BEIJING, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- The following is a summary of published science and technology news of China:

LUNAR SOIL FERTILITY

A series of planned crewed lunar missions worldwide have inspired a new wave of research in growing plants on the moon. A new study by Chinese agricultural scientists found that bacteria on Earth soil could offer a solution.

The study showed that three species of bacteria could increase the amount of phosphorus content, a vital element that can be taken up by plants, in the lunar soil simulant. Researchers said using bacteria to improve lunar soil fertility would help create lunar greenhouses effectively, so that astronauts can make use of lunar resources to sustain life, instead of lugging huge amounts of soil or the entire cultivation system from Earth.

EARTH SIMULATOR

A China-developed Earth system simulation model, designed to study climate change and provide help for disaster prevention and mitigation, was issued on Friday.

The model, CAS-ESM2.0, can be used to explore and understand the laws of climate and environmental evolution. It can also be used to study the interaction mechanism of Earth layers, predict future changes of Earth system, provide a decision-making basis and sci-tech support for disaster prevention and mitigation, as well as help formulate national strategies to cope with future climate change.

COPERNICUS' MANUSCRIPTS

An exhibition commemorating the 550th anniversary of the birth of Nicolaus Copernicus has kicked off in Beijing since Thursday.

One of the highlights of the exhibition at the China Science and Technology Museum is a copy of "De revolutionibus orbium coelestium" (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres), which was published in 1566. Limited replicas of some of Copernicus' manuscripts are also being displayed at the exhibition, which is scheduled to be open to the public until the end of this year.