Primers in 2024

Low-intensity focused ultrasound offers non-invasive neuromodulation, targeting deep brain structures with adjustable parameters. In this Primer, Legon and Strohman discuss mechanisms and safety considerations and highlight findings from clinical applications, emphasizing its potential as a tool in neuroscience and therapeutic interventions.

N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) is an mRNA modification influencing gene expression. Advanced methodologies for mapping m⁶A enhance understanding of its dynamic roles and interactions. In this Primer, Moshitch-Moshkovitz et al. discuss various detection tools and analysis techniques facilitating insights into RNA epitranscriptomics.

X-ray absorption spectroscopy is an element-specific and orbital-specific technique that can probe local atomic and electronic structures, without the need for long-range order. This Primer discusses the background principles, experimental methods and data analysis processes used in X-ray absorption spectroscopy to derive oxidation states, coordination and bond lengths of solids, liquids and gases.

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is used to fabricate features with nanometre-scale resolution. This Primer explores how EUV lithography can be applied to manufacture semiconductor devices, explaining lithographic tools, photoresists and potential future developments.

Uniform manifold approximation and projection is a dimensionality reduction technique used to visualize and understand high-dimensional data. In this Primer, Healy and McInnes outline the use of the uniform manifold approximation and projection algorithm and its application to diverse data.

Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy can offer insights into biological processes such as metabolic imaging, protein–protein interactions and live-cell intracellular dynamics. In this Primer, Torrado et al. discuss methods for measuring fluorescence lifetimes, including time-tagging and phase-modulation shift methods, along with fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy setup variations.

Artificial metalloenzymes harness metal cofactors that are not naturally found in enzymes and embed these in specifically selected or designed protein scaffolds. In this Primer, Vornholt et al. describe the best practices for designing and engineering artificial metalloenzymes.

Chromatin tracing involves the direct mapping of 3D chromatin folding in situ, and can be applied at a number of genomic scales and to a wide range of cell types and model organisms. In this Primer, Yang & Wang discuss the design of chromatin tracing experiments, data analysis procedures and how chromatin tracing can be combined with multi-modal imaging.

Non-viral vectors offer scalable, cost-effective alternatives for chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy. In this Primer, Tretbar et al. highlight advances in the use of non-viral approaches, gene delivery methods, clinical outcomes and key considerations for translating these technologies into practice.

Preclinical systematic reviews look at scientific evidence addressing focused questions from animal research studies to inform future clinical research. In this Primer, Ineichen et al. discuss the best practices for conducting preclinical systematic reviews, promoting reproducibility and guiding translational research.

Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) is a versatile statistical method for reducing redundant and noisy information from an original sample to its essential features. In this Primer, Zhao et al. discuss LDA variants and their implementation settings as well as best practices for applying LDA to analyse data.

Nanofluidics studies fluids in artificial nanopores, in which confinement and interfaces result in unique phenomena. This Primer looks at how to prepare nanostructures and probe fluid transport at the nanoscale, including scale-up strategies.

Single-particle tracking is a method for analysing different motion behaviours of individual proteins and protein complexes in live cells. This Primer outlines the experimental setup and labelling techniques commonly used for single-particle tracking, as well as its many applications in cellular biology.

Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring probes interfaces by subjecting them to a periodic shear stress exerted by an acoustic resonator. In this Primer, Johannsmann and Reviakine offer guidelines on experimental aspects of quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring, including measurement cell design, resonator surface treatment, data collection and quantitative data analysis.

Microbial electrodes combine electroactive microorganisms with electron-conducting materials to facilitate the conversion between electrical and chemical energy. In this Primer, ter Heijne and Harnisch overview the key parameters and main electrochemical methods used for characterization of microbial electrodes.

The optimal transport mathematical framework can be used to describe how source populations, such as populations of single cells, can morph into another target population. In this Primer, Bunne et al. describe how optimal transport theory is used for analysing single-cell data.

Stimulated emission depletion microscopy opens new observation windows in challenging samples such as living cells and tissues. In this Primer, Lukinavičius et al. discuss 2D and 3D stimulated emission depletion setup, including adaptive optical elements and their combination with fluorescence lifetime techniques.

Spatial multiomics is an interdisciplinary field combining all molecular omics using advanced imaging techniques to explore interactions within tissues and cells. In this Primer, Carstens et al. examine current technologies for quantification across biological scales and discuss considerations for establishing cross-disciplinary projects.

Holotomography is a 3D, label-free optical imaging method for visualizing living tissues and cells. In this Primer, Kim et al. discuss the implementation of holotomography in various applications ranging from cell biology to biophysics and biotechnology.

The Fourier transform is a mathematical tool for analysing signals that vary in space or time via a transform into the frequency domain. This Primer explores how the Fourier transform is used in analytical science, particularly for spectroscopic data, with an overview of theoretical and experimental considerations.