Search

The hybridized modes of an asymmetric plasmonic dimer show avoided crossing of both the real and imaginary parts. This can lead to plasmonic exceptional points, which are used for biosensing with very high sensitivity.

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 show the development of soft X-ray ptychographic tomography to quantify the electrochemical state and resolve phase boundaries throughout the volume of individual nano-particles from a composite battery electrode.

The complex, multi-component environments found in enzymes induce high catalytic specificity, but are difficult to achieve in synthetic catalysts. Now, researchers report a catalyst comprising a dynamic, ordered layer of ligands above a nanoparticle surface that creates a pocket to facilitate CO₂ electroreduction.

Tumor suppressor PALB2 is known to interact with BRCA1 and BRCA2, and to be required for the latter's localization to sites of DNA damage. Now PALB2 is shown to bind directly to DNA, to recombinase RAD51 and its accessory factor RAD51AP1. PALB2 also stimulates D loop formation by RAD51 in a synergistic manner with RAD51AP1.

Enhancing and optimizing the performance and durability of nanocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction is crucial for fuel-cell applications. A class of Pt–Co nanocatalysts consisting of ordered Pt₃Co intermetallic cores with a 2–3 atomic-layer-thick platinum shell now exhibit a large increase in mass activity and specific activity when compared with disordered alloy nanoparticles.

Lasing in a hard-X-ray free-electron laser is typically seeded from noise due to the self-amplification of spontaneous emission, which limits temporal coherence and spectral characteristics. Researchers now demonstrate self-seeding using X-rays from the first half of the magnetic undulator to seed the second half via a diamond-based monochromator at ångström wavelengths.

The control of magnetization by electric fields is important for applications in data storage and sensing. An efficient control of exchange bias by electric fields has now been achieved in thin-film devices in which a ferroelectric antiferromagnet is coupled to a ferromagnet.

Cultivation of a cellulolytic consortium reveals successional community dynamics and the presence of multidomain glycoside hydrolases assembled into stable complexes distinct from cellulosomes, which are produced by a potential pioneer population.

Solid–liquid interfaces are ubiquitous in natural and technological processes, but their imaging at the atomic scale has been challenging. The authors, using liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy, identify a quasi-liquid phase and the mass transport between the surface of In and Sn nanocrystals and an aqueous solution.

Point defects in 2D semiconductors have potential for quantum computing applications, but their controlled design and synthesis remains challenging. Here, the authors identify and fabricate a promising quantum defect in 2D WS₂ via high-throughput computational screening and scanning tunnelling microscopy.

Hydrocarbon selectivity in photoelectrochemical CO₂ reduction has been limited due to a lack of low-overpotential catalysts and high-photovoltage semiconductors. Here Cu nanoflowers are interfaced with perovskite light absorbers for bias-free conversion of CO₂ to ethane and ethylene coupled to water or glycerol oxidation.

Quasi-2D halide perovskites are attracting increasing attention for light-emitting devices. Here, the authors demonstrated efficient and stable quasi-2D perovskite LEDs enabled by suppressed phase disproportionation with newly designed organic ligands.

The Majorana Demonstrator experiment reports searches for the violation of the Pauli exclusion principle and of charge conservation. In the absence of a signal, exclusion limits for these processes are reported.

In this study, the authors report that post-vaccination neutralizing and binding antibody levels in the ENSEMBLE trial associate with Ad26.COV2.S vaccine efficacy (VE) against severe-critical COVID-19, with substantial VE even at unquantifiable neutralizing antibody titer.

Rotaviruses cause life-threatening gastroenteritis in children and have been shown to have variations in glycan recognition from genetic alterations. Here, the authors use X-ray crystallography to indicate that these alterations can change the specificity of the virus from cows to infant humans.

Caveolae and their major constituent Caveolin-1 (CAV1) play an important role in signalling pathways involved in inflammation, but regulators of CAV1 protein stability are unknown. Here, the authors show that E3 ubiquitin ligase ZNRF1 induces degradation of CAV1 in response to TLR4 activation, and mediates the pro-inflammatory response bothin vitro and in vivo.

This study leverages the empirical datasets and microbial-explicit SOC model to show a thermal threshold of microbial CUE and heterotrophic respiration at 15 °C, implying a potential abrupt transition to more vulnerable SOC under climate warming.

Using data from a phase 3 efficacy trial, the authors here show that post-boost Omicron BA.1 spike-specific binding and neutralizing antibodies inversely correlate with Omicron COVID-19 and booster efficacy for naive and non-naive participants, supporting the continued use of antibody as a surrogate endpoint.

How nanocrystals assemble into superlattices is poorly understood, given the difficulty of probing these processes in real time, in a controlled environment. Here, the authors use space- and time-resolved in situ small angle X-ray scattering to monitor the ordering of nanocrystal superlattices by electric field, which allows them to extract quantitative information about the assembly process.

Although superconductivity hasn't been observed in a sheet of graphene it is found in metal intercalated graphite. A high-resolution ARPES study of CaC₆ conducted by Yang et al.provides strong clues as to the origin of superconductivity in these compounds and of ways to induce superconductivity in graphene.

Land surface modelling suggests that preserving woody debris in managed forests could remove 769–937 GtCO₂ from the atmosphere between 2025 and 2100.

The bacterium Helicobacter pylori, often found in the human stomach, can be classified into distinct subpopulations associated with the geographic origin of the host. Here, the authors provide insights into H. pylori population structure by collecting over 1,000 clinical strains from 50 countries and generating and analyzing high-quality bacterial genome sequences.

Hybridized electron or hole states across semiconducting van der Waals monolayers in heterotrilayer systems enable the emergence of quadrupolar excitons. Quadrupolar excitons, unlike their dipolar counterparts, have a tunable static dipole moment that responds nonlinearly under an applied electric field.

Large genome-wide meta-analysis of clinically diagnosed late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD) from 94,437 individuals identifies new LOAD risk loci and implicates Aβ formation, tau protein binding, immune response and lipid metabolism.

The authors summarize the data produced by phase III of the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) project, a resource for better understanding of the human and mouse genomes.

River blindness, a disease affecting millions throughout the tropics, is caused by parasitic worms. Here, Yuet al. report the discovery and structural characterization of potent macrocyclic peptide inhibitors of iPGM, a nematode-specific phosphoglycerate mutase, as potential leads for novel antimicrobial agents.

Deployment of fuel-cell-based heavy-duty vehicles requires a complete understanding of cathode degradation. Now, identical-location micro-X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy is performed on realistic membrane electrode assemblies to identify the degradation mechanisms of the platinum catalyst.

Growing nanoparticle crystals typically requires strict control over interparticle interactions and assembly. Here, the authors show that a trace amount of polymeric impurities induces reproducible, rapid growth of high quality 3D nanoparticle crystals in solution and on patterned substrates.

Transcription-coupled repair (TCR) removes DNA lesions from actively transcribed strands. Here, the authors unveil the structural basis for coordinated TFIIH recruitment to the TCR machinery and the role of ubiquitin modifications in directing the response toward DNA repair or proteasomal degradation.

Sodium ion batteries could be an attractive alternative to Li-ion technology but designing high energy density and moisture stable Na-based cathodes is challenging. Adjusting synthesis conditions and stoichiometry, an O3-type NaLi_1/3Mn_2/3O₂ phase with anionic redox activity is reported.

Oxygen release in Li-rich layered oxides is of both fundamental and practical interest in batteries, but a varied mechanistic understanding exists. Here the authors evaluate the extent of oxygen release over extended cycles and present a comprehensive picture of the phenomenon that unifies the current explanations.

Janus graphene nanoribbons with localized states on a single zigzag edge are fabricated by introducing a topological defect array of benzene motifs on the opposite zigzag edge, to break the structural symmetry.

Antibodies targeting the HIV-1 fusion peptide rarely achieve more than 60% neutralization breadth. Here, the authors develop an anti-FP antibody enhancing its potency to 80% and structurally resolve the expanded FP-binding site that allows the antibody to target diverse viral variants.

Men that carrierBRCA2germline mutations are at risk of developing prostate cancer. Here, the authors analyse the genomes of prostate cancer from these individuals and demonstrate increased genomic instability in comparison to sporadic prostate cancer.

Six transmembrane epithelial antigen of the prostate 1 (STEAP1) is a highly enriched cell surface antigen expressed in prostate cancer. Here the authors describe the design of STEAP1 directed CART cells and show their antitumor activity in preclinical models of prostate cancer, also in combination with a collagen binding domain-IL-12 fusion cytokine.

A multi-ancestry meta-regression study analyses diverse genome-wide association studies and genome loci associated with tobacco and alcohol use.

A study shows that clonal haematopoiesis of indeterminate potential is associated with an increased risk of chronic liver disease specifically through the promotion of liver inflammation and injury.

Meta-analyses in up to 1.3 million individuals identify 87 rare-variant associations with blood pressure traits. On average, rare variants exhibit effects ~8 times larger than the mean effects of common variants and implicate candidate causal genes at associated regions.

Analysis of whole-genome sequencing data across 2,658 tumors spanning 38 cancer types shows that chromothripsis is pervasive, with a frequency of more than 50% in several cancer types, contributing to oncogene amplification, gene inactivation and cancer genome evolution.

Analysis of mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA) by using whole-genome sequencing data from 2,658 cancer samples across 38 cancer types identifies hypermutated mtDNA cases, frequent somatic nuclear transfer of mtDNA and high variability of mtDNA copy number in many cancers.

Efficient, large-scale genomic analysis is facilitated on the cloud by a computational tool with error-diagnosing and self-healing capabilities.