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Quantum sensors based on NV centers in diamond can reach sub-nanometer spatial resolution, but high temporal resolution remains a challenge. Here the authors report an ultrafast electro-optical sensor using NV centers, demonstrating surface electric field sensing with nanometer–femtosecond resolution.

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.

By selectively isolating and sequencing the rare RNA transcripts containing C9orf72 repeat expansion from ALS–FTD neurons, the authors uncover an alternative splicing mechanism that explains the retention of this intron segment in a translated mRNA.

Crown ethers have been used as strong and selective binders for alkali metals and other cations since their discovery. Here the authors observe crown ether type structures in partially oxidized graphene and through simulations predict that they have similar abilities to selectively bind cations.

Growing anisotropic 2D materials with controlled orientation is desired to enable the large-scale synthesis of 2D chiral single crystals. Here, the authors report an epitaxial method to grow chirality-selected unidirectional ReS₂ monolayers and 2D MoO₂ crystals on insulating chiral surfaces, showing polarization-sensitive photodetection properties.

Fang et al. demonstrate that OsHSFA4d enhances thermotolerance by activating HSP101 and promoting CslF6 expression, which suppresses disease resistance. It is phosphorylated by OsCDPK24/28, increasing its DNA binding ability under heat stress. This trade-off mechanism of abiotic/biotic stress may broadly exist in plant kingdom.

In this Perspective, members of the Aging Biomarker Consortium outline the X-Age Project, an Aging Biomarker Consortium plan for building standardized aging clocks in China. The authors discuss the project roadmap and its aims of decoding aging heterogeneity, detecting accelerated aging early and evaluating geroprotective interventions.

Single-nucleus RNA sequencing can be applied to FFPE tissues, but isolating intact nuclei remains challenging. Here the authors develop a low-temperature enzymatic dissociation strategy for rapid, high-yield and high-fidelity nuclei extraction, and demonstrate its applicability to single-nucleus sequencing of various sample types.

Overcoming the suppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) is crucial to improving the efficacy of cancer therapy. Here the authors show that, in mouse cancer models, administration of exogenous IL-16 establishes a Th1-dominant TME via regulation of glutamine catabolism and triggers a Th1 cell-macrophage crosstalk, enhancing anti-tumor immune responses and the efficacy of immunotherapy.

Super pangenome of the Vitis genus assembled from haplotype-resolved genomes of 72 global Vitis accessions characterizes the landscape of structural variants (SVs) and identifies SV–expression quantitative trait loci for downy mildew resistance.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have improved our understanding of the genetic basis of lung adenocarcinoma but known susceptibility variants explain only a small fraction of the familial risk. Here, the authors perform a two-stage GWAS and report 12 novel genetic loci associated with lung adenocarcinoma in East Asians.

The authors report a wet-chemistry-based method to fabricate amorphous, transferable high-k copper calcium titanate thin films as dielectrics for two-dimensional electronic devices.

Genomic analyses of Citrus species including haplotype-resolved genomes of Citrus sinensis and Citrus aurantium highlight the origin of sweet orange and provide a strategy for de novo domestication of perennial crops.

The use of biomarkers of ageing is crucial for investigating age-related processes. This Review discusses biomarkers of ageing and of ageing-associated physiological changes, at the cellular, tissue and organism levels in humans and non-human primates.

Guo et al. report a small molecule agonist of mitochondrial fusion that activates MFN1, an outer mitochondrial membrane protein, and protects cells from mitochondrial damage and ischemia/reperfusion injury in a mouse model.

Lfy1 is a maize mutant identified 50 years ago with increased leaf number above the primary ear and later flowering time. Here, the authors reveal that a Copia LTR-retrotransposon insertion leads to enhanced expression of an AAA ATPase encoding gene to give the mutant phenotype.

By characterizing the dynamics of epitranscriptomes and translatomes upon Magnaporthe oryzae infection, the authors uncover that ac4C enriched in the 3rd nt of codons improves translation of mRNA to enhance rice resistance against M. oryzae.

Precisely regulating protein folding for biomanufacturing and biomedicine is of great significance but remains challenging. In this work, the authors report a covalent organic framework (COF)-directed protein refolding strategy to modulate protein conformation by rationally designed covalent COFs with adapted pore structures and customizable microenvironments.

Lithocholic acid is one of the metabolites upregulated during calorie restriction, and treatment of mice, worms and flies with this bile acid alone can reproduce the health benefits of calorie restriction.

rG4s are G-quadruplex structures found in transcriptome. Many RNAs can fold into rG4s in vitro, yet their folding and functions in vivo are not well understood. Here the authors showed that rG4s folding is dynamically regulated under stress in human cells.

The adsorptive separation of olefin–paraffin mixtures requires the development of robust adsorbents with high selectivity and adsorption capacity. Here the authors develop a physiosorbent featuring surface sieving carbon skins several nanometers in thickness, with molecular-selective pores centered at 3.6 Å, for separation of C₃H₆ and C₃H₈ with high dynamic selectivity.

Zwitterionic hydrogels are nonfouling and hemocompatibility but several key challenges such as weak mechanical strength and low adhesion hamper their application as coating materials for devices. Here, the authors report a microgel reinforced zwitterionic hydrogel with excellent mechanical robustness and anti-swelling properties.

C9orf72 repeat expansion is the major genetic cause of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Here, the authors show that transcriptome aberrations commonly found in c9ALS/FTD are a result from defects in cellular RNA surveillance pathways that involve an RNA helicase UPF1.

Targeting ribosome biogenesis with the ribosome inhibitor, homoharringtonine (HHT), is effective in leukaemia but not in solid tumours. Here, the authors demonstrate that in solid tumours, activation of JNK signaling following HHT-induced ribosomal stress promotes Snail1 accumulation in the nucleolus which facilitates ribosome biogenesis and resistance to HHT.

This study maps the DNA methylome profile of adult mouse dentate gyrus neurons at the single-base resolution and finds prevalent methylation of both CpG dinucleotides and non-CpG cytosines (CpH). The study also shows that CpH methylation can repress transcription. Furthermore, CpH methylation is recognized by the Rett syndrome–associated protein MeCP2, which is established during neuronal maturation and maintained by DNA methyltransferase DNMT3A.

Chemical doping has been essential to improve electrical properties of polymeric semiconductors for organic electronics. Here, authors report coupled reaction-assisted doping by introducing a thermodynamically favorable reaction with additives highly reactive to the reduction product of the dopant.

Textbook theory asserts that dislocation hardening inherently sacrifices ductility. Here, the authors report that high-density dislocations with segregation-modified configurations produced by additive manufacturing increase strength without compromising ductility.

Nucleotide second messengers are employed by many bacterial species to regulate various cellular processes. Here, the authors demonstrate that 2',3'-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (2',3'-cGMP) controls the important biological functions and virulence in Ralstonia solanacearum by abolishing the interaction between a transcriptional regulator and the promoters of target genes.

Microbial ecological strategies are expected to be phylogenetically conserved, but plasticity and acclimation to environmental change may complicate the picture. Here, the authors show that shifts in soil bacterial ecological strategies deviate from phylogenetic-based predictions after acclimation to long-term warming and CO₂ enrichment.

A mechanical exfoliation method for producing freestanding metal oxide ultrathin flakes is reported. The flakes can be transferred and integrated with 2D materials, providing a platform to investigate the fundamental properties of ultrathin metal oxides.

Resequencing and genome-wide association analysis of 683 common bean accessions across different latitudes identifies 505 loci associated with yield components, of which seed size, flowering and harvest maturity traits are stable across environments.

The molecular mechanism underlying how lithocholic acid recapitulates the lifespan and healthspan benefits of calorie restriction is revealed to involve TULP3, sirtuins, v-ATPase and AMPK.

Noble metallic subnanometre clusters exhibit superior catalytic activities, but their stability remains a problem. Zhang et al. report that single niobium atoms can be stabilized in graphitic layers and the resulting carbide complex exhibits higher activity compared with commercial platinum nanoclusters.

Machine-learned potentials are accurate but often lack broad applicability. Here, authors develop a general-purpose neuroevolution potential for 16 metals and their alloys, achieving efficient and accurate predictions of various physical properties.

The pan-genome of 17 wheat cultivars grown in China is explored, providing insights into the breeding history of wheat in East Asia.

The conserved HEAT repeat protein HPO-27 is identified as a lysosome scission factor in Caenorhabditis elegans, and the human homologue MROH1 also serves the same function to maintain lysosomal homeostasis.

It remains a challenge to fully control molecular electronics. Here, Meng et al. show a reversible two-mode single-molecule switch, where the conductance through the molecular backbone is controlled by an in situ chemical gating via bias-dependent trans–cis isomerisation on an azobenzene sidegroup.

A large-scale single-cell transcriptomic atlas of the non-human primate Macaca fascicularis encompasses over 1 million cells from 45 adult tissues.

Polaronic behavior associated with the Jahn-Teller effect has been studied in NV centers in diamond but other types of polarons are possible. Here the authors study electro-optical response of NV centers using ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy and find an enhancement due to cooperative polaronic effect.

Controlling the kinetics and thermodynamics of electrochemical processes is essential to achieve high-performance multielectron reduction. Here, the authors report laser-induced copper bipyramids with abundant nanograins and controlled tip angles for enhanced multielectron CO₂ and nitrate reduction.

Population analysis of 516 wild and domesticated broomcorn millet genomes and a graph-based pangenome based on de novo assemblies of 32 representative accessions identify genomic variations associated with domestication traits.