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Christopher Haiman, Bogdan Pasaniuc, David Reich and colleagues report a major role for low-frequency variation in the risk for prostate cancer. They show that alleles with >1% minor allele frequency contribute an order of magnitude more to risk for prostate cancer than these alleles do to overall genetic variation.

Analysis of ground-sourced and satellite-derived models reveals a global forest carbon potential of 226 Gt outside agricultural and urban lands, with a difference of only 12% across these modelling approaches.

The first genome-wide scan for selection using ancient DNA, based on data from 230 West Eurasians dating between to 6500 and 300 bc and including new data from 163 individuals among which are 26 Neolithic Anatolians, provides a direct view of selection on loci associated with diet, pigmentation and immunity.

Researchers create high ionization states, up to Xe³⁶⁺, using 1.5 keV free-electron laser pulses. The higher than expected ionization may be due to transient resonance-enhanced absorption and the effect may play an important role in interactions of intense X-rays with high-Z elements and radiation damage.

Alternative stable states in forests have implications for the biosphere. Here, the authors combine forest biodiversity observations and simulations revealing that leaf types across temperate regions of the NH follow a bimodal distribution suggesting signatures of alternative forest states.

The LHCb experiment at CERN has observed significant asymmetries between the decay rates of the beauty baryon and its CP-conjugated antibaryon, thus demonstrating CP violation in baryon decays.

Little is known about the genetic landscape of people living in the Nile region prior to the Islamic migrations of the late 1st millennium CE. Here, the authors report genome-wide data for 66 ancient individuals to investigate the genetic ancestry of a Christian Period group from Kulubnarti.

Forecasting models have been used extensively to inform decision making during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this preregistered and prospective study, the authors evaluated 14 short-term models for Germany and Poland, finding considerable heterogeneity in predictions and highlighting the benefits of combined forecasts.

Arachnoid cuff exit points create openings in the arachnoid barrier enabling the drainage of cerebrospinal fluid and exchange of molecules and cells between the dura and the subarachnoid space, therefore physically connecting the brain and the dura.

Species-rich plant communities often have higher productivity than monocultures. Here, the authors analyse biodiversity-ecosystem functioning experiments in grasslands and forests and find that the biodiversity effects on community productivity strengthen over time thanks to shifts in contributions of species with different resource acquisition traits.

The US COVID-19 Scenario Modeling Hub produced medium to long term projections based on different epidemic scenarios. In this study, the authors evaluate 14 rounds of projections by comparing them to the epidemic trajectories that occurred, and discuss lessons learned for future similar projects.

New genome-wide data for ancient, Bronze Age individuals, including Minoans, Mycenaeans, and southwestern Anatolians, show that Minoans and Mycenaeans were genetically very similar yet distinct, supporting the idea of continuity but not isolation in the history of populations of the Aegean.

Microglia are brain macrophages that engulf and clear cellular material and protein aggregates. Here, the authors show that lipofuscin-like autofluorescence can confound microglial engulfment analyses, which they can resolve with a photobleaching protocol.

European ancestry individuals are not typically treated as admixed in genetic studies. Here, the authors detect higher than expected admixture in European populations, which could potentially affect the results of genetic studies if it is not accounted for.

Disturbances in IP3 receptor-mediated release of Ca²+ from the endoplasmatic reticulum are associated with neurodegenerative disease. Here, the authors identify in four families with hereditary spastic paraplegia biallelic mutations in RNF170 that associate with increased basal levels of IP3 receptors.

Epigenetic clocks based on DNA methylation levels are estimators of chronological age. Here, the authors perform a GWAS of epigenetic aging rates in blood and find SNP variants in the TERT locus associated with increased intrinsic epigenetic age are also associated with longer telomeres.

Current methods to identify the geographical origin of humans based on DNA data present limited accuracy. Here, the authors develop a new algorithm, the Genographic Population Structure (GPS), and demonstrate its ability to place worldwide individuals within their country or, in some cases, village of origin.

Santhi Ganesh and colleagues report meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies of six erythrocyte traits within the CHARGE consortium, with replication in cohorts of the HaemGen consortium. They report 23 loci associated with a range of clinically relevant red blood cell traits.

Studies on the ‘epigenetic clock’, a recently identified ageing biomarker, suggest that pathology might be linked to tissue-specific accelerated ageing. Here, the authors investigate ageing in the human brain and identify genetic loci associated with accelerated ageing in different brain regions.

Geospatial estimates of child growth failure in Africa provide a baseline for measuring progress and a precision public health platform to target interventions to those populations with the greatest need.

This report from the 1000 Genomes Project describes the genomes of 1,092 individuals from 14 human populations, providing a resource for common and low-frequency variant analysis in individuals from diverse populations; hundreds of rare non-coding variants at conserved sites, such as motif-disrupting changes in transcription-factor-binding sites, can be found in each individual.

Phosphorus (P) limitation is pervasive in tropical forests. Here the authors analyse the dependence of photosynthesis on leaf N and P in tropical forests, and show that incorporating leaf P constraints in a terrestrial biosphere model enhances its predictive power.

Emelia Benjamin and colleagues report a meta-analysis of genome-wide association study data for atrial fibrillation, a condition associated with stroke and heart failure, in five European community-based cohorts of the CHARGE consortium. They report an association in ZFHX3 to atrial fibrillation, with replication in an independent cohort from the German AF Network.

Richard Houlston, Kari Hemminki and colleagues report a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies of multiple myeloma and identify a variant in the CCDN1 gene that influences risk for developing a specific tumor karyotype with the t(11;14)(q13;q32) translocation.

Lipidic sponge phase crystallization yields membrane protein microcrystals that can be injected into an X-ray free electron laser beam, yielding diffraction patterns that can be processed to recover the crystal structure.

Researchers describe a mechanism capable of compressing fast and intense X-ray pulses through the rapid loss of crystalline periodicity. It is hoped that this concept, combined with X-ray free-electron laser technology, will allow scientists to obtain structural information at atomic resolutions.

RAPTR, a lentivirus surface display-based library-on-library screening method to decipher antigen and immunoreceptor identities

The suppression of edge-localized modes in tokamak plasmas is crucial to prevent them from damaging the walls of the chamber. Now experiments confirm the role that magnetic islands play in suppressing these detrimental modes.

Data from 42 chronosequence sites show a geater abundance of legumes in seasonally dry forests than in wet forests, particularly during early secondary succession, probably owing to legumes’ nitrogen-fixing ability and reduced leaflet size.

IgA-secreting plasma cells that originate in the intestine are found in the meninges, where they protect the brain against pathogens.

A sequencing study comparing ancient and contemporary genomes reveals that most present-day Europeans derive from at least three highly differentiated populations: west European hunter-gatherers, ancient north Eurasians (related to Upper Palaeolithic Siberians) and early European farmers of mainly Near Eastern origin.

Integrating inventory data with machine learning models reveals the global composition of tree types—needle-leaved evergreen individuals dominate, followed by broadleaved evergreen and deciduous trees—and climate change risks.

Polycystic Ovary Sydrome is a highly heritable, complex reproductive disorder with unknown underlying genetic factors. Here Hayes and Urbanek et al. identify three loci in European women strongly associated with neuroendocrine changes and disease susceptibility.

Negative selection removes deleterious genetic variation, and can influence genetic architectures and evolution of complex traits. Here, the authors analyze data from 25 UK Biobank diseases and complex traits, and quantify frequency-dependent genetic architectures which suggests actions of negative selection.

Myelin is widely believed to protect axons from damage in multiple sclerosis. The authors challenge this view and find that myelin insulation renders axons more vulnerable to degeneration in an autoimmune environment.

Gerard Schellenberg and colleagues report a genome-wide association study of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD), as part of the Alzheimer Disease Genetics Consortium. They identify common variants in MS4A4/MS4A6E, CD2AP, CD33 and EPHA1 associated with LOAD.

Macrophages and dendritic cells contribute to gut homeostasis and mucosal immune defense. Here, Aychek et al. describe an IL-23-based crosstalk between these cells that prevents lethal immunopathology during Citrobacter rodentiuminfection.

While covalent modification of carbon nanotubes allows their use in a wide range of applications, it often results in disruption of their optoelectronic properties. Here, the authors design a cycloaddition reaction that preserves the nanotubes electronic structure.

The role of microbial diversity in ecosystems is less well understood than, for example, that of plant diversity. Analysing two independent data sets at a global and regional scale, Delgado-Baquerizo et al. show positive effects of soil diversity on multiple terrestrial ecosystem functions.

There is limited understanding of SARS-CoV-2 intra-host evolution and subsequent transmission and adaptations in the context of persistent infection. Here, the authors describe sequential persistent SARS-CoV-2 infections that led to the emergence, transmission and further evolution of a novel Omicron BA.1.23 lineage.