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Supramammillary nucleus (SuM) neurons have been studied in the context of REM sleep but their possible role in mediating wakefulness is not known. Here the authors elucidate the distinct functional contributions of three subpopulations in the SuM on electrographical and behavioral arousal in mice using genetically targeted approaches.

Using a globally distributed standardized aerial sampling of fungal spores, we show that the hyperdiverse kingdom of fungi follows globally highly predictable spatial and temporal dynamics, with seasonality in both species richness and community composition increasing with latitude.

Within a week of Parliament giving the go-ahead for the world's largest nuclear fuel reprocessing plant at Windscale, Cumbria, Britain and Japan signed a £500 million contract which will help pay for the plant and give Japan the right to transport 1600 tonnes of spent fuel to the UK. The plant is not yet built, however, and opposition to it among an increasing number of MPs has been both strong and vocal. Here Nigel Forman, MP, Joint Secretary of the Conservative Back Bench Energy Committee, voices his own disquiet

What is the state of trust in scientists around the world? To answer this question, the authors surveyed 71,922 respondents in 68 countries and found that trust in scientists is moderately high.

The authors present SVclone, a computational method for inferring the cancer cell fraction of structural variants from whole-genome sequencing data.

Soil dissolved organic matter (DOM) is critical to ecosystem processes and humans. Here the authors reveal the spatial variations in grassland soil DOM in China, with different fractions playing varied roles in local carbon exchange and human health.

Analysing >1,700 inventory plots from the Amazon Tree Diversity Network, the authors show that the majority of Amazon tree species can occupy floodplains and that patterns of species turnover are closely linked to regional flood patterns.

Analysis of ground-sourced and satellite-derived models reveals a global forest carbon potential of 226 Gt outside agricultural and urban lands, with a difference of only 12% across these modelling approaches.

As part of the first anniversary issue of Nature Chemical Engineering, we present a collection of opinions from 40 researchers within the field on what they think are the most exciting opportunities that lie ahead for their respective topics.

CarH is a bacterial B₁₂-binding photoreceptor involved in transcriptional regulation. Here, the authors provide insights into B₁₂ dynamics and associated cobalt redox changes following light activation. These demonstrate the CarH response integrates light and oxygen sensing.

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.

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.

BANKSY is an algorithm with R and Python implementations that identifies both cell types and tissue domains from spatially resolved omics data by incorporating spatial kernels capturing microenvironmental information. It is applicable to a range of technologies and is scalable to millions of cells.

Multi-Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) is a severe post-infectious presentation related to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here authors used multi-omics approaches to characterise MIS-C cases and found increased CD95 and IL-18 signalling accompanying the expansion of TCR Vβ 21.3+ T cells.

The development of a first-in-class non-covalent small-molecule inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 replication that targets the viral guanine-N7 methyltransferase NSP14 is reported.

Stratified medicine promises to tailor treatment for individual patients, however it remains a major challenge to leverage genetic risk data to aid patient stratification. Here the authors introduce an approach to stratify individuals based on the aggregated impact of their genetic risk factor profiles on tissue-specific gene expression levels, and highlight its ability to identify biologically meaningful and clinically actionable patient subgroups, supporting the notion of different patient ‘biotypes’ characterized by partially distinct disease mechanisms.

A genome-wide association meta-analysis study of blood lipid levels in roughly 1.6 million individuals demonstrates the gain of power attained when diverse ancestries are included to improve fine-mapping and polygenic score generation, with gains in locus discovery related to sample size.

Whole-genome sequencing, transcriptome-wide association and fine-mapping analyses in over 7,000 individuals with critical COVID-19 are used to identify 16 independent variants that are associated with severe illness in COVID-19.

The authors analyse tree responses to an extreme heat and drought event across South America to understand long-term climate resistance. While no more sensitive to this than previous lesser events, forests in drier climates showed the greatest impacts and thus vulnerability to climate extremes.

In this Tools of the Trade article, Vipul Singhal and Nigel Chou describe BANKSY, a machine learning tool that harnesses gene expression gradients from the neighbourhood of a cell for cell typing and domain segmentation.

A genome-wide association study including over 76,000 individuals with schizophrenia and over 243,000 control individuals identifies common variant associations at 287 genomic loci, and further fine-mapping analyses highlight the importance of genes involved in synaptic processes.

The response to infectious and inflammatory challenges differs among people but the reasons for this are poorly understood. Here the authors explore the impact of variables such as age, sex, and the capacity for controlling inflammation and maintaining immunocompetence, linking this capacity to favourable health outcomes and lifespan.

Inventory data from more than 1 million trees across African, Amazonian and Southeast Asian tropical forests suggests that, despite their high diversity, just 1,053 species, representing a consistent ~2.2% of tropical tree species in each region, constitute half of Earth’s 800 billion tropical trees.

Analyses of 2,658 whole genomes across 38 types of cancer identify the contribution of non-coding point mutations and structural variants to driving cancer.

The pseudogap in cuprates is often linked to superconductivity. Now bulk evidence for a pseudogap is found in doped non-superconducting Sr₂IrO₄, revealing that pseudogaps in doped Mott insulators are not necessarily a precursor to superconductivity.

Sera from vaccinated individuals and some monoclonal antibodies show a modest reduction in neutralizing activity against the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2; but the E484K substitution leads to a considerable loss of neutralizing activity.

Aqueous organic redox flow batteries are promising for grid-scale energy storage, although their practical application is still limited. Here, the authors report highly ion-conductive and selective polymer membranes, which boost the battery’s efficiency and stability, offering cost-effective electricity storage.

Using the Tara Oceans dataset, this study describes global patterns of diatom diversity, abundance and adaptation. The authors identify 25 distinct communities, with the Arctic as a hotspot, and highlight diatom transcriptional features. These insights aid understanding of the ecological roles of diatoms and their responses to global change.

An analysis of the impact of logging intensity on biodiversity in tropical forests in Sabah, Malaysia, identifies a threshold of tree biomass removal below which logged forests still have conservation value.

Analysis of cancer genome sequencing data has enabled the discovery of driver mutations. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium the authors present DriverPower, a software package that identifies coding and non-coding driver mutations within cancer whole genomes via consideration of mutational burden and functional impact evidence.

Alternative stable states in forests have implications for the biosphere. Here, the authors combine forest biodiversity observations and simulations revealing that leaf types across temperate regions of the NH follow a bimodal distribution suggesting signatures of alternative forest states.

Integrative analyses of transcriptome and whole-genome sequencing data for 1,188 tumours across 27 types of cancer are used to provide a comprehensive catalogue of RNA-level alterations in cancer.

Understanding deregulation of biological pathways in cancer can provide insight into disease etiology and potential therapies. Here, as part of the PanCancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) consortium, the authors present pathway and network analysis of 2583 whole cancer genomes from 27 tumour types.

Spillover of avian influenza H5N1 from birds to mammals have been increasingly detected, but reports of cases in humans remain limited. Here, the authors find serological evidence of human exposure to influenza H5N1 in Malaysian Borneo, an important stopover site for migratory shorebirds.

In this study, by analysing immune biomarkers in a cohort of people with advanced HIV, the authors show that elevated levels of some biomarkers at baseline were associated with either increased (CRP, IFN-ƴ, IL-6 and IP-10) or decreased (IL-23, IL-2 and RANTES) likelihood of all-cause mortality.

Increasing individual awareness could help communities better prepare for climate change. Here a pilot study using participatory system mapping finds that the process increases awareness and preparedness for climate risk, and identifies considerations for promoting citizen-led adaptation.

An analysis of 2,954 genomes from 38 cancer subtypes identified 19,166 retrotransposition events in 35% of samples. Aberrant LINE-1 retrotranspositions can lead to the deletion of tumor-suppressor genes as well as the amplification of oncogenes.

Using intensive eDNA sampling in space and time across five rivers in Europe and North America, this study shows that eDNA gives relevant information on freshwater diversity and ecology across broad taxonomic groups, and with limited downstream transport. The findings demonstrate that eDNA is vital for freshwater biodiversity monitoring in a time of anthropogenic change.

Many tumours exhibit hypoxia (low oxygen) and hypoxic tumours often respond poorly to therapy. Here, the authors quantify hypoxia in 1188 tumours from 27 cancer types, showing elevated hypoxia links to increased mutational load, directing evolutionary trajectories.

Working on human asparagine synthetase, Coricello et al show that combining 3D variability analysis (3DVA) of cryo-EM data with MD simulations is a valid approach to study conformation of amino acid side chains that might regulate enzyme function.