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Vertical transmission is thought to favour beneficial host–microbe interactions, but these may also be context dependent. Here Bruijning et al. show with a model that variable environments can select for bet-hedging by hosts via imperfect vertical transmission of microbes.

Estimating respiratory infection rates in the community is challenging as testing is usually limited to people with more severe infections. Here, the authors develop a statistical method to estimate infection rates using data from a community survey that performed lateral flow testing in England and Scotland in 2023-24.

Children with dyslexia show significant differences in Visual Word Form Area size and specialization compared to typical readers, suggesting enduring neural characteristics exist even after targeted intervention increases reading ability scores.

This Resource paper presents a global SARS-CoV-2 phylogenetic tree of 4,471,579 high-quality genomes consistently constructed by Viridian, an efficient amplicon-aware assembler.

Risk associated with genetically defined forms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can propagate by means of transcriptional regulation to affect convergently dysregulated pathways, providing insight into the convergent impact of ASD genetic risk on human neurodevelopment.

Tripathi et al. identify a noncanonical RAS•GTP activity that increases XPO1-dependent export of nuclear proteins into the cytoplasm. This depends on a RAS–RanGAP1 complex, and this export function contributes to RAS oncogenic activity.

Human genetic loci that associate with composition of the oral microbiome are identified using saliva-derived DNA, where the same host genetics also shapes oral health and genetic variation in oral bacteria.

Understanding how community-based initiatives work is crucial for effective environmental management, but causal evaluations of these efforts are rare. This study presents a national-scale evaluation of a locally managed network of marine areas in Fiji and examines whether the expected mechanisms deliver conservation outcomes.

Analyzing data of the Mexican Biobank project, a new study finds regional differences in clinically relevant genetic frequencies and presents MexVar, a publicly accessible resource designed to support ancestry-informed genetic testing.

Nuclear pore complexes control selective transport between the nucleus and cytoplasm. Here, the authors show how FG-Nups and transport receptors form a dynamic interface that enables selective and efficient transport.

Alternative splicing generates diverse protein isoforms, yet the functions of most exons remain unknown. Here, the authors introduce scCHyMErA-Seq, a scalable single-cell CRISPR exon-deletion platform that maps exon-specific transcriptional functions shaping gene expression and cell-cycle states.

Chronic stress disrupts the brain vasculature and contributes to mood disorders, but mechanisms of resilience remain unclear. Here, the authors show that enriched environments increase astrocytic Fgf2 to prevent stress-induced vascular alterations and depressive behavior with relevance to human depression.

X-ray absorption has enabled a probe of the photoionized gas close to seven gamma-ray bursts, revealing their origin in star-forming regions and providing further evidence that long gamma-ray bursts originate in collapsars.

Generative large language models (for example, ChatGPT and Claude) were used to score Big-Five traits from open-ended thoughts and video diaries. Large language model scores aligned with self-reports and predicted behaviour, showing personality’s expression in everyday language.

Here the authors systematically benchmark 13 polygenic score (PGS) methods in UK Biobank European and African populations, revealing factors that affect prediction accuracy. They also introduce an automated platform for standardized and reproducible PGS computation.

Here the authors spatially map tuberculosis granulomas from nonhuman primates to link structure and immune organization with bacterial control. They find that a conserved hypoxic myeloid core is associated with dysfunctional immunity, restricted lymphocyte access and increased bacterial burden.

New results indicate that rhabdodontids and the previously described Ajkaceratops are actually distinctive European ceratopsians, a group better known from Asia and North America.

This study introduces a sediment-based method to reconstruct Antarctic fast-ice change during the late Holocene, revealing cyclic patterns linked to solar variability and offering insight into long-term cryosphere climate dynamics.

Population genetics analysis in a phylogenetic framework shows convergent evolution in the genomes of five brood-parasitic species, including selection on genes involved in spermatogenesis, sperm function and nervous system development.

In this article, the authors characterise genetic variation in CARTaGENE, a population-based cohort from Quebec, Canada. This genomic resource enables population and disease genetic studies in a founder population and other under-represented groups.

Detection of somatic mutations in cell-free DNA is challenging due to low variant allele frequencies and extensive DNA fragmentation. Here, the authors use longitudinal samples from colorectal and breast cancer patients to clarify performance limits of current approaches and support application of cfDNA analyses in cancer liquid biopsies.

Navigational affordances describe our ability to identify routes of egress within scenes. Here, the authors show that this process likely occurs in early dorsal visual cortex and that such navigational affordances can emerge following brief presentation times.

In this Stage 2 Registered Report, Tibon et al. showed using fMRI that neural activity associated with successful memory retrieval did not differ between semantic and episodic memory, using a task with features matched across these conditions.

Wang et al. report that LUAD cells entering dormancy transition into a TGFβ-induced atypical mesenchymal state characterized by a soft spheroidal morphology and strong EMT signature, which protects disseminated cancer cells from immune clearance.

Polyamides (PAs) or nylons are types of plastics with wide applications, but due to their accumulation in the environment, strategies for their deconstruction are of interest. Here, the authors screen 40 potential nylon-hydrolyzing enzymes (nylonases) using a mass spectrometry-based approach and identify a thermostabilized N-terminal nucleophile hydrolase as the most promising for further development, as well as crucial targets for progressing PA6 enzymatic depolymerization.

Lattice gauge theories with non-local conservation laws are expected to thermalize locally. Using a Rydberg simulator, it is now shown that most charge patterns can remain effectively frozen, a phenomenon known as statistical localization.

Why are some species widespread while others are found only in small, isolated areas? This study shows that species with narrow ranges, and thus higher extinction risk, are often island-restricted, poor dispersers, and have evolved relatively recently.

Phosphorylation-dephosphorylation and ubiquitination tune TCR signaling to avoid self-reactivity. Kim and colleagues show that acetylation also modulates TCR signaling.

Muscularis macrophages, housekeepers of enteric nervous system integrity and intestinal homeostasis, modulate α-synuclein pathology and neurodegeneration in models of Parkinson’s disease, and understanding the accompanying mechanisms could pave the way for early-stage biomarkers.

The 4D Nucleome Project demonstrates the use of genomic assays and computational methods to measure genome folding and then predict genomic structure from DNA sequence, facilitating the discovery of potential effects of genetic variants, including variants associated with disease, on genome structure and function.

A Gifsy-1 prophage–encoded higher eukaryotes and prokaryotes nucleotide-binding protein, HepS, senses Siphoviridae infection, activates abortive defence by cleaving host transfer RNAs, blocks rival phages and avoids self-targeting via tail-tip variation.

An allosteric site on the E3 ligase adapter cereblon can be targeted to modulate the efficacy of cereblon in targeted protein degradation applications.

Including data from 1,047 patients across 19 inflammatory diseases, a new atlas presents a comprehensive model of inflammation in circulating immune cells.

Systematic comparison of genome-wide association results for disease risk and disease-specific mortality for nine common diseases across seven biobanks finds limited overlap between genetic effects on disease susceptibility and survival.

Recent decline of coral reefs calls for a better understanding of coral adaptation to ocean warming. Here, the authors combine genomic data from different coral species to predict vulnerability against heatwaves across reefs worldwide.

A nine-year transit-timing campaign has measured the extremely low masses and densities of four large planets orbiting the young star V1298 Tau, which are now predicted to contract and form a typical compact super-Earth and sub-Neptune system.

The lowest-frequency gravitational wave background may be shaped by supermassive black hole binaries that scatter nearby stars or dark matter. In this case, the NANOGrav 15-year dataset favours dense galactic centres with 10⁶ solar masses per cubic parsec.

In the nucleus accumbens, acetylcholine boosts dopamine release to promote effortful behaviour.

Plant traits drive ecosystem dynamics yet are challenging to map globally due to sparse measurements. Here, the authors combine crowdsourced biodiversity observations with Earth observation data to accurately map 31 plant traits at 1 km² resolution.

Omnivores like bears can switch between plant and animal diets, potentially helping them respond to changing conditions. By combining modern and fossil data, this study shows that bears shift toward carnivory in harsher climates and toward herbivory in more productive environments.

Population-scale WGS reveals genetic determinants of persistent EBV DNA, linking immune regulation—especially antigen processing and MHC class II variation—to EBV persistence and heterogeneous disease associations.

A study using English electronic health records from millions of people with atopic eczema provides an evidence resource covering the full spectrum of associated comorbidity, providing a big picture overview as well as results for each individual outcome.

The cool sub-Neptune LP 791-18 c, with an equilibrium temperature of 355 K, was found to host a hazy atmosphere, distinct from any other temperate sub-Neptune studied so far. The discovery demonstrates the intrinsic diversity of these worlds.

The stability of interactions across trophic levels is crucial for ecosystem resilience but remains poorly understood. This study shows that loss of tree diversity destabilizes specialist herbivores, offering new insights into the mechanisms of pest outbreaks.

A new Bayesian framework for analysing gravitational-wave ringdown signals from black holes speeds up multi-mode inference, enhancing rapid and statistically robust tests of strong gravity.

Application of multiancestry and ensemble-based approaches yields improved polygenic risk prediction models for breast cancer and its subtypes among women of African ancestry.

Here the authors show that PARP inhibition activates SIRT-1–FOXO1 signaling to drive transcriptional and metabolic reprogramming of CD8⁺ T cells into central memory T cells with superior recall capacity and efficacy in adoptive therapy.