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A radio signal detected in the direction of Proxima Centauri in a Breakthrough Listen programme is analysed for signs that it was transmitted by extraterrestrial intelligent life, using a newly developed framework. However, the signal ‘blc1’ is likely to be terrestrial radio-frequency interference.

The cellular heterogeneity in brain obscures the identification of robust cellular regulatory networks. Here the authors integrate genome-wide chromosome conformation data from sorted neurons and glia, with transcriptomic and enhancer profiles, to characterize cell-type-specific gene regulatory landscapes in the human brain, and provide insights into cell-type-specific gene regulatory networks in brain disorders.

The generation of primary organoids, from fetal fluid-derived epithelial stem or progenitor cells, offers the possibility of modeling different developing tissues during gestation, even beyond the limits of pregnancy termination.

The ability to create optomechanically squeezed light at room temperature across a frequency range in the audio band could improve the measurement precision of future interferometric detectors for gravitational waves.

Glaucoma is the most common cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Here, the authors carry out a large meta-analysis of genetic data from individuals of European and Asian ancestry and identify 10 new loci associated with vertical cup-disc ratio, a key factor in the clinical assessment of patients with glaucoma.

The genetic basis of metabolic diseases is incompletely understood. Here, by high-throughput phenotyping of 2,016 knockout mouse strains, Rozman and colleagues identify candidate metabolic genes, many of which are associated with unexplored regulatory gene networks and metabolic traits in human GWAS.

Daniel Jeffares, Jürg Bähler and colleagues report the genome sequences of 161 natural isolates of Schizosaccharomyces pombe, finding moderate genetic diversity and weak global population structure. They also report genome-wide association studies for 223 quantitative traits.

In a multicenter research program coordinated by the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium, Spielmann et al. analyze the cardiac function and structure in ~4,000 monogenic mutant mice and identify 705 mouse genes involved in cardiac function, 75% of which have not been previously linked to cardiac heritable disease in humans. Using the UK Biobank human data, the authors validate the link between cardiovascular disease and some of the newly identified genes to illustrate the resource value and potential of their mutant mouse collection.

High social aloofness was linked to reduced exploration, lower decision noise, and high choice stickiness in a bandit task. These effects reflect habitual and outcome-driven behaviours, linking social disengagement to nonsocial decision flexibility.

Patrick Sullivan and colleagues report a multi-stage genome-wide association study for schizophrenia in a Swedish population. They identify 13 loci newly associated with schizophrenia.

Statins are effectively used to prevent and manage cardiovascular disease, but patient response to these drugs is highly variable. Here, the authors identify two new genes associated with the response of LDL cholesterol to statins and advance our understanding of the genetic basis of drug response.

By comparing neural responses to diverse visual stimuli measured with a standardized two-photon imaging pipeline, the authors reveal response specializations within the mouse visual cortex.

STAAR is a powerful rare variant association test that incorporates variant functional categories and complementary functional annotations using a dynamic weighting scheme based on annotation principal components. STAAR accounts for population structure and relatedness and is scalable for analyzing large whole-genome sequencing studies.

Conceptual frameworks linking food security and agriculture are diverse in their perspectives, assumptions and applications. After reviewing 36 such frameworks, systems modelling conventions are applied to a broadly cited framework to demonstrate the utility of incorporating these tools into food security frameworks for the interdisciplinary food community.

Profiling of 53,193 individual epithelial cells from the mouse small intestine identifies previously unknown cell subtypes and corresponding gene markers, providing insight into gut homeostasis and response to pathogens.

Tumour progression is promoted by the generation of an immunosuppressive macroenvironment. Here, the authors demonstrate that the Inhibitor of Differentiation 1 promotes the switch from dendritic cell differentiation towards myeloid-derived suppressor cell expansion during tumour progression.

Reduced central corneal thickness (CCT) is observed in common eye diseases as well as in rare Mendelian disorders. Here, in a cross-ancestry GWAS, the authors identify 19 novel genetic loci associated with CCT, a subset of which is involved in rare corneal or connective tissue disorders.

Cultured archaeal viruses, which so far all have double-stranded DNA genomes, come in all shapes and sizes, with the range of virion morphotypes surpassing that found in the viruses of the Bacteria. The authors present a unifying view of this fascinating viral group.

Methane production is traditionally not found in oxygenated soils, a paradigm incorporated in global greenhouse gas modelling efforts. Here the authors show geochemical and biological evidence of active methanogenesis in bulk-oxic wetland soils, attributing up to 80% of the total methane budget for the site.

Although important for early development, PU.1 is dispensable for mature B cell function, possibly owing to compensation by the related transcription factor SpiB. Here the authors show PU.1 and SpiB are collectively required for humoral immunity, through regulation of germinal centre formation and plasma cell differentiation.

Laws to stamp out deforestation, pollution and child labour in global supply chains might have unintended consequences. Researchers need to investigate these effects.

Transcriptomics (RNA-seq) data reveal significantly increased telomeric RNA, or TERRA, in response to spaceflight and radiation exposure (compared to baseline and ground control samples).

Kim Worley and colleagues report the whole-genome sequence of the common marmoset, Callithrix jacchus, the first New World monkey to be sequenced.

Tarpey et al. carry out a large-scale systematic sequencing of the majority of X-chromosome coding exons from 208 families with multiple individuals with mental retardation and a pattern of transmission compatible with X linkage in order to identify XLMR-causative mutations. They find several mutations that appear to be causative in loci already known to be involved in XLMR, as well as new data about those loci, and make inferences about the role of the different classes of variants in these diseases.

The millimetre image of the Centaurus A nucleus by the Event Horizon Telescope reveals a highly collimated, asymmetrically edge-brightened jet. The source’s event horizon shadow should be visible at terahertz frequencies, consistent with the universal scale invariance of black holes.

How hematopoietic stem cells coordinate self-renewal and differentiation remains unclear. Steidl and colleagues show that the transcription factor and chromatin remodeler Satb1 is required for their self-renewal.

Georgia Chenevix-Trench and colleagues report meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies identifying six loci newly associated with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). They also test variants at the 12 known and 6 new EOC susceptibility loci for association in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers.

An unprecedented number of potentially disruptive therapeutic technologies are under development. Forward-looking policies, incentives and infrastructure are needed to harness these advances to provide effective and globally equitable healthcare.

Optical acoustic sensors have gained interest for use in photoacoustic imaging systems, but can they dethrone conventional piezoelectric sensors altogether?