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Controlling light at scales smaller than its wavelength is attractive to manipulate light using small device footprints. Here, the authors propose a scheme to modify light on such small scales using a combination of metamaterial nanocavities coupled to nonlinear semiconductor heterostructures.

In this Roadmap, Aggarwal and colleagues summarize current research and knowledge gaps on the relationship between sleep, circadian rhythms and cardiovascular resilience; highlight potential therapeutic targets and interventions for optimizing sleep and circadian rhythms to improve cardiovascular function and prevent disease; and outline research directions and opportunities, emphasizing the need for multidisciplinary collaboration.

A graph neural network framework enables individualized genetic risk prediction at the single-cell level.

With the generation of large pan-cancer whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing projects, a question remains about how comparable these datasets are. Here, using The Cancer Genome Atlas samples analysed as part of the Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes project, the authors explore the concordance of mutations called by whole exome sequencing and whole genome sequencing techniques.

Non-uniform noise introduces bias in multivariate analysis of mass spectrometry data. Here, the authors study the noise structure of the widely used Orbitrap to develop a data scaling method that reduces this bias resulting in clearer separation of chemical information from noise in biological data.

Following testing of magnetic field effects on 97,658 flies moving in a two-arm maze and on 10,960 flies performing spontaneous escape behaviour (negative geotaxis), no evidence was found for magnetically sensitive behaviour in Drosophila.

Multimodal results (iEEG, fMRI and MEG) of predictions from integrated information theory and global neuronal workspace theory align with some predictions of both theories on visual consciousness, but also critically challenge key tenets of both theories.

The dynamical axion quasiparticle, which is directly analogous to the hypothetical fundamental axion particle, is observed in two-dimensional MnBi₂Te₄, and has implications for quantum chromodynamics, cosmology and string theory.

New fully integrated semiconductor laser architectures are shown to be able to generate bright and background-free picosecond solitons at GHz repetition rates in the mid-infrared range.

Molecular recorders based on kinase activity-dependent protein labeling track specific kinase activities to understand their link to cellular phenotypes in heterogeneous cell populations and in vivo.

Using viral barcode tracing to detect interactions between glioblastoma cells and non-malignant astrocytes in patient samples, investigators discovered a pathway that reduces tumour-specific immunity and identified potential therapeutic targets.

The catalytic performance of dilute Pd-in-Au alloys depends on the Pd ensemble size on the bimetallic nanoparticle surface. Here the authors reveal how Pd ensemble formation on Au nanoparticles depends on the deposition sequence and nanoparticle–support wetting interactions, consequently affecting reactivity.

Together with an accompanying paper presenting a transcriptomic atlas of the mouse lemur, interrogation of the atlas provides a rich body of data to support the use of the organism as a model for primate biology and health.

The Authors demonstrate imaging of separation and formation of chemical bonds during an elimination reaction by means of intense femtosecond X-rays pulses.

Distinguishing band and Mott insulators experimentally represents a longstanding challenge. Here, the authors demonstrate a momentum-resolved signature of a dimerized Mott-insulator in the out-of-plane spectral function of Nb₃Br₈.

Transcriptome-scale maps of RNA secondary structure ensembles in living cells detect candidate RNA structural switches.

The use of a metamaterial mirror in a thin-film solar cell enhances light absorption and photocurrent generation by about 20%.

Observations of SN 2021yfj reveal that its progenitor is a massive star stripped down to its O/Si/S core, which remarkably continued to expel vast quantities of silicon-, sulfur-, and argon-rich material before the explosion, informing us that current theories for how stars evolve are too narrow.

MultiSTAAR provides a general and flexible statistical framework for functionally informed multi-trait rare variant analysis of biobank-scale sequencing studies by jointly analyzing multiple traits and incorporating annotation information.

There are no vaccines or antivirals available against enterovirus D68. Here, the authors report Jun6504 as a 2C inhibitor and show that it provides broad-spectrum antiviral activity against EV-D68, EV-A71, and CVB3 and potent antiviral efficacy in a neonatal neurological mouse model of EV-D68 infection.

An expert-elicitation process identifies current methodological barriers for monitoring terrestrial biodiversity, and how technological and procedural development of robotic and autonomous systems may contribute to overcoming these challenges.

In the canonical model of auditory processing, thalamocortical inputs to the primary auditory cortex initiate a hierarchical transmission to higher-order cortices. Here, authors reveal alternative auditory pathways that bypass the primary auditory cortex and directly activate higher-order cortex within <10 ms in mice, enabling parallel and distributed processing of fast sensory information across cortical areas.

The spectrally narrow photoluminescence lines occurring in transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD) heterostructures at low temperature have been attributed to interlayer excitons (IXs) localized by the moiré potential between the TMD layers. Here, the authors show that these lines are present even when the moiré potential is suppressed by inserting an hBN spacer between the TMD layers.

The poor stability of narrow bandgap lead-tin perovskites hinders their implementation in multi junction cells. Here, the authors reveal that device performance degradation is caused by an increase in either mobile ion or background hole density, depending on the hole transport material used.

Electric vehicles rely on batteries that use elements like nickel and cobalt, usually sourced through mining, which raises ecological and ethical concerns. Now, a new cathode design replaces 35% of the nickel with abundant manganese, easing raw material demand without compromising energy density or lifetime.

Superconducting flux qubits operating as two-level systems can act as artificial atoms, and so represent a potential metamaterial building block. Macha et al.assemble 20 such qubits into a metamaterial in which the ‘atoms’ are collectively coupled to the quantized mode of a microwave photon field.

Cooling of the iron core in the early Earth may have been too slow to allow for the generation of a magnetic field. Based on quantum mechanical and geodynamical modelling approaches, the authors find that the electrical conductivity of silicate liquid at high pressure and temperature conditions could have been sufficient to generate a silicate dynamo and a magnetic field in the early Earth.

The discovery that DNA methylation of different CpG sites can serve as digital barcodes of clonal identity led to the development of EPI-Clone, an algorithm that enables single-cell lineage tracing through cellular differentiation at scale.

Conducting ferroelectric domain walls constitute a new class of functional material, but to achieve site-specific injection and annihilation of such walls is challenging. Here, McQuaidet al. report site-specific injection of such walls in Cu₃B₇O₁₃Cl created by local point-stress and controlled by electric field.

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are important for the stability and function of many therapeutic proteins. Here, the authors develop a high-throughput workflow combining cell-free gene expression with AlphaLISA to rapidly characterize and engineer PTMs on both proteins and peptides.

EchoNext, a deep learning model for electrocardiograms trained and validated in diverse health systems, successfully detects many forms of structural heart disease, supporting the potential of artificial intelligence to expand access to heart disease screening at scale.

Phonons—quantized lattice vibrations in solids—carry energy and momentum through solids just like electrons, yet their control for technological means remains elusive. Towards this end, Kerfoot et al.show phonon-induced optical transparency in a quantum dot pair via electrically gated phonon dissipation.

CellSpectra identifies functionally relevant changes in cellular pathways when analyzing single samples in comparison to a reference atlas, here applied to rodent models and patient samples of kidney disease.

Time-resolved probing of electronic dynamics such as exciton formation and annihilation requires attosecond pulses at photon energies covering the absorption edges of materials. Here, Silva et al. experimentally demonstrate spatio-temporal isolation of single-attosecond soft X-ray pulses in the water window.

Since the 1970s space missions have observed `equatorial noise' — noise-like plasma waves closely confined to the magnetic equatorial region of Earth s magnetosphere. Here, the authors uncover their structured and periodic frequency pattern, revealing that they are generated by proton distributions.

Routine breast MRI scans provide an opportunity to screen for thoracic aortic aneurysms, which are more fatal in women. Here, the authors show that a fully automated AI tool can screen for these aneurysms using routine breast MRI scans.

The characterization of 4,645 whole-genome and 19,184 exome sequences, covering most types of cancer, identifies 81 single-base substitution, doublet-base substitution and small-insertion-and-deletion mutational signatures, providing a systematic overview of the mutational processes that contribute to cancer development.

Plasma wakefield accelerators produce gradients that are orders of magnitude larger than in conventional particle accelerator, but beams tend to be disrupted by transverse forces. Here the authors create an extended hollow plasma channel, which accelerates positrons without generating transverse forces.

This Review focuses on epithelial–mesenchymal crosstalk and how these interactions shape development, health and disease in the intestinal mucosa. The dynamic nature of this ecosystem is highlighted, offering insights into cell fate, cellular reprogramming after tissue damage and the pathways co-opted in neoplasia.

Analysis of data from multiple instruments reveals a giant exoplanet in orbit around the 0.2-solar-mass star TOI-6894. The existence of this exoplanetary system challenges assumptions about planet formation and it is an excellent target for atmospheric characterization.

This work demonstrates an efficient electrochemical exfoliation approach to achieve high recovery rate for few-layered halogenated MXenes by leveraging gaseous propylene molecules as ‘physical scissors’, to enable advanced tribovoltaic nanogenerators.

Machine-learning algorithms trained on 25,000 geolocated soil samples are used to create high-resolution global maps of mycorrhizal fungi, revealing that less than 10% of their biodiversity hotspots are in protected areas.

Reducing thermal conductivity of thermoelectric materials usually results in a tradeoff of electrical conductivity. Here, the authors demonstrate a strategy, which allows for a decoupling of charge and heat transport by incorporating topological-insulating Bi-Sb alloys at the grain boundaries of Fe₂VAl-based Heusler compounds.

Ferromagnetic systems rarely display a large or non-saturating magnetoresistance, due to the low Fermi velocity of the predominant charge carrier. Here, the authors show that MnBi, a ferromagnet, bucks this trend, showing both large and non-saturating magnetoresistance, and high charge carrier motilities.

Synaptic loss contributes to cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease, but its spatial distribution remains poorly understood. Here, the authors show that synaptic loss is partially shaped by network connectivity and modulated by phosphorylated tau.

The upcycling of protein materials has been hindered by the difficulty in restructuring them to usable forms. Here, the authors reveal that concentrated ion pairs like LiBr disrupt the water network structure rather than directly interacting with proteins, and develop a sustainable keratin regeneration method with closed-loop recycling of ionic denaturant and rapid solidification of protein gels.

Local probes of quantum Hall states are still in their infancy. Now scanning tunnelling measurements were used to extract the energy gap of candidate non-Abelian fractional states, which are found to be encouragingly large for applications.