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ALMA telescope observations over a 7-year period have ‘filmed’ spiral arms winding in a protoplanetary disk. This motion is a hallmark of gravitational instability, a theory that suggests how giant planets might form far from their host stars.

A single-cell multiomic immune cell atlas from 235 Japanese, including patients with COVID-19 and healthy individuals, linked with host genetics including germline and somatic mutation, plasma proteomics and metagenomics data reveals that immune cells are dynamically regulated in a cell state-dependent manner.

The XRISM Resolve spectrum of the galactic neutron star X-ray binary, GX 13+1, reveals one of the densest winds ever seen in absorption lines.

Physiology of seed germination has been optimized for various climatic conditions. Here, the authors report a 14-3-3 protein encoding gene GF14h is responsible for temperature-dependent rice germination by regulating ABA-responsive genes and contributes to the geographical adaptation of rice.

Generation and control of short pulse is desired for ultrafast applications. Here the authors demonstrate ultrafast pulse generation using self-evolving photonic crystal that can transition from high loss to low loss state based on dynamic dispersion compensation.

Genetic mechanisms influencing COVID-19 susceptibility are not well understood. Here, the authors analyzed whole blood RNA-seq data of 465 Japanese individuals with COVID-19, highlighting thousands of fine-mapped variants affecting expression and splicing of genes, as well as the presence of COVID-19 severity-interaction eQTLs.

A genome-wide association study highlights a variant in DOCK2, which is common in East Asian populations but rare in Europeans, as a host genetic risk factor for severe COVID-19.

The properties of magnetic, crystalline solids can be described in terms of quantum particles of spin-wave and lattice-vibration energy, known as magnons and phonons respectively. Here, the authors show that strong magnon-phonon coupling in a noncollinear antiferromagnet can create magnetoelastic excitations.

Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy based on a single-molecule transistor detects a THz-induced centre-of-mass oscillation of a fullerene molecule. Its sensitivity is so high that the spectrum changes on adding (removing) an electron to (from) the molecule.

Analysis of the blood DNA virome in patients with COVID-19 and autoimmune disease associates endogenous HHV-6 (eHHV-6) and high anellovirus load with increased disease risk, most notably for systemic lupus erythematosus. eHHV-6 carriers show a distinct immune response.

Sulfation of chondroitin sulfate and heparan sulfate dictates their abilities to promote axon growth via regulating the binding to the phosphatase PTPRσ and the consequences on phosphorylation of the cortactin component of the autophagy machinery.

Skeletal development relies on endochondral ossification. Here the authors show that transcription factors Foxc1 and Gli2 interact to modulate expression of Ihh target genes that control endochondral ossification, and that disruption of this interaction partly underlies skeletal disorders in the Axenfeld–Rieger syndrome.

Using more than 100 independent iPSC lines derived from patients with Alzheimer’s disease, the authors discovered loci associated with the neuronal production of amyloid β and confirmed their influence using RNA interference.

A global network of researchers was formed to investigate the role of human genetics in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity; this paper reports 13 genome-wide significant loci and potentially actionable mechanisms in response to infection.

The spatial organization of porous coordination-polymer crystals into higher-order structures is critical for their integration in heterogeneous catalysts, separation systems and electrochemical devices. A method for spatially controlling the nucleation site leading to the formation of mesoscopic architecture in porous coordination polymers, in both two and three dimensions, is now demonstrated.

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 73 Japanese patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and 75 healthy controls were analyzed using single-cell transcriptomics. Combining these data with genotyping data highlights the interplay between host genetics and the immune response in modulating disease severity.

Ito et al. present CoVFit, an AI model that predicts variant fitness (transmissibility) from spike protein sequences alone. They further demonstrate its utility in forecasting viral evolution via single amino acid mutations.

Here, the authors analytically derive the general conditions for 100-W-to-1-kW-class single-mode operation in ultra-large-area (3~10 mm) photonic crystal lasers. Such high power single-mode semiconductor lasers will bring innovation to a wide variety of fields.

While diet is essential for daily nutrient acquisition, excessive intake of sugar-rich foods drives obesity and related health issues like diabetes. Here, the authors show that commensal bacterium S. salivarius curbs obesity by transforming dietary sugars into beneficial compounds.

Volatiles from herbivore-infested plants can function as chemical warning signals to neighbouring plants. Here the authors show that a tomato UDP-glycosyltransferase can convert a volatile signal emitted by infested plants to promote plant defense.

Structural elucidation of the pore form of binary Iota toxin Ib with its toxic subunit, Ia, visualizes interactions mediating Ia translocation through the pore and extension of the Ia N-terminus consistent with a Brownian ratchet translocation mechanism.

Yoshida et al. show in mice that sustained engagement in motivated behavior requires suppression of ventral hippocampus activity through activation of median raphe serotonin neurons.

Contact hypersensitivity is caused by the reaction of T cells to various chemical contact allergens. Here, the authors unveil the signalling pathway induced in dendritic cells in response to contact allergens, which is required for the stimulation of T-cell sensitization in contact hypersensitivity.

Previous genome-wide association studies have identified risk loci for pancreatic cancer but were centered on individuals of European ancestry. Here the authors identify GP2 gene variants associated with pancreatic cancer susceptibility in populations of East Asian ancestry.

Chiea Chuen Khor, Tin Aung, Francesca Pasutto, Janey Wiggs and colleagues report a global genome-wide association study of exfoliation syndrome and a fine-mapping analysis of a previously identified disease-associated locus, LOXL1. They identify a rare protective variant in LOXL1 exclusive to the Japanese population and five new common variant susceptibility loci.

Porosity in metal–organic materials typically relies on highly ordered crystalline networks, which hinders material processing and morphological control. Here, the authors use metal–organic polyhedra as porous monomers in supramolecular polymerization to produce colloidal spheres and gels with intrinsic microporosity.

Orchid seeds are conventionally thought to be wind dispersed. However, extensive observation with motion sensor cameras shows that birds such as the brown-eared bulbul eat and disperse the seeds of at least one orchid, Cyrtosia septentrionalis.

Cardiomyocytes (CMs) derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) suffer from limited maturation. Here the authors identify ERRγ agonist as a factor that enhances cardiac morphological, metabolic, contractile and electrical maturation of hiPSC-derived CMs with T-tubule formation.