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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.

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.

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.

Typically, skyrmions appear in magnet systems which are non-centrosymmetric. Here, using neutron and X-ray scattering, Takagi et al show the emergence of a skyrmion phase in the centrosymmetric material EuAl₄. This expands the range of materials potential hosting skyrmions.

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.

Synchrotron and inverse-Compton emission provide evidence for a reverse-shock origin of the high-energy emission from a gamma-ray burst, GRB 180720B. The polarization of the optical emission originating from the reverse shock suggests a turbulent shock that is amplified by the magnetic field in the relativistic ejecta.

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.

Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) exhibit considerable cell-intrinsic changes with age. Here the authors demonstrate that differentially accessible regions in aged HSC chromatin are enriched for stress-responsive enhancers and act as an epigenetic hub to augment transcriptional responses of aged HSCs to external stimuli.

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.

Here, the authors profile the oral phageome of 4 healthy individuals via longread shotgun metagenomics using PromethION, a recently developed highthroughput nanopore sequencer, and uncover potential new candidate phages with enhanced scaffolding and their interaction with host bacteria.

Poly(carbazole-3,6-diyl-alt-9,9-dihexylfluorene-2,7-diyl)s bearing the functional groups such as imine, 1,3-oxazoline and pyridine at the 1,8-positions of the carbazole unit were synthesized by the Suzuki coupling polymerization to examine the structure–properties relationship. The formation of an intramolecular hydrogen bonding between the carbazole NH proton and the functional group influenced the UV–Vis and PL spectra, and generally decreased the fluorescence quantum yield. The chelate coordination of metal ions also had an impact on the optical properties.

The modification of cellulose nanocrystal film using alkyl silane and silane containing tertiary amino groups was performed in a suspension state. Control of the surface structure and functionalization by silane compounds was conducted in the two-stage process. Wettability change property of the silylation-modified CNC triggered by CO₂ was demonstrated.

The modification of cellulose nanocrystal film using glycidyl silane compounds was performed with a coating process. Control of the surface structure and functionalization by silylation was achieved. Postmodification using glycidyl groups in silane-modified cellulose nanocrystal was demonstrated.

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The formation of multiple intramolecular hydrogen bonds (IHBs) is a reliable method for obtaining conjugated oligomers with helical secondary structures, and imidazole with both proton-accepting and proton-donating abilities plays an important role. On the basis of its optical properties in conjunction with DFT calculations, a conjugated oligomer composed of alternating imidazole and 1,4-dihydroxybenzene units was found to (1) form robust IHBs, (2) be susceptible to both acid and base treatment, and (3) potentially adopt a helical conformation.

Mieko Sassa et al. report a novel divalent metal transporter protein (DMTRP) in the crown-of-thorns starfish genome and determine that all organisms with a DMTRP gene are located in marine habitats. They also show in a functional yeast system that DMTRP can prevent uptake of certain metals, bringing insight into the evolution of metal regulation for marine organisms.

Three poly(p-benzamide)s bearing oligothiophene on the amide nitrogen atom through the alkylene spacer were prepared by the chain-growth condensation polymerization using initiator and base in the presence of chelating reagent. The polymerization was found to proceed in the controlled manner as confirmed by the GPC and NMR analyses. The UV and PL measurements indicated that the p-stacked interaction between oligothiophene chromophores depended on the structure of the repeating unit.

We report a controlled chain-growth polymerization of methyl 3-octylaminobenzoate having a bithiophene chromophore at the 5-position of the benzene ring with the improved polymerization activity, which gives poly(N-octyl-m-benzamide)s with the better solubility. The introduction of a terthiophene chromophore at the propagating end is also described. From spectroscopic data and theoretical investigations, it was found that neighboring bithiophene chromophores have the π–π interaction and the excited energy can migrate along the polymer chain.

The regioselective halogen–magnesium exchange reaction of 4-(5″-hexylpyridine-2″-yl)-3-methoxy-2-(5′-bromothiophene-2′-yl)-5-bromothiophene (M3) with i-PrMgCl·LiCl, Kumada coupling polymerization using Ni(dppp)Cl₂ at the refluxing temperature and optoelectronic characterization of regiocontrolled oligo(bithiophene) (P3′) were investigated. The ultraviolet–visible and cyclic voltammogram measurements indicated that P3′ has the more planar conformation, increased highest occupied molecular orbital energy level and narrower bandgap energy as compared with a polythiophene derivative without the methoxy group. The non-covalent S···O interaction was supposed to be a reason for the planar conformation, which was supported by the theoretical density functional theory calculation.

Poly(ethylene glycol) with a molecular weight of 400 (PEG400) as an environmentally benign and highly viscous polymeric solvent was found to effectively accelerate the free radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate and to afford a high-molecular-weight polymer. The polymerization rate and the polymer molecular weight increase linearly with the square root of the viscosity η of the polymerization media. The kinetic study has shown that the highly viscous PEG400 solvent largely suppresses diffusion-controlled bimolecular termination.