Comment

Yang et al. summarize that Klebsiella pneumoniae affects infectious and non-infectious disease via gut colonization; commensals provide colonization resistance, but K. pneumoniae adapts via multiple mechanisms.

This comment highlights a new study by Ribeiro et al.¹ which investigates how single-neuron spikes influence the surrounding cortical network in vivo. By comparing induced and background spikes through the lenses of decodability, sensitivity, and criticality, this work highlights how local perturbations interact with ongoing network dynamics to reveal multi-faceted signatures of critical neural computation.

Modern 3D X-ray imaging reveals internal structure, density, and dynamics across multiple scales, overcoming fundamental limitations of 2D projections. These 3D and multidimensional imaging techniques are transforming materials characterization in disciplines from medical diagnostics to electronics and planetary science.

Child malnutrition is high in Mozambique despite multiple policies and programs to improve the situation. In this Comment, the authors discuss the reasons for the lack of progress.

Black soils feed the world yet remain undervalued in food and climate governance frameworks. A policy package, including global monitoring as public infrastructure, co-designed and place-based solutions based on tailored tools, planning that fits land and people, mobilizing alliance with finance and force, and mainstreaming black soils in global pacts, can contribute to improving land quality and stabilize yields where it matters most.

The growth of pangenomics has been rapid, as data and tools improve over time. However, care should be taken to avoid the misuse of pangenome and related terms, with clarity and precision taking precedent over fashion and trends.

U.S. select agent regulations ignore easily assembled DNA fragments, making synthesis screening ineffective regardless of accuracy. We acquired unregulated DNA collectively sufficient for a skilled individual to generate 1918 influenza from dozens of providers, demonstrating that fragments must be regulated as select agents.

Biodegradable collections of Lagrangian sensors may enable sustainable mapping of environmental parameters. The authors evaluate bioinspired designs, sensing targets, communication methods, power supply strategies, and future directions for these platforms.

Substandard and falsified medicines are a global health threat. The fight against them is a regulatory and research challenge; here, the authors argue the importance of global and regional oversight, monitoring of, and research into the extent of the issue.

The escalating regulatory pressures on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water highlight the critical and expeditious need for advanced PFAS removal technologies. While innovative fluorinated materials are reported to be a promising avenue for PFAS removal by exploiting fluorine-fluorine (F···F) interactions, their production and applications raise potential concerns about perpetuating the “forever chemicals” cycle.

CD163 is a macrophage scavenger receptor central to the clearance of haptoglobin-hemoglobin (HpHb) complexes and the resolution of inflammation. In a remarkable example of near-simultaneous scientific progress, three complementary studies published in Nature Communications^1–3 have resolved the near-atomic resolution structure of the full extracellular domain of human CD163 complexed with HpHb, primarily utilizing cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). The most significant and unified conclusion emerging from this trio of papers is that CD163’s scavenging activity is fundamentally dependent on its ability to form functional multimers.

Chronic diabetic wounds create unique microenvironments that Staphylococcus aureus’s survival and adaptability, underscoring the need to study bacterial fitness and develop wound-targeted therapies to disrupt its persistence.

Africa carries a disproportionate share of the global burden of disease. The potential for data science to spur health discoveries and catalyze innovation is enormous, offering new opportunities for Africa to circumvent its complex health challenges. This commentary intends to provide actionable recommendations to scientists, communities, and development partners, including science funders, governments, and private sectors, on what needs to be done on the African continent to realize this potential, building on a recent activity harnessing the expertise of African data scientists towards a collection of papers to be published across the Nature portfolio journals.

Aircraft contrails are not just streaks in clear blue skies - they represent a significant source of warming from the aviation sector. Two new studies reveal that their climate impact is more complex than previously thought, as many contrails may form within existing cirrus clouds – a factor often overlooked in past assessments. Drawing on aircraft, satellite and meteorological data, Petzold et al. and Seelig et al. provide fresh insights into the occurrence frequency and the radiative properties of these often “hidden” contrails.

The performance of p-type transistors based on 2D semiconductors has not yet reached the level required for the realization of competitive complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) circuits. In this Comment, the authors discuss the recent developments, current challenges, and future outlook of 2D p-type transistors.

The Youth Manifesto on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) provides a blueprint for how the change-making potential of youth can be harnessed to promote equitable and sustainable action on AMR from a global, One Health perspective.

Previous research has sought to determine the underlying mechanisms that govern the development of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). In a recent study by Ehinger et al., excessive alcohol consumption utilizes mTORC1’s under characterized role in repressing mRNA translation through the upregulation of microRNAs, specifically in a D1-circuit-specific manner, resulting in repression of glycolysis in the brain’s reward pathway.

Portable genome sequencers are revolutionizing genomic research. However, their reliance on external systems introduces new vulnerabilities that threaten the security of these sequencers. By employing zero-trust principles throughout the sequencing workflow, we can enhance the security of portable sequencing technology.

A new structural dynamics analysis provides an explanatory bridge between apparently divergent results in the field of opioid receptor oligomerization and, by extension, in the broader field of class A G protein-coupled receptor oligomerization.