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High-resolution subnational mapping of child growth failure indicators for 105 low- and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2017 shows that, despite considerable progress, substantial geographical inequalities still exist in some countries.

The Cancer Genome Atlas presents an integrative genome-wide analysis of genetic alterations in 279 head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs), which are classified by human papillomavirus (HPV) status; alterations in EGFR, FGFR, PIK3CA and cyclin-dependent kinases are shown to represent candidate targets for therapeutic intervention in most HNSCCs.

Analysis of the pulse profile of a fast radio burst showed sub-second periodicity, providing evidence for a neutron-star origin of the event and favouring emission arising from the magnetosphere.

Crystal structures of the ABC transporter MsbA in complex with two selective small-molecule antagonists reveal an unprecedented allosteric mechanism of inhibition.

A sensitive method to analyze metagenomes, CATCH, enables detection and characterization of diverse viral sequences, including the 356 viruses known to infect humans.

The Asian liver fluke is a parasitic worm that is linked to an increased risk of malignant cancer. Here, the authors sequence the draft genome and transcriptome of this fluke and provide insight into how the species has adapted to be able to survive in the bile duct.

As phase 1 of the Earth Microbiome Project, analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA sequences from more than 27,000 environmental samples delivers a global picture of the basic structure and drivers of microbial distribution.

Biochemical and structural analysis of intermediates during multipass membrane protein biogenesis showed how an intramembrane chaperone guides nascent membrane proteins to a semi-enclosed lipid-filled cavity where they are inserted and folded correctly.

Toxocara canis is a zoonotic parasite of major worldwide socioeconomic importance. Here, the authors sequence the genome and transcriptome of T. canis, and highlight potential mechanisms involved in development and host–parasite interactions that could support the pursuit of new drug interventions.

The Cancer Genome Atlas consortium reports on their genome-wide characterization of somatic alterations in colorectal cancer; in addition to revealing a remarkably consistent pattern of genomic alteration, with 24 genes being significantly mutated, the study identifies new targets for therapeutic intervention and suggests an important role for MYC-directed transcriptional activation and repression.

The application of a potent lactate dehydrogenase (LDHA) inhibitor GNE-140 on pancreatic cancer cells revealed that resistance to GNE-140 is attributable to an AMPK–mTOR–S6K-mediated switch in utilization from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation.

We have developed an automated and high-throughput, three-dimensional, vision-controlled inkjet deposition process that enables the high-resolution, contactless printing of a range of materials with varying elastic moduli to create complex structures and robots.

The Omicron variant evades vaccine-induced neutralization but also fails to form syncytia, shows reduced replication in human lung cells and preferentially uses a TMPRSS2-independent cell entry pathway, which may contribute to enhanced replication in cells of the upper airway. Altered fusion and cell entry characteristics are linked to distinct regions of the Omicron spike protein.

An adversarial domain translation framework is presented for scalable integration of single-cell atlases across samples, technical platforms, data modalities and species.

Genomes and transcriptomes of five distinct lineages of African cichlids, a textbook example of adaptive radiation, have been sequenced and analysed to reveal that many types of molecular changes contributed to rapid evolution, and that standing variation accumulated during periods of relaxed selection may have primed subsequent diversification.

An integrative genomic analysis of several hundred endometrial carcinomas shows that a minority of tumour samples carry copy number alterations or TP53 mutations and many contain key cancer-related gene mutations, such as those involved in canonical pathways and chromatin remodelling; a reclassification of endometrial tumours into four distinct types is proposed, which may have an effect on patient treatment regimes.

Sequencing data from two large-scale studies show that most of the genetic variation influencing the risk of type 2 diabetes involves common alleles and is found in regions previously identified by genome-wide association studies, clarifying the genetic architecture of this disease.

Trichinellosis is a globally important food-borne disease caused by roundworms of the Trichinella complex. Here the authors present genomic sequences representing all 12 recognized Trichinellaspecies and genotypes, and reconstruct their phylogeny and biogeography.

Catalysis involving high-valent metals is an important facet of modern chemistry, but tools for catalyst development in this field have lagged behind those for low-valent systems. Now, an experimental system that can accurately model and predict reactivity has been developed to aid high-valent catalyst design.

Remote-sensing estimates of fires and the estimated geographic ranges of thousands of plant and vertebrate species in the Amazon Basin reveal that fires have impacted the ranges of 77–85% of threatened species over the past two decades.

Munji et al. analyzed the transcriptomes of endothelial cells from multiple organs and in neural tissue of neurological disease models. They identified a blood–brain barrier dysfunction module in seizure, multiple sclerosis, stroke and brain trauma.

Cell types affected by various diseases are inferred from cell-free RNA.

MX2 is shown to be an interferon-induced inhibitor of HIV-1 infection, and this antiviral activity may involve the inhibition of nuclear import of subviral complexes.

This Perspective discusses recent advances in understanding the biochemistry, enzymology and cell biology of Wnt fatty acylation and its effects on signaling and cancer.

This Review examines the development of field-effect transistors based on two-dimensional materials and considers the challenges that need to be addressed for the devices to be incorporated into very large-scale integration (VLSI) technology.

Roger Milne and colleagues conduct a genome-wide association study for estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer combined with BRCA1 mutation carriers in a large cohort. They identify ten new risk variants and find high genetic correlation between breast cancer risk for BRCA1 mutation carriers and risk of ER-negative breast cancer in the general population.

The p53 homologue TAp73 is frequently overexpressed in tumours, suggesting it provides an advantage to cancer cells. Yang and colleagues have investigated the role of TAp73 in tumour cell proliferation and showed that TAp73, but not p53, is a transcriptional activator of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. Increased expression of this gene promotes the pentose phosphate pathway flux, leading to enhanced biosynthesis and antioxidant defence, both of which have been shown to support optimal cell proliferation and tumour formation.

This paper reports integrative molecular analyses of urothelial bladder carcinoma at the DNA, RNA, and protein levels performed as part of The Cancer Genome Atlas project; recurrent mutations were found in 32 genes, including those involved in cell-cycle regulation, chromatin regulation and kinase signalling pathways; chromatin regulatory genes were more frequently mutated in urothelial carcinoma than in any other common cancer studied so far.

To exit from infected red blood cells, malaria parasites rely on the sequential action of different proteases, such as SUB1 and SERA6, in a process that culminates with the disassembly of the host cell’s cytoskeleton and rupture of the cell membrane.

Single-cell transcriptomic analysis identifies changes in peripheral immune cells in seven hospitalized patients with COVID-19, including HLA class II downregulation, a heterogeneous interferon-stimulated gene signature and low pro-inflammatory cytokine gene expression in monocytes and lymphocytes.

The Microarray Quality Control consortium pitted 36 teams against each other to evaluate methods for creating genomic classifiers, computational tools for interpreting gene expression profiles. The performance of the classifiers on blinded validation data—and metadata on the analytic methods—reveal the challenges facing the field.

Comprehensive analyses of 178 lung squamous cell carcinomas by The Cancer Genome Atlas project show that the tumour type is characterized by complex genomic alterations, with statistically recurrent mutations in 11 genes, including TP53 in nearly all samples; a potential therapeutic target is identified in most of the samples studied.

One hundred and ten Zika virus genomes from ten countries and territories involved in the Zika virus epidemic reveal rapid expansion of the epidemic within Brazil and multiple introductions to other regions.

scHLApers is an analysis pipeline that quantifies single-cell expression of HLA genes using a personalized genomic reference. Mapping of HLA expression quantitative trait loci at single-cell resolution identifies dynamic effects across cell states.

Constructing a single-cell transcriptional map of primary human epidermal melanocytes, Belote et al. uncover distinct subpopulations of melanocytes, characterize dedifferentiation patterns associated with melanoma prognosis and uncover the unique cellular origins of acral melanoma.

A large-scale epigenome-wide association study identifies changes in DNA methylation associated with body mass index in blood and adipose tissue, and correlates DNA methylation sites with high risk of incident type 2 diabetes.

An adaptive optics method using multiplexed light measurement and modulation in multiple pupil segments improves structural and functional in vivo imaging over large volumes in strongly scattering mouse brain with only a single aberration correction.

A cryo-EM structure of an initiation complex of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase sheds light on the initiation of reverse transcription of viral RNA.