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A new version of nanorate DNA sequencing, with an error rate lower than five errors per billion base pairs and compatible with whole-exome and targeted capture, enables epidemiological-scale studies of somatic mutation and selection and the generation of high-resolution selection maps across coding and non-coding sites for many genes.

Pre-intercalation with alkali-metal ions is attractive for accessing higher reversible capacity and improved rate performance in Li-ion batteries. Topochemical single-crystal transformations in a tunnel-structured positive electrode are used to clarify the effect of pre-intercalation in modifying the host lattice and altering diffusion pathways.

Issa et al. show that the ciliary small guanosine triphosphatase Arl3 displaces the inhibitory regulator Shulin/DNAAF9 from the outer dynein arm, leading to motor activation.

Duan and Kaushik et al. reveal the structural basis of how Escherichia coli and Thermus thermophilus RNA polymerases initiate transcription from Np₄A alarmones producing Np₄-capped transcripts. The caps form various interactions with a polymerase during initial steps, influencing capping efficiency.

Dual cyclin A/B RxL inhibitors selectively kill small cell lung cancer cells and other cancer cells with high E2F activity.

The direct contribution of aberrant epithelial cells to lung fibrosis is largely unknown. The authors use murine and human systems to identify how these cells activate fibroblasts, and how reciprocal signals cause them to enter a profibrotic state.

The two-dimensional layered crystal structure of niobium oxide polymorph T-Nb₂O₅ exhibits fast Li-ion diffusion that is promising for energy storage applications. Epitaxial growth of single-crystalline T-Nb₂O₅ thin films with ionic transport channels oriented perpendicular to the surface are now demonstrated.

Integrated scanning probe techniques in combination with first-principles theory unveil the crystallization of electron polarons into quasi-one-dimensional polaron superlattices in individual polypentacene molecules.

Using SCN2A haploinsufficiency as a proof-of-concept, upregulation of the existing functional gene copy through CRISPR activation was able to rescue neurological-associated phenotypes in Scn2a haploinsufficient mice and human neurons.

In this work, authors show that O-redox in 4d and 5d transition metal oxides involves the formation of molecular oxygen trapped in the particles. These results are in accord with observations in 3d oxides and show that the greater covalency of the 4d and 5d oxides does not stabilise peroxo-like species.

Tumour-antigen-pulsed mature dendritic cells (DC) have not been as efficient for cancer therapy as hoped to be, due to their sub-optimal antigen-presentation and migration capacities. Here the authors utilise DC progenitors, constitutively expressing IL-12 and an engineered extracellular vesicle-internalizing receptor (EVIR), which give rise to mature conventional type 1 DCs with improved antigen presenting capacities, resulting in improved anti-tumour immunity in a mouse model of melanoma.

Ultra-high-capacity Li–air batteries have low Coulombic efficiency and degrade during re-charging, resulting in a poor cycle life. Redox mediators enable improvements but only at undesirably high potentials. The origin of this high potential and the impact of purported reactive intermediates has now been elucidated by resolving the charging mechanism using Marcus theory.

A mass spectrometry-based approach globally identifies protein regulators of metabolism and reveals the role of LRRC58 in controlling cysteine catabolism.

Here the authors show that mutations in V-ATPase genes in follicular lymphoma trigger V-ATPase-dependent autophagy. This process, linked to tryptophan metabolism and ribosome biogenesis, may help tumor cells thrive under stress conditions.

In this work, authors utilise comparative transcriptomics to reveal lncRNAs that distinguish pathogen-specific from core macrophage responses. They identify a Q fever-specific AHR-regulated CYP1B1-AS1/CYP1B1 axis that modulates mitochondrial homeostasis and survival of Coxiella burnetii.

A new artificial intelligence model, DeepSeek-R1, is introduced, demonstrating that the reasoning abilities of large language models can be incentivized through pure reinforcement learning, removing the need for human-annotated demonstrations.

UCHL5 is a deubiquitinating enzyme that cleaves Lys-48-linked polyubiquitin chains. Here, the authors discover through in-vivo CRISPR-Cas9 screens that Uchl5 is involved in immune evasion and modulation of extracellular matrix deposition in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Owing to electron localization, two-dimensional materials are not expected to be metallic at low temperatures, but a field-induced quantum metal phase emerges in NbSe₂, whose behaviour is consistent with the Bose-metal model.

UTe₂ is a proposed intrinsic topological superconductor, but its quasiparticle surface band has not yet been visualized. Now this is achieved using quasiparticle interference imaging, revealing the symmetry of the superconducting order parameter.

Bioactivity-guided isolation of specialized metabolites is an iterative process. Here, the authors demonstrate a native metabolomics approach that allows for fast screening of complex metabolite extracts against a protein of interest and simultaneous structure annotation.

It has been proposed that phonons propagating through a material can be used for quantum computing, in a similar manner to photons. Now, several of the quantum gates and measurements needed for this approach have been demonstrated.

GBA, a major gene for Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies, is associated with increased risk of developing dementia. Here, we demonstrate that GBA mutations in mice contribute to cognitive deficits through α-synuclein-independent mechanisms that impact synaptic vesicle endocytosis.

Across species, how aging leads to progressive spatial memory decline is not fully understood. This study reports dysfunctional spatial coding by aged entorhinal grid cells and networks related to impaired spatial memory and identifies implicated neuronal gene expression changes.

This work presents SCIGEN, a machine learning framework integrating geometric constraints into material generation. The framework enables the discovery of stable quantum material candidates, and the authors synthesize two predicted magnetic materials.

A combination of mouse model data and data from a randomized phase 2 trial in patients with breast cancer in remission demonstrates feasibility, safety and a reduction in residual tumor cells following treatment with hydroxychloroquine and/or everolimus.

Hydropower is a clean energy source but dams trap river sediment, decreasing delivery downstream and to coastlines. In the Mekong River Basin, replacing some hydropower dams with solar, wind and energy storage facilities could maintain energy supply while reducing impact on sediment transport.

This paper quantified carbon flux between two major plant metabolisms—photorespiration and C₁ metabolism—using ¹³CO₂ labelling and isotopically non-stationary metabolic flux analysis.

Although uranium-nitrogen multiple bonding is well developed, there are far fewer uranium-phosphorus and -arsenic multiple bonds, and none for antimony, even in spectroscopic scenarios. Here, the authors report syntheses of uranium-stibido, -stibinidiide, -distibene, and -stibinidene derivatives containing single, double, and pseudo-triple bond interactions.

A UCP1-independent mechanism of thermogenesis involving ATP-consuming metabolism of monomethyl branched-chain fatty acids in peroxisomes is described and a previously unrecognized role for peroxisomes in adipose tissue thermogenesis is identified.

A novel multistep strategy reveals how parent-of-origin effects shape complex traits in large-scale biobanks.

Genomic analyses of DNA from modern individuals show that, about 800 years ago, pre-European contact occurred between Polynesian individuals and Native American individuals from near present-day Colombia, while remote Pacific islands were still being settled.

Heart failure can be caused by cardiac fibroblasts replacing myocytes. Here, the authors use functional genomic data from fibroblasts, genetic signals enriched in people with heart disease, and gene perturbation analyses to link disease-associated regulatory elements to protein-coding genes.

This study presents a splice-based selection method that enriches actively editing cells in base editing screening at target loci, reducing the number of unedited cells from over 40% to less than 10%.

Scaffolding protein ankyrin-B, implicated in cardiometabolic syndrome, enables mitochondrial fission and flexibility of nutrient utilization under energetic stress in skeletal muscle to support energy production and optimal exercise capacity.

A fresh approach to protein design that incorporates excited intermediate states enables precise control over the lifetime of protein interactions, with potential applications in cell-signalling modulation and in biosensors and synthetic circuits.

The electronic ground state of a correlated oxide interface is reversibly switched by light. Stemming from interfacial reconstructions, electrostatic confinement and photodoping, this effect opens a path towards engineering the optical response of oxides.

Neuroinflammation following intracortical microelectrode implantation impairs long-term brain-machine interface performance. Here, the authors developed a nanoparticle-based therapy that improves local hemostasis and delivers dexamethasone, reducing inflammation.

Alcohol use disorder drives transcriptional and regulatory changes in the caudate nucleus. Here, authors show, using a single-cell multiomic analysis, cell type-specific disruptions of gene expression, chromatin accessibility, and cell communication.

A PICALM allele associated with increased risk of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease has a microglial-specific role in lipid droplet accumulation.

Correlated photons from parametric down-coversion driven by a CW laser are used for time- and frequency-resolved spectroscopy, enabling sub-second acquisition times on biological samples and single-photon excitation of photosynthetic processes.

Biomolecular phase separation arises from collective molecular interactions and is emerging as a key theme for biological function. Here the authors propose a broadly applicable method to quantify these interactions based on compositional and energetic parameters.

High-density multimodal soft bioelectronic fibres provide a platform for minimally invasive implantable electronics, where diverse sensing and stimulation functionalities can be effectively integrated.

Oxygen redox cathodes deliver higher energy densities than those based on transition metal redox but commonly exhibit voltage fade on extended cycling. The loss of O-redox capacity and voltage fade is shown to arise from a reduction in O²⁻/O₂ redox process reversibility and O₂ loss.

Systems with strong photon-photon interactions enable advanced quantum optical applications as well as the study of highly correlated light-matter states. Here the authors report strong coupling between single- and two-photon states in a superconducting circuit, enabling a new regime of nonlinear quantum optics.

Enhanced polyamine depletion in neuroblastoma models decreases translation of mRNA codons with adenosine in the third position, reprogramming the tumour proteome away from cell cycle progression and towards differentiation.

When senescent cells accumulate during adulthood they negatively influence lifespan and promote age-dependent changes in several organs; clearance of these cells delayed tumorigenesis in mice and attenuated age-related deterioration of several organs without overt side effects, suggesting that the therapeutic removal of senescent cells may be able to extend healthy lifespan.

Mellor et al. report that deficiency of GABARAPL1, an ATG8-specific linking protein, impairs diastolic function in diabetic mice. This effect can be reversed by gene delivery of the gene encoding GABARAPL1 in diabetic mice and a human organoid model of type 2 diabetes.