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This study mapped normative growth trajectories of 28 fetal brain phenotypes derived from 4,205 3D ultrasound scans collected across 7 international sites. The low variance between sites reinforces the principle that the brain develops similarly when environmental constraints are minimal.

Exhaustion is a functional state that hampers anti-cancer and antiviral CD8 T cell activity, and is preceded by a stem-like state, maintained by the transcription factor TCF1. Here authors develop mouse models that allow a precise understanding of the developmental trajectory between the stem-cell-like and exhausted states of CD8 T cells and find that while constitutive overexpression of TCF1 expands the stem-like T cell pool, TCF1 expression specifically in already exhausted cells is unable to promote dedifferentiation.

The transformations for aragonite precursors in coral are not fully understood but have implications in bio, biogenic and geological mineralization. Here, the authors use high-resolution mapping and observe exponential decay from the edge of four precursors to coral aragonite skeleton in Stylophora pistillata.

The editorship of David Davies (1973–1980) saw global nuclear arsenals grow and India join the nuclear club. Frank Barnaby examines how Davies addressed the cold war arms race in Nature.

By generating whole genomes of 150 participants representing 12 Khoe-San click-speaking groups, the authors, reveal over 1.3 million unknown DNA variants, distinct San and here described Damara genetic trajectories, while achieving century-long global predominance.

The open interfaces of a three-dimensional all-dielectric photonic topological insulator operate as effective metasurfaces with helical surface states, enabling spin-dependent steering and directional control of far-field surface state emission.

Here the authors combine clinical and metabolomics data to identify distinct metabotypes of pediatric metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). The results provide information regarding heterogeneity of MASLD presentation, but require validation in independent cohorts.

This study shows that mithramycin suppresses the EWS::FLI1 transcription factor in Ewing sarcoma using a hybrid CUT, Tag & GRO assay, revealing mechanism, need for continuous dosing, and supporting clinical use of next-gen analog AIT-102.

DNA recognition and cleavage control in type II topoisomerases are poorly understood processes. Here, the authors determine cleaved and uncleaved structures of supercoiled DNA-bound topoisomerase VI that reveal how the enzyme activates its cleavage state and prefers to act at deformable substrates.

Natural rubber is a widely used biopolymer and further improving its resistance to crack growth will extend its service life. Here the authors show a strategy to amplify the resistance to crack growth in natural rubber by forming a tanglemer.

In this study, the authors develop a stoichiometric-thermodynamic model linking seismic decarbonation to Mw 5.9–6.5 earthquakes. They demonstrate that seismic CO₂ pressurization can sustain dynamic slip and enhance the destructive potential of earthquakes.

Given rising diabetes prevalence globally, access to diabetes treatments is gaining urgency. Here, the authors show patterns of glucose-lowering medication use for diabetes across 62 low- and middle-income countries.

Cyanobacteria are highly taxonomically and ecologically diverse species that have survived for billions of years. Here, authors show key structural features have remained within their light harvesting components to ensure their continual survival within diverse natural environments.

Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) have been associated with adverse effects affecting both the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems. Here the authors show that NSAIDs lower plasma tryptophan concentrations in humans and mice and that replacement of tryptophan in mice treated with naproxen leads to decreased adverse effects.

Wnt signaling is activated in more than half of gastric cancers through a ligand-dependent manner. Here the authors show with mouse models that tumor-derived Wnt ligands activate liver stromal fibroblasts to facilitate hyaluronan accumulation in the microenvironment, promoting gastric cancer liver metastasis.

Cholera remains a significant public health burden in sub-Saharan Africa, but the mechanisms of continental and regional spread remain undefined. Here, the authors investigate recent patterns of spread using Vibrio cholerae genomic surveillance data collected by a consortium of seven African Union member states from 2019-2024.

Loss of KRIT1 or CCM2 drives harmful KLF4 overexpression in brain vessels. Here, authors show a single KRIT1 must recruit two CCM2 proteins via dual PTB-NPxF interactions to suppress KLF4, revealing a previously unknown PTB clustering mechanism.

Diamond anvils are widely used in high-pressure research to investigate matter under extreme conditions. Here, broadband spectroscopy is used to measure pressure-driven opacity of diamond anvils to 520 GPa, revealing bandgap narrowing and optical behavior that redefines the limits of high-pressure spectroscopy.

Neoantigen-based adoptive T cell therapies represent a personalized approach for cancer immunotherapy. Here the authors describe NEO-STIM, an ex vivo T cell induction platform to STIMulate peripheral blood T cells to generate responses against tumor NEOantigens.

Visible-light-mediated intramolecular [2+2] cycloaddition of aza-1,6-dienes gives bridged, not fused, heterocycles, in violation of the ‘rule-of-five’, which dictates that five-membered rings are preferentially formed. This method allows a variety of bridged bicyclic scaffolds to be accessed, enabling drug-relevant properties to be readily tuned.

Using recent TMTH-sulfoximine (THS)-based biorthogonal chemistry in live cells, Smits et al. identify micro- and nanodomains in cell-cell and cell-matrix contacts of heterogenous glycocalyx density in invading melanoma cells.

Tiny protein crystals often evade X-ray methods. Here, authors solved the seed protein crambin at 0.85 Å by ab initio MicroED from 58 self-formed nanocrystals on standard 200 kV hardware, resolving hydrogen atoms using anisotropy-aware merging.

CRISPR/Cas9 screens have identified genetic contributions to many phenotypes. However, studying combinations of genes or regulatory elements remains challenging. Here, the authors use CRISPR/Cas12a to overcome those challenges and enable new approaches to study combinatorial genetic mechanisms.

This study presents a process that upcycles mixed end-of-life vehicle scrap into aluminium alloys surpassing current automotive alloy performance. It operates without sorting or downcycling for circular, low-emission aluminium recovery.

The existence of multi-centennial natural variability in the North Atlantic is demonstrated over the last millennia by compiling proxy data. This variability mode will potentially amplify northern Europe warming by up to 30% over 2000-2035.

Kv7.4 channels regulate auditory function. Here, authors use electrophysiological, optical and computational methods to investigate the structural changes that drive Kv7.4-channel opening, and how these are impaired by a deafness-causing mutation

The authors realize two- and three-site Kitaev chains in semiconducting quantum dots coupled via superconductors and tune them to the sweet spot where zero-energy Majorana modes appear at the chain ends. To assess Majorana localization, they couple the system to an additional quantum dot.

Recent work has revealed quantum coherent phase slips and current quantization in superconductors, phenomena dual to Cooper pair tunneling and voltage quantization. By combining the two effects, the authors demonstrate a Bloch transistor, a device that delivers quantized current and features a unique phase-locking mechanism.

Gu et al. introduce a cardiac foundation model that learns from millions of heart signals and textual interpretations, enabling it to handle heart data collected either in hospitals or at home. It offers clear and reliable insights across different devices and settings.

Robust protein synthesis by the ribosome is required for rapid cancer growth. Here authors present interdictors, small molecule inhibitors of protein synthesis with context-dependent activity that inhibit MYC-driven cancer cell growth in a mouse model.

The identification and optimization of bifunctional small-molecule protein degraders remain labor-intensive processes largely restricted to proteins with well-defined ligandable pockets. Here, the authors present a polymer-based strategy, HYbrid DegRAding Copolymer (HYDRAC): modular copolymers that densely display target-binding peptides in conjunction with peptide-based or small molecule-derived degrons in a multivalent fashion, enabling selective degradation of disease-relevant proteins.

Cryo-electron microscopy structures of three large ornate natural bacterial RNA molecules reveal their quaternary structures and intra- and intermolecular interactions that stabilize them.

The burden of dengue disease in infants has increased in Brazil over the last 25 years. Here, the authors analyse spatiotemporal heterogeneity in disease incidence to characterise the contribution of changing maternal immunity to infant dengue risk.

ATF6α activation in human and preclinical models of hepatocellular carcinoma is significantly associated with an aggressive tumour phenotype characterized by reduced survival, glycolytic reprogramming and local immunosuppression.

The authors demonstrate that targeted protein degradation of the dengue virus capsid suppresses infection through capsid-dependent pathways rather than classical inhibition, revealing a new antiviral strategy effective against resistant viral variants.

A technique called condense-seq has been developed to measure nucleosome condensability and used to show that mononucleosomes contain sufficient information to condense into large-scale compartments without requiring any external factors.

Mangrove ecosystems are facing severe climate threats. However, this study shows that strategically expanding protected areas to include the most climate-resilient sites can safeguard biodiversity and ecosystem services for the future, and this can be achieved with only a modest increase in protected area.

Many thermophiles that are abundant in geothermal systems have never been cultivated and are poorly understood. Here, Lai et al. describe the cultivation of one such organism, a deeply branching member of the archaeal phylum Thermoproteota, and provide evidence that it has evolved to specialize in branched-chain amino acid metabolism.

Here the authors present a compendium of avirulence genotypes for epidemiologically significant strains of wheat stem rust based on nuclear phased genome assemblies and functional assays to inform resistance gene deployment and pathogen surveillance.

Meningiomas are common brain tumors with variable behavior. This study reveals high STING expression across multiple cell types in the meningioma microenvironment. STING agonism triggers tumor cell death via programmed necrosis and pyroptosis, enhancing survival in preclinical models.

Here, the authors propose the Antarctic Ecosystem Value Index, an Earth systems model-based measure of marine ecological value. The index identifies potential present and future high-value locations, which often fall within coastal polynyas.

Lazarevic et al. reveal a shared loss of a TBX5-dependent atrial gene network in cardiomyocytes and a disease-specific network gain in activated fibroblasts across atrial fibrillation and heart failure models.

Amundsen Sea records show warm Circumpolar Deep Water drove major West Antarctic Ice Sheet retreat from 18,000–10,000 years ago. Subsequent cooling stabilized the grounding line, indicating ocean heat—not atmospheric warming—controlled long-term WAIS change.

Histological analysis of the human pancreas provides insight into initiation and progression of type 1 diabetes (T1D). Here the authors utilize pancreatic tissue sections across different disease stages and apply whole slide imaging and digital pathology to identify endocrine cell composition, immune cell burden and spatial islet relationships in health and over the course of T1D.

Neural mechanisms underlying active avoidance are not fully understood. Here authors show that avoidance actions are positively reinforced by learned safety signals. With training, control shifts from goal-directed to habitual behavior via distinct dorsal striatal circuits, like reward-based learning.

In this work, authors use whole genome tracking in a neonatal intensive care unit to reveal a strong link between Staphylococcus aureus colonization and invasive infection, pinpointing critical new targets for infection prevention in high-risk infants.