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A microfluidic-based system enables fast screening of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection through analysis of specific T-cell responses.

The integration of 1,024 independent silicon quantum dot devices with on-chip digital and analogue electronics, all of which operate below 1 K, allows characteristic data across the quantum dot array to be acquired and analysed in under 10 min.

In somatic cells the mechanisms maintaining the chromosome ends are normally inactivated; however, cancer cells can re-activate these pathways to support continuous growth. Here, the authors characterize the telomeric landscapes across tumour types and identify genomic alterations associated with different telomere maintenance mechanisms.

The flagship paper of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes Consortium describes the generation of the integrative analyses of 2,658 cancer whole genomes and their matching normal tissues across 38 tumour types, the structures for international data sharing and standardized analyses, and the main scientific findings from across the consortium studies.

Whole-genome sequencing data for 2,778 cancer samples from 2,658 unique donors across 38 cancer types is used to reconstruct the evolutionary history of cancer, revealing that driver mutations can precede diagnosis by several years to decades.

Yu, Li et al. show that VTA GABA and glutamate neurons induce sleep and waking, respectively, via projections to the lateral hypothalamus and nucleus accumbens. Thus, in addition to influencing reward-directed behaviors, the VTA regulates arousal.

The characterization of 4,645 whole-genome and 19,184 exome sequences, covering most types of cancer, identifies 81 single-base substitution, doublet-base substitution and small-insertion-and-deletion mutational signatures, providing a systematic overview of the mutational processes that contribute to cancer development.

In this study the authors consider the structural variants (SVs) present within cancer cases of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium. They report hundreds of genes, including known cancer-associated genes for which the nearby presence of a SV breakpoint is associated with altered expression.

HCMV rearranges the host cell to produce infectious virus but molecular details are still unclear. Here, the authors analyze the transcriptome of infected cells and show that HCMV turns on dormant neuronal genes through chromatin manipulation to achieve this goal.

The opportunity for sexual selection is a key evolutionary parameter but we know little about its temporal dynamics. Using data from multiple animal species the authors show that this metric varies rapidly through time and that simulations should be used to avoid substantial misinterpretation.

An increase in wildfire extent and related greenhouse gas emissions can be linked to abrupt climatic changes during the last glacial period.

The sensitivity of mesothelioma to the treatment of immune checkpoint blockade remains elusive. Here this group reports a double blind, placebo-controlled, randomized phase III trial of PD1 inhibitor (Nivolumab) on 332 patients with relapsed mesothelioma, and to uncover determinants of efficacy.

The realisation of film made up of different compositions using colloidal QD inks remains a challenge because of redispersing of underlying films by polar solvents. Here, the authors introduce aromatic ligands to achieve QD inks in weakly-polar solvents that enable fabrication of multi-compositional films.

Several cancer types show dysregulated expression of complement factor H (CFH). Here the authors report the results of a phase 1b dose escalation trial of GT103, a first-in-class, fully human, IgG3 monoclonal antibody targeting CFH, in patients with refractory NSCLC.

Anagnostou et al. present an improved predictor of response to immune checkpoint blockade that integrates estimates of tumor mutational burden corrected for tumor purity, RTK genomic alterations, a smoking-related mutational signature and HLA status.

Adaptive laboratory evolution experiments in Escherichia coli show that the pseudogene efeU can be repaired to restore the bacterium’s iron uptake system, demonstrating that pseudogenes may serve as an ‘adaptive repertoire’ of selectable traits.

In 28,841 individuals who underwent cardiac and liver MRI before being followed for a median of 4.3 years, detection of both liver and cardiac impairment by MRI was associated with cardiovascular- and liver-related hospitalization.

Experimental measurements of high-order out-of-time-order correlators on a superconducting quantum processor show that these correlators remain highly sensitive to the quantum many-body dynamics in quantum computers at long timescales.

Basal lubrication — the input of melt water to the interface between glaciers or ice sheets and bedrock — is often thought to increase ice velocity. However, recent theoretical work illustrated how the development of efficient subglacial drainage associated with high melt-water input can lead to reductions in ice velocity. Now, satellite observations of ice velocity in Greenland are used to provide empirical support: although initial ice speed-up is similar in all years, warm years with high melt-water input experience a dramatic late summer slowdown, relative to warm years. The findings show that expectations of speed-up from basal lubrication alone cannot be assumed to cause net ice speed-up.

The Est3 telomerase subunit has a critical, but still uncharacterized regulatory role in yeast telomere maintenance. An OB-fold is now predicted for Saccharomyces cerevisiae Est3 protein, and residues important for its association with the telomerase complex are identified.

NIPBL perturbation activates long terminal repeat (LTR)-derived alternative promoters due to reorganization of chromatin’s hierarchical structure, leading to LTR co-option and oncogene activation in melanoma cell lines.

Tumour evolution and heterogeneity in high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) remains poorly characterised. Here, the authors investigate the genomic landscape of HGSOC and reveal two distinct evolutionary trajectories associated with clinical outcomes.

Shaking evoked by wet fur or plumage is reproduced by a synthetic agonist of the cold and menthol receptor TRPM8, in rats, mice, and chickens. In water sprayed mice, the onset of the shaking behavior depends on water temperature and TRPM8 expression.

Non-Hermitian Hamiltonians have attracted significant attention because of the unconventional wave-dynamic effects they allow. Here, Hahn et al. report reconfigurable non-Hermitian photonic lattices that permit versatile control of real and imaginary sub-lattices in the optical spectral domain.

Alterations in the tumour suppressor genes STK11 and/or KEAP1 can identify patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer who are likely to benefit from combinations of PD-(L)1 and CTLA4 immune checkpoint inhibitors added to chemotherapy.

To date, lasing in colloidal quantum dot solids has been limited to the nanosecond temporal range, limiting the potential for solution-processed lasers. Here, the authors combine thermal management with low amplified spontaneous emission threshold to produce microsecond-sustained lasing.

RNA assembly has potential for developing biomaterials with tailored properties and functionalities. Here, the authors report on designed, angle-controllable RNA tiles for programmable 1D and 2D self-assembly of RNA, demonstrating RNA sensing and expanding the library of synthetic RNA nanostructures.

Voltage sensing of ion channels relies on charged transmembrane helices. Here authors use live-cell FLIM-FRET and nonsense suppression-mediated fluorescence labeling to reveal that voltage sensors undergo direct modulation by compartmentalized membrane domains.

This Review provides an overview of the main applications of single-port robotic surgery in urology, presenting emerging outcomes and discussing the transformative potential of this approach.

Acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) is a sphingolipid metabolizing enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of sphingomyelin to ceramide, and previous work has shown it is upregulated in models of Alzheimer’s disease. Here the authors demonstrate in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease that antibody-based immunotherapy targeting plasma ASM resulted in attenuated neuropathological features by suppressing pathogenic Th17 cells.

In an analysis of long-term safety events in 783 patients treated with T cell therapy in 38 trials, 2.3% of patients developed second primary malignancies, and vector integration analyses revealed no pathological insertions.