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Quantum cascade lasers are compact sources, but simultaneously achieving cw operation, low divergence and single-mode emission has proven difficult. Here, Biasco et al. use a combination of distributed feedback and outcoupling via hole arrays, improving the performance of such a terahertz laser.

The wheat Pm3 immune receptors confer resistance against powdery mildew by recognizing isolate-specific avirulence (AVR) effectors of the pathogen. Here, the authors identify and characterize two new AVR genes and demonstrate that Pm3 receptors are determinants of host-specificity for grass mildews.

Coukos and colleagues conduct a phase 1 study to evaluate the benefit of adoptive transfer of ex vivo-expanded, vaccine-primed T cells in patients with ovarian cancer—a cancer type that often does not respond to immune checkpoint blockade.

Single-molecule magnets (SMMs) are multinuclear clusters whose behaviour typically relies on intramolecular spin-coupling interactions between neighbouring metal ions. A diuranium–arene complex has now been prepared that shows behaviour characteristic of an SMM without relying on this type of superexchange mechanism. This may enable the construction of SMMs that maintain their magnetism at higher temperatures.

The contribution of epigenomic alterations to tumour progression and relapse is not well characterized. Here the authors characterize epigenetic evolution in aggressive B-cell lymphoma and find that epigenomic heterogeneity may not only support and drive the relapse phenotype but also be used to predict lymphoma relapse.

Riccardo Velasco and colleagues report the genome sequence of the 'Golden Delicious' domesticated apple. These data shed new insight into the genomic events that preceded the origin of this crop.

An n-type semiconducting polymer is used to realize an organic electrochemical transistor working as a glucose sensor and an all-polymer enzymatic biofuel cell able to power the sensor itself.

Thomas and colleagues describe how multiple SARS-CoV-2 antigen exposures, including mRNA vaccine boosters, primary infection and breakthrough infection, shape T cell immunity.

Mark McCarthy, Michael Boehnke, Andrew Morris and colleagues perform large-scale association analyses using the Metabochip to gain insights into the genetic architecture of type 2 diabetes. They report several new susceptibility loci, including two that show sex-differentiated effects on disease risk.

Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and plaque are associated with subclinical atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease (CHD). Here, the authors identify and prioritize genetic loci for cIMT and plaque by GWAS and colocalization approaches and further demonstrate genetic correlation with CHD and stroke.

Fabrizio Pizzagalli et al. study the genetics factors that regulate cortical folding patterning in the brain. They use in vivo brain MRI datasets from around the world and report the reliability and heritability of sulcal morphometric characteristics for 61 sulci per hemisphere of the human brain. They uncover hemisphere-specific genetic influences on the cerebral cortex.

Holographic illumination allows the production of complex, user-defined, two-dimensional illumination patterns. Used to manipulate light-sensitive molecules in cells, this system permits their simultaneous excitation at multiple locations of arbitrary shape and size—facilitating spatial and temporal regulation of cell function.

In this Roadmap, Stellos and colleagues discuss the mechanisms of cardiovascular system ageing and how the ageing of blood, vessels and heart relates to the decline in organ function, and highlight potential therapeutic interventions, challenges in ageing research and future directions for preclinical and clinical studies.

The SARS-CoV-2 Assessment of Viral Evolution (SAVE) programme provides a real-time risk assessment of SARS-CoV-2 variants with the potential to affect transmission, virulence and resistance to infection- and vaccine-induced immunity.

Governments, donors and others must step up to protect current and future generations from the devastating effects of malnutrition, as well as to prevent acute food insecurity.

Analysis of 179 new Ebola virus sequences from patient samples collected in Guinea between March 2014 and January 2015 shows how different lineages evolved and spread in West Africa.

Fatal Ebola virus disease is characterized by a high proportion of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells expressing the inhibitory molecules CTLA-4 and PD-1, correlating with high virus load; individuals who survive the infection exhibit lower expression of these inhibitory molecules and generate Ebola-specific CD8⁺ T cells, suggesting that dysregulation of the T cell response is a key component of Ebola virus disease pathophysiology.

The seasonal colour variations of comet 67P’s nucleus observed in the visible wavelengths by the VIRTIS mapping spectrometer throughout the whole Rosetta mission are driven by the evolution of metre-scale water-enriched blocks homogeneously distributed across the nucleus, periodically exposed to sunlight by CO₂ sublimation.

In this Review, a group of experts in fragile X syndrome analyses why the considerable drug development effort based on robust preclinical findings describing the mechanisms underlying this neurodevelopmental disorder has failed to translate into effective treatment and offers possible solutions to improve clinical trial design and therapeutic approaches.

Genetic similarity among late Neanderthals is predicted well by their geographical location, and although some of these Neanderthals were contemporaneous with early modern humans, their genomes show no evidence of recent gene flow from modern humans.

Using SN 1987A as a cosmic laboratory, Miceli et al. have measured the shock acceleration of ions heavier than oxygen, finding that the post-shock temperature of a wide range of ions is mass dependent.

Using a zebrafish model of melanoma, this study has searched for genes that can cooperate with mutated BRAF, a frequent oncogenic event in human melanomas. It is found that SETDB1 can accelerate melanoma formation in fish and resides in a region frequently amplified in human melanomas. SETDB1, a histone methylating enzyme, is also frequently overexpressed in human melanomas and functions at least in part by regulating the expression of HOX genes.

Beat Keller, Thomas Wicker and colleagues compare the genomes of 46 isolates of powdery mildew, Blumeria graminis. They find that B. graminis f. sp. triticale, a pathogen growing on triticale (a wheat × rye hybrid plant), is a hybrid of B. graminis f. sp. tritici and B. graminis f. sp. secalis, which grow on wheat and rye, respectively.

High-resolution measurements of Martian atmospheric dust, water and semiheavy water, obtained by the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter during a global dust storm on Mars, are reported.

A research team from the High-Tech Industry Unit at TNO reports a method to identify satellites using retroreflecting tags with spectral signatures mounted on these satellites. The approach reduces the complexity of the observation system and does not require any power sources on board.

A case report of highly pathogenic avian influenza A H5N1 of clade 2.3.4.4b in the brain of a common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) from Florida, United States.

Highly sensitive measurements of the atmosphere of Mars with the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter do not detect any methane over a range of latitudes in both hemispheres, in contrast to previous local or remote detections.