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Acute kidney injury can progress to chronic kidney disease. Here Dehnadiet al. develop a post-ischaemic chronic kidney disease model in cynomolgus monkeys and show that prophylactic inhibition of CD11b/CD18 leukocyte receptor via a monoclonal antibody inhibits progression of kidney disease and fibrosis.

Foldamers are synthetic oligomers that adopt folded conformations through non-covalent intramolecular interactions. Here, Cariniet al. describe a family of foldamers with a large number of anthracene units that are able to transport charge efficiently at the single-molecule level.

Known genetic loci account for only a fraction of the genetic contribution to Alzheimer’s disease. Here, the authors have performed a large genome-wide meta-analysis comprising 409,435 individuals to discover 6 new loci and demonstrate the efficacy of an Alzheimer’s disease polygenic risk score.

Dry-season climate variability is a primary driver of tropical tree growth, according to observations from a pantropical tree-ring network.

It is unclear whether stream detritivore diversity enhances decomposition across climates. Here the authors manipulate litter diversity and examine detritivore assemblages in a globally distributed stream litterbag experiment, finding a positive diversity-decomposition relationship stronger in tropical streams, where detritivore diversity is lower.

The authors report a nanophotonic architecture consisting of a large-area hexagonal array of triskelia motifs, transferring its chirality to non-chiral materials placed atop and sustaining chiroptical resonances along the entire visible spectrum with luminescence dissymmetry factor up to 1 achieved.

Most genomics research cohorts are made up of participants of European ancestry, which limits the reach of precision medicine. Here, the authors describe the genetic diversity in the All of Us research program, which is enriched in underrepresented ancestries.

Bruzos et al. analyze >6,800 samples of Cerastoderma edule, generate a reference genome and follow the evolution of bivalve transmissible neoplasia that infects them. They find two lineages that show genomic instability but also long-term tolerance.

The CRISPR–Cas9 system is widely studied for its role as a phage defence system and for gene editing applications, but its evolutionary origins are poorly understood. Here the authors use ancestral sequence reconstruction to determine the evolutionary history and ancient protein sequences of Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 ancestors.

Analysis of the spread of the 20E (EU1) variant of SARS-CoV-2 through Europe suggests that international travel and insufficient containment, rather than increased transmissibility, led to a resurgence of infections.

Malignant cells with mesenchymal features display increased chromatin accessibility, particularly in the pericentromeric and centromeric regions, in turn resulting in delayed mitosis and catastrophic cell division.

Analysing data on the relative abundance of basal area of ectomycorrhizal trees from lowland tropical forests, the authors show that their distribution and abundance are independent of soil quality.

The phage-encoded arbitrium communication system controls the activity of the host bacterial toxin–antitoxin system MazE–MazF to regulate lysis–lysogeny decision.

Jose R. Alonso and colleagues describe technical advances that will allow the proposed IsoDAR (isotope decay at rest) cyclotron — being developed for neutrino physics research — to produce many medical isotopes more efficiently than existing cyclotrons can.

The cardiac conduction system dictates the pacing of the heartbeat, but despite its importance relatively little is known about the mechanisms underlying its development. Here they show that the G4 resolvase Dhx36 is important for regulating cardiac conduction system morphogenesis and function.

Genetic and Structural analysis of COVID patients cohort reveals a correlation between mitochondrial haplogroup and SARS-CoV-2 severity.

Previous studies identified an association between the 2q35 locus and breast cancer. Here, the authors show that a SNP at 2q35, rs4442975, is associated with oestrogen receptor positive disease and suggest that this effect is mediated through the downregulation of a known breast cancer gene, IGFBP5.

Both plant and animals utilize resistant proteins to recognise pathogens. In this work the authors illustrate how bacterial perception by a tomato resistant protein is communicated in order to protect plants against pathogens.

Radiation damages the healthy lung and triggers severe side effects. Here the authors provide a single cell atlas of the lung responses to radiation injury to explore the spatio-temporal dynamics of the mechanisms leading to radio-induced pulmonary fibrosis.

Enzyme engineering is opening up new chemistries. Here, the authors report enzymes engineered to contain two biological active sites — also showing that one site can be converted to a metal-complex catalyst — and demonstrate the utility of such dual sites in a range of catalytic processes.

Aortic aneurysm and dissection, the major problem linked to Marfan syndrome (MFS), lacks effective pharmacological treatment. Here, the authors show that the NO pathway is overactivated in MFS and that inhibition of guanylate cyclase and cGMP-dependent protein kinase reverts MFS aortopathy in mice.

Genome-wide association meta-analyses identify more than 350 loci associated with atrial fibrillation. A polygenic score derived from these results improves atrial fibrillation risk prediction compared to published clinical and polygenic scores.

Using a combination of molecular, genetic, functional and behavioural tools, this study describes the impact of brain synthesized estrogen in inhibitory neuronal function, network oscillations and hippocampal dependent memory.

Examination of archaeological pottery residues and modern genes suggest that environmental conditions, subsistence economics and pathogen exposure may explain selection for lactase persistence better than prehistoric consumption of milk.

Clinical studies have suggested that the therapeutic potential of polyclonal convalescent plasma is highest in the first days of symptoms. Here, the authors present results from a pooled analysis of two clinical trials in COVID-19 outpatients that did not provide conclusive evidence in favor of convalescent plasma.

While water splitting offers a renewable means to produce H₂ fuel, most electrolyzers rely on scarce elements to function. Here, authors study low-content Iridium catalysts derived from mixed oxides for proton exchange membrane water electrolysis anodes without compromising activity and durability.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) are involved in vascular remodeling associated with plaque progression. Little is known about their immune regulatory role in vascular disorders. Here, the authors report that MT4-MMP-deficiency increases the recruitment of patrolling monocytes to early atherosclerotic lesions, which accelerates atherosclerosis.

Following our call to join in the discussion over the suitability of implementing a reporting checklist for bio–nano papers, the community responds.

Tree species turnover across Amazonian forests unveils sharp floristic transitional zones, that are linked with changes in soil fertility and climate.

The transcription factor Nanog regulates self-renewal in pluripotent stem cells and cancer stem cells. Here the authors show that Nanog is expressed in mouse adult stratified epithelia, and its overexpression increases proliferation and aneuploidy and activates pathways associated to mitosis.

Schwaller et al. show that the USH2A protein, present in Meissner’s corpuscles, is necessary in humans and mice to perceive tiny vibrations. USH2A may facilitate force transfer to mechanoreceptors as the fingertip probes rough surfaces.

In breast cancer the contribution of different genetic variants to disease heritability is complex and not fully understood. Here, the authors present a network-based analysis in 84,567 patients studying ~7.3 million variants, identifying gene modules associated with breast cancer survival.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) lacks prognostic and predictive markers. Here, the authors use phosphoproteomics to define kinases with distinct activity profiles in TNBC, demonstrating their prognostic value as well as their utility for simplifying TNBC classification and designing drug regimens.