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Thymine DNA glycosylase is an essential DNA repair enzyme involved in oxidative demethylation of 5- methylC. In this study the authors have tracked specific and non-specific DNA binding of TDG at the single molecule level. TDG is found to hop and slide on DNA and found to interact with nucleosomes.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are prodrugs that are activated by protonation in the highly acidic environment of the stomach lining. Now, coordination of PPIs to protein-bound zinc ions is revealed as another pathway to PPI activation. Acting as a Lewis acid, the zinc ion facilitates conjugation of the drug to zinc-coordinating cysteine residues.

A compendium of Omnitrophota genomes is coupled with cell size and qSIP analyses to predict the physiology and lifestyle of this enigmatic phylum.

Evidence for quantum criticality in Fe-based superconductors is still being accumulated. Here, the authors observe power-law behavior of the elastoresistivity as a function of composition in Ba(Fe_1−xCo_x)₂As₂ near a putative nematic quantum critical point, consistent with expectations for quantum criticality, while the temperature dependence near the critical doping deviates from a power law.

Theoretical frameworks aiming to understand deep learning rely on a so-called infinite-width limit, in which the ratio between the width of hidden layers and the training set size goes to zero. Pacelli and colleagues go beyond this restrictive framework by computing the partition function and generalization properties of fully connected, nonlinear neural networks, both with one and with multiple hidden layers, for the practically more relevant scenario in which the above ratio is finite and arbitrary.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes can be modified into bright and biocompatible agents for high resolution whole-animal imaging at wavelengths in the 1100–1700 nm region.

Individual-based models are widely used to simulate complex systems of interacting agents. Here the authors provide a mathematical framework that automates the analysis of any model in a wide class, facilitating a deeper understanding of the scientific questions these models are used to address.

Tabletop quantum simulators have arisen as a powerful and highly configurable tool to study dynamics in quantum many-body systems. In this work, the authors propose an advancement of an existing optical-lattice setup for simulating lattice quantum electrodynamics to two spatial dimensions, and demonstrate its fidelity using numerical simulations.

Tumours frequently metastasize to multiple anatomical sites and understanding how these different metastases evolve may be important for therapy. Here, the authors develop a method—Treeomics—that can construct phylogenies from multiple metastases from next-generation sequencing data.

Low-resource settings can face additional challenges in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, the authors use mathematical modelling to investigate transmission in the state of Bahia, Brazil, and quantify control measures needed to prevent the hospital system becoming overwhelmed.

Topological phonon boundary modes (TBM) hold promises for advanced phononic applications. Here, the authors introduce the bulk-heavy boundary correspondence to pattern TBM in polymers and supramolecular assemblies under thermal fluctuations.

Competing interactions in frustrated magnets give rise to complex emergent phenomena, which challenge a full microscopic understanding but invite comparison to other systems. Bovo et al. find an analogy to classical gases and identify special temperatures that reveal fine details of the microscopic Hamiltonian.

CHD4 is an essential chromatin remodelling enzyme in complex organisms. Here the authors demonstrate that CHD4 activity is regulated both positively and negatively by distinct auxiliary domains, revealing parallels with other chromatin remodellers.

Estimating the quantum capacity allows one to assess the performance of quantum memories, communication channels, repeaters as well as error correction schemes. Here, the authors show how to estimate and verify one-shot quantum capacity in the most general case of arbitrarily correlated errors.

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).

This combined experimental and theoretical study reveals the nature of electron transfer at graphene as grown on copper. The authors find that outer-sphere electron transfer occurs adiabatically with slower kinetics for multi- than for monolayer graphene.

Mutations in profilin 1 (PFN1), which modulates actin dynamics, are associated with ALS. Here the authors show that expression of ALS-PFN1 is sufficient to induce deficits in human microglia-like cells, including impaired phagocytosis and lipid metabolism, and that gain-of-function interactions between ALS-PFN1 and PI3P may underlie these deficits.

Ecological restoration success may depend on interactions between multiple trophic levels. Here, the authors show that top-down control of crab grazers by shorebirds could help rebuild wetland multifunctionality after invasive cordgrass eradication.

Previously, OLIG2-expressing stems cells have been identified as having a role in medulloblastoma recurrence. Here, the authors investigate the effects of targeting this OLIG2+ stem cell population in Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) medulloblastoma using CT-179, an OLIG2 inhibitor.

Here the authors identify distinct mechanisms by which domain-specific p53 mutations activate cancer cell growth via the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). These mechanisms affect sensitivity to EGFR inhibitors, opening avenues for targeted therapy.

Altered hepatic glucose fluxes play a key role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. Here, Pittala et al. show that activation of G12/13 signaling in hepatocytes enhances hepatic glucose production, leading to greatly increased blood glucose levels.

This study reports that nuclear speckle constituents have two expression states in cancer correlating with patient survival and HIF-2α functional programs. HIF-2α mediates nuclear speckle association of key genes activated in renal cancer.

Analysis of policies for promotion criteria to full professor from academic institutions and government agencies worldwide reveals considerable variation in assessment practices, particularly between the Global North and South.

As climate change drives more frequent extreme heat, this study reveals how global trade has intensified heat exposure for workers. Between 1995 and 2020, labour exposure to extreme heat rose by 89%, with many workers now spending nearly half their work hours in dangerous temperatures.

Heavy-atom molecules can possess complicated electronic structures due to pronounced electron correlation and relativistic effects. Here, the authors describe electronic states of RaF in detail by combining accurate spectroscopy and theory approaches.

Silicon-based spin qubits are promising candidates for a scalable quantum computer. Here the authors demonstrate the violation of Bell’s inequality in gate-defined quantum dots in silicon, marking a significant advancement that showcases the maturity of this platform.

Sun et al. report human lifespan changes in the brain’s functional connectome in 33,250 individuals, which highlights critical growth milestones and distinct maturation patterns and offers a normative reference for development, aging and diseases.

Through their effects on soil hydraulic properties, soil texture and sand content are shown to have broad implications for the terrestrial water cycle and carbon sink, and specific implications for vital ecosystems that are vulnerable to drought, especially with changing climate.

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.

The thalamus is important for neocortical functional specialization. Here the authors show its shifting role in shaping large-scale functional organization during early life in humans, particularly in developing the internal–external cortical hierarchy.

A study reporting optical and near-infrared observations of quasars at redshifts 5.8–6.6 shows that about half have strong winds, up to 17% the speed of light, suppressing black-hole growth.

How pluripotency transcription factors regulate the cellular architecture and energetics has remained largely unknown. Here the authors identify Lima1 as a key effector that mediates the pluripotency control of membrane dynamics and cellular metabolism.

The ‘invariant rate of ageing’ hypothesis suggests that the rate of ageing tends to be constant within species. Here, Colchero et al. find support for the hypothesis across primates, including humans, suggesting biological constraints on the rate of ageing.