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Amazonian fog samples contain viable microbes, suggesting fog plays a role microbial dispersal, colonization and nutrient cycling, according to analyses of fog samples from a tall tower observatory.

Marine sponges host bacteria that produce diverse bioactive compounds. Here, the authors conduct a large-scale metagenomic, single-bacterial and biochemical study to reveal the untapped biosynthetic potential of ‘Entotheonella’ symbionts, a talented producer taxon from microbial dark matter.

A combination of high-resolution spatial imaging, spatial proteomics and transcriptional data reveals sparse and heterogeneous bacterial signals in gliomas and brain metastases.

A pan-cancer genomic analysis reports the effects of structural variations on chromatin domains (TADs). Most TAD disruptions do not result in appreciable changes in expression of nearby genes.

Ryan Emerson and colleagues report immunosequencing of the variable region of the TCRβ chain in 666 individuals with known cytomegalovirus (CMV) status. They show that CMV status and HLA genotype shape the T cell repertoire and demonstrate proof of principle that TCRβ sequencing can be used as a specific diagnostic of pathogen exposure.

This Consensus Statement presents the standards for technical reporting in environmental and host-associated microbiome studies (STREAMS) guidelines.

Oligonucleotide-mediated proximity-interactome MAPping (O-MAP) enables precise multiomic characterization of biomolecular interaction networks at target RNAs. Distinct O-MAP workflows reveal RNA-adjacent proteins, transcripts and genomic loci.

Here the authors show that genkwanin glycosides from Phaleria nisidai leaf extract improve glucose homeostasis by enhancing glucose uptake into adipose tissue, with effects comparable to metformin in a study with male mice with obesity and insulin resistance.

Combining enzymes from different pathways in nature could enable de novo peptide design, but determining enzyme-specificity rules is non-trivial. Here a biophysical model combining enzymes sourced from bacterial ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP) gene clusters was generated to formalize enzyme-specificity rules and create peptide scaffolds with defined post-translational modifications.

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy is a myopathy linked to ectopic expression of the DUX4 transcription factor. The authors show that the suppression of targets genes of the myogenesis regulator PAX7 is a signature of FSHD, and might explain oxidative stress sensitivity and epigenetic changes.

Immunosequencing enables cost-effective sequencing of repertoires of immune cells, but it often suffers from amplification biases when attempting cell quantification. Here, the authors present a powerful multiplex PCR assay that allows for quantitative and unbiased analysis of frequency of different T cell receptors.

Peptide secondary metabolites have a diverse range of functions. Here the authors present a method to design and screen a large library of modified peptides in E. coli against a target of interest.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) differentiate into multiple lineages, with such capacity impacted by aging. Here the authors identify Kit^lo HSCs as a functionally distinct population that exhibits distinct lymphoid-primed chromatin landscapes, which drive enhanced lymphoid reconstitution capacity, and is altered in aged hosts.

De novo designed interleukin-4 mimetics were engineered that induce biased signaling activation and exhibit high thermal stability. These mimetics offer insight into cytokine signaling and can be directly incorporated into 3D-printed biomaterials

Whole-genome analysis of oestrogen-receptor-positive tumours in patients treated with aromatase inhibitors show that distinct phenotypes are associated with specific patterns of somatic mutations; however, most recurrent mutations are relatively infrequent so prospective clinical trials will require comprehensive sequencing and large study populations.

Results from a phase 3, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial demonstrate that MDMA-assisted therapy is safe and effective in treating severe post-traumatic stress disorder.

Primary T cells with multiple genetic modifications are rapidly isolated by negative selection.

Results from the phase 3 placebo-controlled MAPP2 trial show that MDMA-assisted therapy reduces post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and functional impairment in a diverse population with moderate to severe PTSD.

Clostridial nonribosomal peptide synthase (NRPS)-like enzymes use exogenous substrates common in diet to produce fatty acid amides that can interact with human G-protein-coupled receptors.

Designing clinical trials that adapt midstream is billed as a cure for drug development blues, one that can save time, money and improve patients' lives. Are these new designs safe and effective or an expensive gimmick?

Although activated Notch receptors have been associated with chemoresistance in cancer, the role of specific Notch ligands remain elusive. Here, the authors show that in breast cells the Notch ligand DLL1 is expressed in cells with a cancer stem cell phenotype and promote doxorubicin resistance in part through NF-kB, as well as metastasis.

The relationship between the components of repetitive head impacts and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) remains unclear. Here, the authors use American football helmet sensor data to show that duration of play, cumulative head impacts and linear and rotational accelerations are significantly associated with CTE pathology.

A directed evolution approach was applied to optimize a set of 12 small-molecule-responsive biosensors, which led to the engineering of “Marionette” strains of Escherichia coli incorporating these sensors for biotechnological applications.

The synthetic enzyme-armed killer (SEAKER) approach equips chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells with the capacity to express enzymes that process anticancer prodrugs at tumor sites of action.

A new high-throughput platform to find rare T cells that can recognize shared cancer neoantigens identifies T cell receptors specific for a conserved, immunogenic and therapeutically actionable epitope in mutant PI3Kα, one of the most common driver oncogenes

Using newly derived genome sequences of 137 marine microbial isolates as well as previously obtained genome and metagenome data, this study presents a functional analysis of picoplankton residing in the ocean's surface layer.

In this Consensus Statement, the authors discuss the issue of naming uncultivated prokaryotic microorganisms, which currently do not have a formal nomenclature system due to a lack of type material or cultured representatives, and propose two recommendations including the recognition of DNA sequences as type material.

An analysis of over 2,000 genomes from Human Microbiome Project metagenomic data led to the identification of several extended- and narrow-spectrum antibiotics against clinical multidrug-resistant pathogens, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci.

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.

A new approach is outlined for capturing multiple facets of biodiversity in near real-time by combining the latest advances in automated Earth observation recording, high-throughput sequencing and ecological modelling.

Fluorescence-based oligonucleotide probes, also known as molecular beacons (MBs), are popular for detecting nucleic acids with high specificity. Here, the authors demonstrate self-sequestration of MB-based biosensors and target strands within peptide-based coacervates, increasing local concentrations and significantly increasing the sensitivity and kinetics of the DNA biosensors.