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The nature of the defects in amorphous materials, analogous to vacancies and dislocations in crystals, remains a matter of debate. Scalliet et al. show that localized and extended defects coexist in a wide range of conditions, yet are associated with distinct energy scales in a prototypical glass model.

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

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.

Microscopic imaging and biochemical studies show that sinuses in mouse and human form a highly dynamic surface that regulates fluid movement and immune cell surveillance via RAMP1-dependent regulation of smooth muscle contraction and RAMP2-dependent regulation of the sinus endothelial barrier.

Neuroinflammation triggers DNA damage and subsequent parthanatos-mediated neuron death. Inhibiting parthanatos in a mouse model of autoimmune inflammation is neuroprotective and reduces disease-associated paralysis.

Plant diversity plays a key role in regulating ecosystem processes, yet its influence on global soil carbon release remains unclear. This study suggests that higher plant species richness is associated with greater soil respiration in low- to mid-productivity forests but has little effect in highly productive systems.

Metallic glasses are strong but at the same time are brittle once they yield. A new Pd-based metallic glass now shows significantly enhanced fracture toughness. The unique combination of yield strength and toughness makes this glass comparable to the toughest as well as strongest materials known.

Conventional slurry electrodes limit high-energy lithium batteries. This work shows that dry-processed electrodes with molecularly coupled carbon–binder networks enable high mass and active material loading, supporting stable high-voltage operation and enhancing battery energy density.

The transcription factor ATF4 and its effector lipocalin 2 (LCN2) have a key role in immune evasion and tumour progression, and targeting the ATF4–LCN2 axis might provide a way to treat several types of solid tumour by increasing anti-cancer immunity.

Classical theory predicts that glass dynamics exhibit a singularity at some finite temperature. Zhao et al. test this theory in fossil amber by determining upper bounds of the equilibrium relaxation times, and find no such behaviour even far below the glass transition challenging conventional assumptions.

Electron transfer in molecular wires is typically dominated by tunnelling at short lengths. Now it is shown that conjugated molecular wires anchored to indium tin oxide electrodes exhibit a hopping mechanism even at 1-nm lengths, enabling charge extraction in tin perovskite solar cells and improved device performance.

Here authors demonstrate how a 2D hybrid perovskite melts and forms glass, uncovering atomic-scale structural and dynamic evolution across the crystal–liquid–glass transition. Local structural motifs are retained, advancing understanding of amorphous hybrid materials.

Circulating tumor cell (CTC) clusters are key drivers of metastasis, yet their formation in tumors lacking classical adhesion molecules is unclear. Here, the authors discover that hyaluronic acid promotes homotypic and heterotypic CTC clustering by initiating early cell contacts and stabilizing mature interactions.

The contribution of ether lipid species in cancer cell fate has not been fully understood yet. Here the authors show that malignant cancer cells employ ether lipids to modulate membrane biophysical properties, enhancing iron endocytosis and ferroptosis susceptibility.

Understanding how biosilica forms is crucial to our knowledge of this important biomaterial. Now, the role of collagen as structuring agent for the metre-long spicules of a primitive glass sponge has been revealed and found to have an unusual peptide motif.

Reliably probing rejuvenation and memory effects in spin glasses by means of simulations is difficult. Now, a state-of-the-art numerical study shows that at least three different length scales play a crucial role in aging dynamics of spin glasses.

Photonic time crystals (PTCs) have unveiled unusual band structures and phenomena due to temporal modulation of optical properties. Here, the authors address non-Hermitian features of PTCs within a purely Hermitian Hamiltonian description, bridging classical and quantum approaches.

Silicon anodes promise much higher battery capacity but are limited by poor storage life. This work identifies key ageing mechanisms and suggests ways to improve long-term stability.

This study shows how the bacterial retron Eco2 defends against viruses. Phage nucleases trigger activation of Eco2, which cuts RNAs, shuts down protein production and stops phage replication.

The authors present a genetically encoded tool based on a bifunctional enzyme that can regenerate NAD⁺ while executing an engineered glycerol shunt. The tool successfully restored redox imbalance and modulated lipid metabolism in vitro and in a mouse hepatic steatosis model.

Polyamides (PAs) or nylons are types of plastics with wide applications, but due to their accumulation in the environment, strategies for their deconstruction are of interest. Here, the authors screen 40 potential nylon-hydrolyzing enzymes (nylonases) using a mass spectrometry-based approach and identify a thermostabilized N-terminal nucleophile hydrolase as the most promising for further development, as well as crucial targets for progressing PA6 enzymatic depolymerization.

The authors find that distinct radial glia subtypes generate and support midbrain dopaminergic neurons, revealing specialized function and lineage relationships among the diverse cell types that shape dopamine neuron development.

Our understanding of shock metamorphism and thus the collision of planetary bodies is limited by a dependence on ex situ analyses. Here, the authors perform in situ analysis on shocked-produced densified glass and show that estimates of impactor size based on traditional techniques are likely inflated.

Phototrophic bacteria could be used for chemical manufacturing from various carbon sources. This Review discusses the pathways, engineering and potential application of solar chemical biosynthesis.

The relocalization of the vacuolar calcium pump Cdt1 to the plasma membrane contributes to fluconazole adaptation in Candida auris.

Kornfeld-Sylla et al reveal how alpha brainwaves are altered in children and adults with Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) and find parallel changes in alpha-like rhythms in juvenile and adult FXS model mice, showing their use for testing potential therapies.

Targeting neurons that regulate energy balance may offer new approaches for obesity treatment. Here, authors show that chemogenetic and pharmacological manipulation of GABAergic neurons in the DRN/vlPAG increases adaptive thermogenesis and reduces weight gain in mice fed a highfat diet.

The relative contribution of lipid catabolism on fasting-induced longevity was unknown. Authors showed lifespan extension from fasting depend on silencing lipid catabolism upon nutrient replenishment through phosphorylation of NHR-49 by KIN-19.

Metallic glasses can be softened to different shapes whilst maintaining mechanical properties, and the related thermoplastic processing requires a heating source and an applied force. Here, the authors show an effective thermoplastic approach by a coupling between electric pulses and a magnetic field.

Benito-Martínez, Salavessa and colleagues show that keratin intermediate filaments and microtubules control the three-dimensional perinuclear position of melanin-containing organelles, shielding the DNA from photodamage.

Biopolymers can couple to membrane lipids and condense to prewet membranes. Here a range of membrane perturbations in reconstituted systems and cells show that the prewetting is sensitive to membrane composition and phase transitions and can drive interorganelle contact.

Copper is well known for its high antimicrobial efficacy; however, cost, appearance and metallic properties limit application. Here the authors describe a stable, water dispersible copper-glass ceramic powder with long-term antimicrobial activity as an additive for antimicrobial surfaces.

Mitochondria that are transported from satellite glial cells in dorsal root ganglia to peripheral sensory neurons through tunneling nanotube-like structures provide protection against peripheral neuropathy.

The crystal formation waiting time of a homogeneous supercooled liquid exhibits a pronounced minimum depending on temperature, and this minimum is a measure of glass forming ability. Here, the authors propose an expression for this minimum for all metallic glasses that depends only on two fitting parameters.

Experiments with high-molecular-weight polystyrene provide insights into the mechanisms behind rotational-translational decoupling in glassy systems. Specifically, particularly mobile molecules exhibiting anisotropic trajectories are found to play a key role in Debye-Stokes-Einstein breakdown.

Endosomal sequestration of lipid-based nanoparticles is a barrier to delivery of nucleic acids. Here the authors test an array of cholesterol variants and perform in-depth investigation of nanoparticle shape, internal structure and intracellular trafficking.

Direct growth of piezoelectric oxides on glass is difficult due to high processing temperatures. Here, the authors demonstrate a flash lamp process for the growth of films on various glasses in a few seconds only. The films have piezoelectric e_33,f of −5 C m⁻² and can be used in haptic devices.

Mouse models demonstrate that vagal sensory neurons transmit signals from lung adenocarcinoma to the brain, increasing sympathetic efferent activity in the tumour microenvironment and thereby creating a immunologically permissive environment for tumour growth.

Bacteria use diverse defence systems against phages, including a 164-residue prophage-encoded protein, Rip1, which senses conserved phage assembly rings to form membrane pores that block virion maturation and trigger premature host cell death.

The use of a photonic network of coupled degenerate optical parametric oscillators for solving complex optimisation problems would require scalable integration capabilities. Here, the authors exploit χ (3) nonlinearity in SiN to demonstrate on-chip phase-tunable coupling between two DOPO based Ising nodes.