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Polygenic scores for body mass index and obesity constructed using data from 5 million people with different ancestries were associated with distinct weight gain trajectories from early childhood to adulthood.

Meltwater ponding reduces Greenland Ice Sheet albedo, but this process is not included in models. This study uses drone imagery to show that small streams and ponds, often missed by satellites, considerably increase the energy available for melt.

Whole-genome sequencing data from more than 2,500 cancers of 38 tumour types reveal 16 signatures that can be used to classify somatic structural variants, highlighting the diversity of genomic rearrangements in cancer.

In this study the authors consider the structural variants (SVs) present within cancer cases of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium. They report hundreds of genes, including known cancer-associated genes for which the nearby presence of a SV breakpoint is associated with altered expression.

This study reveals that an outer membrane protein from the predator Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus forms a pentameric assembly that traps a lipid monolayer within. This allows the discovery of two superfamilies, distributed across a wide range of bacteria, likely to adopt a similar architecture.

Approaches making virtual and experimental screening more resource-efficient are vital for identifying effective inhibitors from a vast pool of potential drugs but remain elusive. Here, the authors address this issue by developing an active learning framework leveraging high-throughput molecular dynamics simulations to identify potential inhibitors for therapeutic applications.

DeepMVP is a deep learning framework for predicting PTM sites and variant-induced alterations across six modification types, including phosphorylation, acetylation, methylation, sumoylation, ubiquitination and N-glycosylation.

The Neolithic Revolution marked an important shift from foraging to farming in human society. Here, the authors show that in Europe the spread of farming involved mostly within-group mating and limited cultural transmission.

Many protein–protein interactions depend on Short Linear Motifs (SLiMs). In this study, the authors use large-scale binding assays, deep mutational scanning, and structural analysis to map SLiMs recognised by human cyclins and uncover the rules that determine their specificity and affinity.

New field measurements and modeling show meltwater refreezing in Greenland’s bare ice may reduce runoff to surrounding oceans, highlighting a process climate models can incorporate for improved predictions of future sea-level rise.

Gel electrophoresis image analysis still largely relies on manual or semi-automatic tools, limiting both efficiency and reproducibility. Here, authors introduce GelGenie, an AI-driven open-source platform that rapidly detects gel bands under various conditions.

An analysis of 24,202 critical cases of COVID-19 identifies potentially druggable targets in inflammatory signalling (JAK1), monocyte–macrophage activation and endothelial permeability (PDE4A), immunometabolism (SLC2A5 and AK5), and host factors required for viral entry and replication (TMPRSS2 and RAB2A).

The authors report Acheulean hominin occupation of eastern Britain during glacial marine isotope stages 17–16 and again in glacial marine isotope stage 12 via stone tools in sediments dated to 712,000 to 424,000 years ago.

Two high-redshift post-starburst galaxies are in the process of quenching, although their quasars remain active, indicating the complex co-evolution between black hole activity and star formation.

In this prespecified exploratory biomarker analysis of the placebo-controlled CheckMate 274 trial, a composite model of adaptive immunity biomarkers and clinical parameters was identified and shown to predict benefit from nivolumab treatment in patients with muscle-invasive urothelial cancer.

Previous research shows surprising rewards drive learning. Here, the authors show that affective error signals (emotional surprise) independently promote learning, and are associated with neural signals separable from reward error signals.

Achieving phosphorus circularity is a key challenge to realizing sustainable phosphorus use, and recycling is a major route to accomplish this goal. This Review explores global barriers to phosphorus recycling and discusses approaches to overcome the technical, economic and societal challenges in attaining sustainable phosphorus management.

Here the authors apply machine learning approaches to Alzheimer’s genetics, confirm known associations and suggest novel risk loci. These methods demonstrate predictive power comparable to traditional approaches, while also offering potential new insights beyond standard genetic analyses.

Here, the authors develop pluripotent stem cell-derived kidney organoids by mimicking in vivo proximal differentiation, providing a model to study nephron development, injury responses, and a platform for therapeutic discovery.

Hypoimmune gene editing in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) provides a promising platform for cellular therapies. Here, the authors report that CRISPR mediated deletion of ICAM-1 in hPSC-derived grafts reduces immune cell adhesion, dampens T cell activation, and protects against immune rejection.

On 12 February 2025, a joint meeting of the UK Aging Networks was held in Liverpool, UK. It was convened by the ECMage (extracellular matrix aging) network and EuroAgeNet, an initiative led by ECMage but involving four other UK aging networks — namely, the building links in aging science and translation network (BLAST), the cognitive frailty interdisciplinary network (CFIN), the aging and nutrient sensing network (AGENTS) and the food systems for older people (Food4Years) network — together with industrial and European partners. In this Meeting Report, we summarize the opinions of an industrial panel and round-table discussions on barriers and opportunities related to academic–industrial partnerships.

Viral pathogen load in cancer genomes is estimated through analysis of sequencing data from 2,656 tumors across 35 cancer types using multiple pathogen-detection pipelines, identifying viruses in 382 genomic and 68 transcriptome datasets.

Metal–ligand cooperative catalysis involves both the metal and the ligand moieties present in a complex interacting with substrates. Cooperative catalysis is central to the mechanisms of hydrogenases, lactate racemase and alcohol dehydrogenase. This Perspective describes these enzymes, as well as the small-molecule mimics inspired by these elaborate natural catalysts.

Type IX secretion system (T9SS) is required for protein export in the Bacteroidota. Here, the authors obtain structure of T9SS PorKN ring which resembles a cogwheel that may have a rotational movement and is disulfide bonded to outer membrane beta-barrel PorG.

A post-translational backbone extension acyl rearrangement (BEAR) reaction has now been developed that converts a ribosomal protein product into a new product containing a β-peptide, γ-peptide or δ-peptide backbone. BEAR reactions represent a general strategy to install extended backbones into genetically encoded proteins and peptides expressed in cells.

Bifulco, Magoon et al. develop an explainable machine learning framework to predict atrial fibrillation recurrence after catheter ablation. Model explanations may augment shared patient-provider decision making and support future research.

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.

Sequencing analysis of tamoxifen-associated uterine cancers and further in vivo analyses suggest that the drug tamoxifen can activate the PI3K pathway in the absence of oncogenic mutations.

A high-bandwidth neuromotor interface offers performant out-of-the-box generalization across people.

Sydnor et al. developed a new tractography atlas of thalamocortical structural connections and applied it to three youth samples. They uncovered coordinated development between thalamic connectivity and hierarchical cortical plasticity in humans.

Here, the authors show that post-translational molecular signatures of human skeletal muscle in response to acute or chronic aerobic and resistance exercise are distinct, potentially dictating the differential physiologic adaptations to different exercise modes.

Viral vector integration can affect the safety of gene and cell therapies. Here, authors introduce MELISSA, a regression-based statistical tool that quantifies integration site risks and clone growth effects, aiding the safety evaluation of therapies in both research and clinical settings.

Distal gene regulation is increasingly recognised as a major contributor to complex trait variability. Here, the authors show that a heritable, biologically interpretable transcriptome signature driven by distal regulation predicts metabolic traits across mice and humans.

A mix-and-go system enables the rapid prototyping of antibody formulations, allowing control of their orientation on the surface of LNPs for specific cell targeting, significantly improving the ex vivo and in vivo deliveries of mRNA.

The discovery of 2023 KQ₁₄, a Sedna-like object with a perihelion of 66 au, fills a gap in the known population. Its orbit does not align with other Sedna-like objects, shedding light on the diversity and dynamical history of the outer Solar System.

This multiomic study, including single-nucleus DNA methylation and chromatin conformation matched with single-nuclei RNA sequencing, provides insights into the epigenomic landscape of human subcutaneous adipose tissue.

In this study, the authors assess the global response to the toxic aldehyde glyoxal (GO) in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, suggesting that GO controls quorum sensing during infection through a mechanism involving a novel protein, ArqI.

An analysis of data from the Sherlock-Lung study provides insight into the mutational processes that contribute to lung cancer in never smokers, and looks at the possible role of factors such as air pollution and passive smoking.

Current CO₂ capture strategies often suffer from high thermal regeneration costs. Now a photobase has been shown to reversibly capture and release CO₂ from ambient air using visible light, offering a sustainable, energy-efficient alternative.

Interacting electrons in Hofstadter bands can form symmetry-broken topological states. These are now revealed in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene, and their properties are influenced by non-uniform quantum geometry.

The mantle upwelling beneath the Afar rift may be influenced by tectonic processes in the overriding lithospheric plates that shape the distribution of both the compositional heterogeneities and abundance of melt, according to a geochemical and statistical study of volcanic samples.

Here the authors report a low-cost method to fabricate flexible Ag2Se thermoelectric films with high performance and durability, enabling efficient energy harvesting and cooling in wearable and portable thermoelectric devices.

The authors highlight inconsistencies and divergencies in the literature reporting data on indirect calorimetry for studies on whole-body energy homeostasis, and propose harmonization of standards to facilitate data comparison and interpretation across different datasets.

Considering glaciological, topoclimatic and geological variables in addition to glacial velocity improves the prediction of glacial erosion rates according to a machine learning-based global analysis.

A comprehensive analysis of the cell-specific molecular regulatory mechanisms underlying post-traumatic stress disorder in the human prefrontal cortex.

CD163 is a receptor used by macrophages to capture and detoxify serum haptoglobin-haemoglobin. Here, the authors show that CD163 adopts a multimeric base that presents three arms that combine to form a versatile, calcium-regulated ligand-binding site.