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Machine learning driven research holds big promise towards accelerating materials’ discovery. Here the authors demonstrate CAMEO, which integrates active learning Bayesian optimization with practical experiments execution, for the discovery of new phase- change materials using X-ray diffraction experiments.

This study demonstrates that the MKK3b/6 signalling pathway drives the skeletal muscle growth-promoting effects of resistance exercise.

A phage-derived peptide selectively binds to the Frizzled 7 CRD resulting in disruption of the dimer interface and impairing Wnt/β-catenin stem signaling in intestinal organoids.

A short segment of α-synuclein called NACore (residues 68–78) is responsible for the formation of amyloid aggregates responsible for cytotoxicity in Parkinson disease; here the nanocrystal structure of this invisible-to-optical-microscopy segment is determined using micro-electron diffraction, offering insight into its function and simultaneously demonstrating the first use of micro-electron diffraction to solve a previously unknown protein structure.

Bestrophin-1 (Best1) is an anion channel genetically linked to eye diseases. Here, the authors identify GAD65 and GAD67 as Best1 activators with distinctive functional influences and characterize Best1 as a γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) type A receptor.

Neuromorphic computing requires the realization of high-density and reliable random-access memories. Here, Thean et al. demonstrate wafer-scale integration of solution-processed 2D MoS2 memristor arrays which show long endurance, long memory retention, low device variations, and high on/off ratio.

Sequential drinks of crosslinker and polymer solutions form a tough hydrogel in the stomach, enabling delivery of drugs and biologics in this harsh chemical environment.

Kim et al. report a strategy to reduce the dynamic disorder of the perovskite lattice by using CMMs that adsorb on the surface of PeNCs via van der Waals interactions and hydrogen bonding. The resulting pure green LEDs satisfying the Rec. 2020 color standard show a high EQE of 26.1%.

Photosystems need auxiliary proteins to assist their assembly. Cryo-electron microscopy of a cyanobacterial photosystem II assembly intermediate at 2.94 Å reveals mechanisms protecting against photodamage during vulnerable stages of biogenesis.

The oxygen-evolving complex in Photosystem II (PSII) catalyzes the light-driven oxidation of water to oxygen and it is still under debate how the water reaches the active site. Here, the authors analyse time-resolved XFEL-based crystal structures of PSII that were determined at room temperature and report the structures of the waters in the putative channels surrounding the active site at various time-points during the reaction cycle and conclude that the O1 channel is the likely water intake pathway and the Cl1 channel the likely proton release pathway.

β-phosphoglucomutase (βPGM) from Lactococcus lactis is a phosphoryl transfer enzyme required for catabolism of trehalose and maltose. Coupled analyses of multiple βPGM structures and enzymatic activity lead to the proposal of allomorphy — a post-translational mechanism controlling enzyme activity.

Discovering molecular pathways that sensitize cells to poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)- trapping inhibitors is important for anti-cancer therapy. Here, the authors report that inactivation of the CHD6 chromatin remodelling enzyme sensitizes cells to PARP inhibitors via reduced abasic site repair, PARP-1 accumulation on chromatin, and replication stress.

Bharathan et al. discover that the endoplasmic reticulum associates with keratin intermediate filaments and desmosomal cell–cell junctions, and that desmosomes and the keratin cytoskeleton regulate the distribution, dynamics and function of the endoplasmic reticulum network.

Ecological transitions, like shifts between habitats, can shape genomic variation. By analyzing genomes from 66 sea catfish species, this study finds that younger freshwater lineages show more positive selection and body shape disparity, with prolactin gene adaptations likely aiding their colonization and radiation.

Ingo Braasch, John Postlethwait and colleagues report the genome of the spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus), whose lineage diverged from teleosts before genome duplication. Their data provide insights into the evolution of genes involved in immunity, mineralization and development and facilitate the comparison of cis-regulatory elements between teleosts and humans.

Lindlar catalysts are widely used for partial hydrogenation of alkynes, however they can be somewhat limited by toxicity of lead and low selectivity. Here, the authors report that the modification of palladium nanoparticles with boron atoms in the interstitial sites yields selective hydrogenation catalysts.

Topological states in atomically thin quantum spin Hall insulators suffer from instability against environmental factors. Here, the authors devise a strategy to preserve topologically protected states in monolayer indenene through graphene intercalation.

Traditional modes of catalyst deactivation such as Ostwald ripening and particle migration and coalescence eventually lead to sintering and particle growth. Now, Cargnello and colleagues identify loading-dependent particle decomposition into single atoms as an important deactivation mechanism during methane combustion on colloidal Pd nanocrystals.

Molecular motors have predominantly been limited to circular or linear directional motions. Here, the authors design a molecular motor that moves unidirectionally along a more complex figure-eight trajectory by a distinct four-step mechanism that alternates between photochemical and thermal reaction steps.

PrimPol is a multifunctional replicative enzyme that can bypass DNA damage, as well as reprime replication restart. Here, the authors have elucidated how PrimPol is recruited to stalled replication forks via specific interactions with RPA, which stimulates its primase activity.

The transfer of nuclear chromatin to the cytoplasm drives the pro-aging inflammatory phenotype of senescent cells. Here, Miller et al. show that this process is suppressed by p53 and that activation of p53 reverses some features of aging in vivo.

A massively parallel computational and experimental approach for de novo designing and screening small hyperstable proteins targeting influenza haemagglutinin and botulinum neurotoxin B identifies new therapeutic candidates more robust than traditional antibody therapies.

Cancer cells have altered lipid metabolism. Here the authors show that DAXX promotes lipogenesis and tumorigenesis through interaction with SREBP1/2.

The structure of the second zinc finger of SALL4 in complex with pomalidomide, cereblon and DDB1 reveals the unique details of SALL4 recruitment, providing insights for rational design of cereblon-binding drugs with reduced teratogenic risk.

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.

Mechanochemically controlled polymerization is rare in polymer chemistry. Now, it has been shown that mechanical force can initiate and control the polymerization of an acrylate monomer. Piezochemical reduction of a copper(II) precursor using mechanical agitation of piezoelectric nanoparticles generates the polymerization activator required for controlled radical polymerization.

Diacylglycerol kinase is a small bacterial membrane-bound trimer that catalyses diacylglycerol conversion to phosphatidic acid. Here, the authors solve the crystal structure of the kinase bound to a lipid substrate and an ATP analogue, and show that the active site arose through convergent evolution.

Genome sequencing and phylogenomic analysis show that the lungfish, not the coelacanth, is the closest living relative of tetrapods, that coelacanth protein-coding genes are more slowly evolving than those of tetrapods and lungfish, and that the genes and regulatory elements that underwent changes during the vertebrate transition to land reflect adaptation to a new environment.

A new class of quantum dots with a soft core and a compressive shell has optical and electronic properties that can be tuned by strain.

Heteroepitaxial growth using aligned crystalline substrates allows extended metal–organic framework crystal growth oriented relative to the substrate

Here the authors demonstrate that the assembly of mitochondrial respiratory supercomplex (III₂–IV) from Toxoplasma gondii is critical for parasite fitness. They reveal the basis for cytochrome b inhibition by atovaquone and improved ELQ inhibitors.

Tuning the structures of subnanometric metal clusters is challenging but can unlock unexpected catalytic properties. Here, the authors show that changing the composition of MFI zeolite-encapsulated PtSn subnanometric clusters by adding just a few tin atoms can lead to a remarkable stability enhancement in propane dehydrogenation.

Treatment of KRAS^G12C-mutant cancer cells with the KRAS(G12C) inhibitor AMG 510 leads to durable response in mice, and anti-tumour activity in patients suggests that AMG 510 could be effective in patients for whom treatments are currently lacking.

Estrogen promotes negative energy balance and preserves skeletal physiology. Here the authors show that loss of estrogen signalling after ablating estrogen receptor alpha (ERa) in specific hypothalamic neuronal populations leads to a marked sex-dependent increase in bone mass in female mice.

A prototypical kagome metal with magnetic and topological properties is identified.

The SARS-CoV-2 main protease is an important target for the development of COVID-19 therapeutics. Here, the authors combine X-ray crystallography and mass spectrometry and performed a large scale fragment screening campaign, which yielded 96 liganded structures of this essential viral protein that are of interest for further drug development efforts.

Bilayer beta tellurium dioxide nanosheets with p-type characteristics can be formed through the surface oxidation of a mixture of tellurium and selenium, and used to create transistors with performance that matches their n-type oxide counterparts.

Due to the limited efficacy of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 and resistance to current therapies additional anti-viral therapeutics with pan-coronavirus activity are of high interest. Here, the authors screened 2.8 billion compounds from a DNA-encoded chemical library and identified small molecules that are non-covalent inhibitors targeting the conserved 3CL protease of SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses.

Designing efficient, scalable and low-thermal-budget 2D Materials for 3D integration remains a challenge. Here, the authors report the development of a hybrid-(solution-processed-exfoliated) integration of 2D Material based 1T1R which uses a multilayer WSe₂ p-FET and a multilayer printed WSe₂ RRAM.

High-throughput computation is especially useful for materials screening where synthesis is challenging. Here, it is used to construct a stability map of ternary nitrides, allowing discovery of stable compounds and providing insight into principles that govern nitride stability.

Development of diamond-based quantum and electronic technologies requires heterogeneous integration, which has remained challenging. This work realizes direct bonding of single crystal diamond membranes to a broad range of technology-relevant substrates while maintaining quantum coherence for hosted qubits.

Diffuse X-ray scattering with femtosecond resolution shows the formation and relaxation of polaronic distortions in halide perovskites. These structural changes are also quantified and correlated to transient changes in carrier effective mass.

The crystal structure of the human κ-opioid receptor in complex with an antagonist, JDTic, is determined, with potential importance for the design of new therapeutic agents.