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Post-transcriptional regulation of mRNA translation was explored using Ribo-STAMP and single-cell RNA sequencing to reveal cell-type-specific and isoform-specific translation patterns across hippocampal neuronal and non-neuronal cell types, highlighting functional differences between CA1 and CA3.

Engineering polymerases to synthesize alternative genetic polymers remains a challenging problem in synthetic biology. Using DNA shuffling and droplet microfluidics, the current study provides a short evolutionary path from a DNA polymerase to one with robust RNA-synthesizing activity.

Sabatino and colleagues examine expanded CD8⁺ T cell clonotypes from a small cohort of multiple sclerosis patients. They identified several cognate peptide epitopes that derive from Epstein–Barr virus, suggesting EBV reactivation may drive pathogenesis in these patients.

Viral ribonucleoprotein–viral protein networks form pre-replication centres that nucleate viral factories and drive respiratory syncytial virus replication.

A combination of genome-wide functional screening, imaging and chromatin profiling identifies a new class of highly prevalent genomic elements that help retain extrachromosomal DNA copies in dividing cells and persist across generations.

The permeability of bacterial porins is dynamically regulated by periplasmic proton and potassium concentrations, altering antibiotic resistance.

Donahue et al. show that ageing is associated with changes in ER morphology. ER-phagy drives age-associated ER remodelling through tissue-specific factors.

Karposi’s Sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) infection is associated with malignancy in older infected humans. Here the authors characterise antigen presentation using a KSHV-specific CD4⁺ T cell-derived TCR in a mouse model and show that although KSHV-specific CD4⁺ T cells are difficult to detect in humans, antigen presentation is effective in vivo suggesting persistence and accumulation of these cells through antigen recognition.

Therapeutic gene editing in vivo is an ongoing challenge. Here, authors demonstrate Cas9 nickase guided DNA ligation as a nonviral method for installing permanent genomic corrections with favorable on target edit profiles in model animal cell types and adult mice.

DIAL designs synthetic promoters for generation of heritable setpoints of gene expression across a range of cell types.

Taveneau et al. leverage artificial-intelligence-driven protein design to create inhibitors that control RNA-targeting enzymes in cells, revealing a strategy to rapidly design off-switches for RNA-editing systems.

CaBLAM is a bioluminescent genetically encoded calcium indicator that delivers high-contrast signals as shown in cell culture, in the in vivo mouse brain and in zebrafish larvae.

The Panoptes antiphage system defends bacteria by detecting phage-encoded counter-defences that sequester cyclic nucleotide signals, triggering membrane disruption and highlighting a broader strategy of sensing immune evasion through second-messenger surveillance.

In living systems, ATP provides an energetic driving force for protein synthesis and modification. Now, an engineered enzymatic tool has been developed for high-yield, ATP-driven protein bioconjugation through versatile thioester intermediates. This method mimics biological strategies for peptide bond formation to enable precision chemical modification of proteins in vitro.

SpbK protects Bacillus subtilis from phage infection by depleting NAD⁺. In this study, the authors uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying SpbK’s self association-dependent NADase activity and its activation by the SPβ phage portal protein YonE.

Thermal imaging lenses are typically made from expensive materials such as germanium and silicon. Here, the authors synthesise a sulfur-based polymer with high mid-wave infrared and long-wave infrared transparencies, presenting a high-performing, low-cost alternative to traditional thermal imaging lens materials.

Engineered mucus-tethering bispecific nanobodies neutralize and entrap viruses to enhance mucosal immunity, preventing influenza infection and limiting SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

Transforming model heterotrophs into autotrophs is usually accomplished by engineering one carbon assimilation pathway and/or employing laboratory evolution. Here, the authors report the engineering of cyanobacterial endosymbionts in yeasts to achieve photosynthetic growth, carbon assimilation and natural products production.

The authors discover a homeostatic process termed interstasis, in which an increased concentration of proteins within RNA–protein condensates induces the sequestration of their own mRNAs.

The distinct architecture of the Escherichia coli membrane transporter LetA mediates lipid trafficking across the bacterial envelope in partnership with the tunnel-like complex LetB.

Intelectin-2 defends mucosal interfaces by crosslinking mucus and blocking microbial growth. This study reveals that mouse and human intelectin-2 recognizes galactose-rich glycans to bind and target diverse bacteria—uncovering a potent, dual-action lectin that shapes host–microbe balance.

Smc5/6 association with DNA junctions can support genomic functions. Here, the authors show that Smc5/6 junction polarity preferences, targeting, and dwell times are determined by its structural modules as well as the RPA and PCNA genomic factors.

Engineered DNA recombinases efficiently and specifically insert genetic cargos without the use of landing pads.

The impact of variants of uncertain significance (VUS) on protein function and cancer risk remain unclear. Here, the authors focus on the functional impact of VUS of the PALB2 gene and identify defects in DNA damage repair by homologous recombination associated with increased risk of breast cancer.

The recent global mpox outbreaks underscore the critical need for antiviral development, hindered by the complexity of the MPXV genome. Using yeast TAR cloning, CRISPR-Cas9, and Lambda Red recombination to engineer replication-defective MPXV, the authors offer a platform for therapeutic research and identify G243-1720, a compound with a tecovirimat-like mechanism, as a promising anti-poxvirus compound.

By learning a semantics of gene function based on genomic context, the genomic language model Evo autocompletes DNA prompts to generate novel genes encoding protein and RNA molecules with defined activities, whose sequences generalize beyond those found in nature.

The creation of artificial metalloenzymes compatible with complex biological settings could enable broad applications. Now a de novo-designed artificial metalloenzyme containing an abiological ruthenium cofactor is reported and optimized for ring-closing metathesis in the cytoplasm of whole cells.

Cyanobacterial bioenergetics may have driven chloroplast evolution. Here, the authors show that cyanobacterial endosymbionts expressing plastidic ADP/ATP carrier translocases from red algae and glaucophyte support photosynthesis-driven bioenergetic endosymbiosis, but not those from green land plants.

Many bacteria use the second messenger cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) to control motility, biofilm production and virulence. Here, the authors identify a thermosensitive enzyme that synthesizes c-di-GMP and modulates temperature-dependent motility, biofilm development and virulence in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Bunel et al. show that mitochondria behave as asymmetric fate determinants in vertebrates in vivo. Forcing their unequal segregation during mitosis is sufficient to drive premature neural differentiation of the daughter inheriting the smallest pool.

Magnetotactic bacteria use intracellular chains of ferrimagnetic nanocrystals, produced within magnetosome organelles, to align and navigate along the geomagnetic field. Here, Wan et al. identify two proteins involved in magnetosome positioning in Magnetospirillum magneticum, homologs of which are widespread among magnetotactic bacteria.

A combination of engineering a fluorine-selective trans-acyltransferase and manipulation of the fluorinated extender unit pool in Escherichia coli enables the production of site-selectively fluorinated erythromycin precursors in vitro in vitroin vitro and in vivo.

Lymphatics maintain lipid transport, immunity, and fluid balance. Kim J and Chaudhary S et al. reveal an AIBP-driven cholesterol efflux mechanism that regulates lymphangiogenesis via VEGF signaling.

Cas12a3 nucleases constitute a distinct clade of type V CRISPR–Cas bacterial immune systems that preferentially cleave the 3′ tails of tRNAs after recognition of target RNA to induce growth arrest and block phage dissemination.

RNA base-editors are often used in methods for RNA binding protein (RBP) target discovery. Here the authors present a new RBP target discovery method, PRINTER, and suggest optimal RNA base-editors for dual-RBP studies, emphasizing the importance of matching rBEs’ editing biases with RBPs’ binding preferences.

Sensory neuron population expansions are common in evolution but of unclear function. Here, the authors show that, in drosophilid olfactory systems, increased sensory neuron number impacts interneuron dynamics, but not sensitivity, to promote olfactory-guided behaviour.

The endosymbiotic theory posits that chloroplasts in eukaryotes arise from bacterial endosymbionts. Here, the authors engineer the yeast/cyanobacteria chimeras and show that the engineered cyanobacteria perform chloroplast-like functions to support the growth of yeast cells under photosynthetic conditions.

Zeng et al. applied single-particle cryo-electron microscopy to native samples isolated from the human parasite Toxoplasma gondii, determining multiple structures of key components of the conoid, a cone-shaped organelle essential for host cell invasion.

The STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory demonstrates evidence of spin correlations in \(\Lambda \bar{\Lambda }\) hyperon pairs inherited from virtual spin-correlated strange quark–antiquark pairs during QCD confinement.

The authors propose a universal descriptor for thermal conductivity based solely on the atomic number in the primitive cell and sound velocity, enabling rapid and scalable materials screening.

Saturation mutagenesis screening examines 11,520 point mutations in the kinase domains of FGFR1, FGFR2, FGFR3 and FGFR4, identifying their activating and resistance properties to the FGFR inhibitors pemigatinib and futibatinib.

Clb2 is a B-type cyclin essential for mitotic progression. Here, the authors found that the CLB2 mRNA localizes to the yeast bud via a cis-acting ZIP-code and She2/She3 transport machinery. This spatial regulation ensures proper cyclin protein levels, whereas its mislocalization perturbs division timing and bud size control.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are known to alleviate pain by reducing inflammation. To the contrary, here, the authors show that selective inhibition of the prostaglandin E2 receptor (EP2) in Schwann cells eliminates pain without disrupting the protective and healing functions of inflammation.

Kathiriya et al. identify a cardiac progenitor lineage with expression of Tbx5 and anterior heart field-specific expression of Mef2c that bisects the intraventricular septum during development and show that alterations in this lineage lead to congenital heart defects in mice.

Multiplexed assays of variant effect can resolve clinical variants but are incompatible with secreted proteins. Here Popp et al. develop MultiSTEP, a generalizable surface-tethering method to assess variant effects in secreted proteins at scale.