to that at the planet's core?
The Synergetic Extreme Condition User Facility (SECUF), located in Beijing's suburban Huairou District, is opening a portal for scientists to observe the bizarre phenomena of matter under such extreme environments.
After starting construction in September 2017, the SECUF passed national acceptance review on Wednesday, marking the completion of the internationally advanced experimental facility integrating extreme conditions such as ultra-low temperature, ultra-high pressure, strong magnetic fields, and ultra-fast optical fields.
The facility, led by the Institute of Physics (IOP) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is a cluster of precision-controlled "extreme environment generators." It serves as a "super lab" for probing the frontiers of materials science. Here, scientists can explore the mysteries of matter and uncover new phenomena or laws invisible under ordinary conditions.
The SECUF can cool materials to an extremely low temperature of 1 millikelvin, which is 1,000 times lower than the cosmic background temperature. It is capable of producing a steady 30 Tesla magnetic field, which is 600,000 times stronger than Earth's magnetic field, according to Lv Li, the leading scientist of SECUF.
The facility can reach an ultra-high pressure of 300 GPa, nearly equivalent to the pressure at the Earth's core. It can generate ultra-fast laser pulses lasting 100 attoseconds, which is a billionth of a billionth of a second, to capture electron dynamics in real time.
Under extreme conditions, materials often exhibit "magical" behaviors. For instance, superconductivity--where electrical resistance vanishes--occurs only at ultra-low temperatures. Additionally, some ordinary materials transform into superconductors under high pressure.
Based on the SECUF, scientists are expected to discover more superconducting materials under high pressure, and even room-temperature superconductors, which is of great significance for improving computer processing speed, Lv said.
Strong magnetic fields and ultrafast light fields allow scientists to delve deeper into the microscopic structures and dynamic behaviors of materials, experts explained.
These extreme conditions can be combined based on different research needs at the SECUF, enabling advanced experiments in material synthesis, quantum control, and ultrafast dynamics, providing an unprecedented experimental platform for research in the fields such as materials science, physics and chemistry, Lv said.
The completion of the facility has significantly enhanced China's comprehensive capabilities in basic and applied basic research in the field of materials science and related areas. Researchers can conduct studies on unconventional superconductivity, topological states of matter, and novel quantum materials and devices, according to Cheng Jinguang, deputy director of the IOP.
This experimental platform is open to scientists worldwide. So far, 13 universities and research institutions from 10 countries, including Denmark, Germany, France and Japan, have conducted experiments at the SECUF, with some experimental stations already yielding scientific results, Cheng said.
Scientists plan to further enhance SECUF's capabilities while keeping its doors open to global researchers, to attract more pioneers to this "extreme challenge," unlocking discoveries that reshape humanity's understanding of the material world. (Xinhua)
The photo taken on Feb. 25, 2025 shows a corner of an experimental station of the Synergetic Extreme Condition User Facility (SECUF) in Huairou District, Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Yin Gang)
Researchers work at an experimental station of the Synergetic Extreme Condition User Facility (SECUF) in Huairou District, Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 25, 2025. (Xinhua/Yin Gang)
This file photo taken on Oct. 16, 2024 shows a corner of an experimental station of the Synergetic Extreme Condition User Facility (SECUF) in Huairou District, Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)
Lv Li (C), the leading scientist of the Synergetic Extreme Condition User Facility (SECUF), talks with researchers in an experimental station of the SECUF in Huairou District, Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 26, 2025. (Xinhua/Yin Gang)
Lv Li, the leading scientist of the Synergetic Extreme Condition User Facility (SECUF), works in an experimental station of the SECUF in Huairou District, Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 26, 2025. (Xinhua/Yin Gang)
Lv Li, the leading scientist of the Synergetic Extreme Condition User Facility (SECUF), works at an experimental station of the SECUF in Huairou District, Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 26, 2025. (Xinhua/Yin Gang)
This photo shows a scene during the national acceptance review of the Synergetic Extreme Condition User Facility (SECUF) in Huairou District, Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 26, 2025. (Xinhua/Yin Gang)
A researcher places a sample for analysis at an experimental station of the Synergetic Extreme Condition User Facility (SECUF) in Huairou District, Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)
Source: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Read more: The Synergetic Extreme Condition User Facility
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Research News
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Researchers reveal key mechanism behind bacterial cancer therapy
A research team led by Prof. LIU Chenli from the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Prof. XIAO Yichuan from the Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health of CAS elucidated the mechanism behind bacterial cancer therapy using a genetically engineered bacterial strain. Their findings were published in Cell on March 3.
Exploring the use of antitumor bacteria in cancer therapy dates back to the 1860s. Despite this long history, however, clinical application of bacterial-based cancer therapy has faced significant challenges in terms of safety and efficacy.
Recent advancements in synthetic biology have enabled the development of novel antitumor bacteria, creating new avenues for immuno-oncology research. However, such bacteria’s practical application has been hindered by the unclear mechanisms by which they evade host immune defenses while activating antitumor responses.
In this study, researchers engineered an attenuated strain, Designer Bacteria 1 (DB1), which efficiently survives and proliferates in tumor tissues while being cleared in normal tissues, achieving a remarkable "tumor-targeting" effect as well as "tumor-clearing" effect.
To understand how DB1 simultaneously achieves these effects, researchers investigated the interactions between the bacteria and tumors. They discovered that DB1's antitumor efficacy is closely linked to tissue-resident memory (TRM) CD8+ T cells within the tumor, which are reinvigorated and expanded following DB1 therapy. Interleukin-10 (IL-10) plays a crucial role in mediating this effect, with efficacy depending on the high expression of interleukin-10 receptor (IL-10R) on CD8+ TRM cells.
To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the high expression of IL-10R on CD8+ TRM cells, researchers conducted a series of computational and quantitative experiments. They found that IL-10 binds to IL-10R on CD8+ TRM cells, activating the STAT3 protein and further promoting IL-10R expression. This established a positive feedback loop, enabling cells to bind more IL-10 and creating a nonlinear hysteretic effect, whereby CD8+ TRM cells "memorize" previous IL-10 stimulation during tumorigenesis. The high expression of IL-10R on CD8+ TRM cells was exploited by a bacteria-induced IL-10 surge, which activated and expanded CD8+ TRM cells to clear tumor cells.
To examine the source of IL-10 within the tumor microenvironment (TME) after bacterial therapy, researchers found that tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) upregulate IL-10 expression following DB1 stimulation via the Toll-like Receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathway. Interestingly, IL-10 reduced the migration speed of tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs), aiding DB1 in evading rapid clearance. These processes depended on high IL-10R expression in tumor-associated immune cells, highlighting the critical role of IL-10R hysteresis.
"Our findings illuminate a crucial, yet previously unresolved mechanism in bacterial cancer therapy. The elucidated IL-10R hysteresis mechanism not only provides valuable insights but also serves as a guiding principle for the design of engineered bacteria, enhancing safety and efficacy," said Prof. LIU.
Source: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Editor: Gao Yuan
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