The Tianzhou-10 cargo spacecraft successfully docked with the Tiangong space station on Monday, delivering biological samples, including zebrafish embryos and cells, to conduct in-orbit biomedical experiments.
A research team from the China Astronaut Research and Training Center, in collaboration with the space science and application system, will use the zebrafish cultivation device to study the mechanisms regulating protein homeostasis underlying bone loss and myocardial changes under microgravity.
"Zebrafish are excellent model organisms for studying bone metabolism and myocardial remodeling. Building on previous experiments with adult zebrafish, this study uses normal and genetically modified zebrafish embryos and mouse osteoblasts as experimental subjects. We are investigating the impact of microgravity on organ development, as well as the role of a protein homeostasis regulator, which we have been studying for over a decade, in counteracting bone loss," said Li Yingxian from the China Astronaut Research and Training Center in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province.
According to researchers, this experiment will provide crucial cellular-level evidence for studies on weightlessness-induced bone loss. Furthermore, it is expected to offer a theoretical basis for developing new targets to prevent and protect against bone loss in space.
Tianzhou-10 sends zebrafish embryos, cells to space station for scientific research
The China-Europe Arctic container express route launched its weekly summer regular service on Saturday, according to the Ministry of Transport.
Loaded with high-value-added goods such as energy storage cabinets and photovoltaic modules, the vessel departed from Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in east China's Zhejiang Province on Saturday. It will travel via the Northeast Arctic waterway to Europe, making successive calls at core ports in Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea, including Britain's largest container port of Felixstowe, Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Hamburg in Germany, and Gdynia in Poland.
It is the fastest container shipping route between major ports in China and Europe, significantly shortening the journey and transportation time by crossing the Arctic Ocean. Taking just 20 days to complete, it is significantly faster than the China-Europe freight train (about 25 days), the Suez Canal route (about 40 days), and the Cape of Good Hope route (about 50 days).
The maiden voyage of China's China-Europe Arctic container express route set sail from Ningbo-Zhoushan Port on September 23, 2025, and arrived at Britain's Port of Felixstowe, 20 days later via the Arctic shipping lane.
The route is also seen as a key achievement under the Belt and Road Initiative's "Polar Silk Road", poised to provide faster and lower-carbon logistics options for industries such as advanced manufacturing, cross-border e-commerce, and new energy.
China-Europe Arctic container express route starts seasonal regular operation
