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Transcriptomes of about 70,000 single cells from first-trimester deciduas and placentas reveal subsets of perivascular, stromal and natural killer cells in the decidua, with distinct immunomodulatory profiles that regulate the environment necessary for successful placentation.

Naked mole-rats are long-lived rodents with remarkable resistance to cancer. Here authors show that their T-cell compartment is different from that of mice in that they have a large population of circulating cytotoxic γδ T cells harboring a dominant clonotype, and the clonotypic diversity of their conventional cytotoxic αβ T cells is more modest than that of mice.

The volume of the human amygdala correlates with the size and complexity of individual social networks, reports this study. This correlation still exists after correcting for intracranial volume, and seems to be specific to the amygdala and not other subcortical structures.

Clinical testing of BCR inhibition on DLBCL reveals determinants of response.

Isolating the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in natural ecosystems is challenging. Here, the authors apply a causal inference approach to observational data from grasslands and find a negative effect of biodiversity on productivity driven by non-native and rare species.

Improving the manufacturability of perovskite solar cells is key to their deployment. Zheng et al. report a one-step deposition of the hole-selective and absorber layers that addresses wettability issues and simplifies the fabrication process.

It remains unclear whether exotic and native species are functionally different. Using a global grassland experiment, Seabloomet al. show that native and exotic species respond differently to two globally pervasive environmental changes, addition of mineral nutrients and alteration of herbivore density.

Past genome-wide associate studies have identified hundreds of genetic loci that influence body size and shape when examined one trait at a time. Here, Jeff and colleagues develop an aggregate score of various body traits, and use meta-analysis to find new loci linked to body shape.

Development of a safe and efficacious vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has been challenging. Here the authors generate a live-attenuated RSV vaccine that shows increased thermostability and immunogenicity, and protects cotton rats from RSV challenge.

The leaf microbiome compositions of 267 Arabidopsis thaliana populations across Europe reveal associations with climate and plant genetics.

There is an urgent need for novel strategies to combat life-threatening fungal infections. Here, Revie et al. identify a compound that induces alterations in fungal membranes, synergizes with azole antifungals against the pathogen Candida albicans, and inhibits virulence traits and biofilm formation in animal models of infection.

Results from a phase 3, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial demonstrate that MDMA-assisted therapy is safe and effective in treating severe post-traumatic stress disorder.

In an interim analysis of a phase 1 trial, repeated intracranial infusions of HER2-specific CAR T cells were well tolerated with no observed dose-limiting toxicities in three young adult patients with CNS tumors.

Germline mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 tumour suppressor genes predispose to different cancers, as does oncogene activation. Here the authors reveal that aberrant transcription of specific genes triggered by activation of the oncogene β-catenin causes replication failure and cell death in the context of BRCA1/2 deficiency.

Hand grip strength as a proxy of muscular fitness is a clinical predictor of mortality and morbidity. In a large-scale GWA study, the authors find 16 robustly associated genetic loci that highlight roles in muscle fibre structure and function, neuronal maintenance and nervous system signal transduction.

A single dose of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine elicits antibodies and cytokine-producing T cells that might help control or prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Brain morphogenesis is an important process contributing to higher-order cognition, however our knowledge about its biological basis is largely incomplete. Here, authors analyzed 118 neuroanatomical parameters in 1,566 mutant mouse lines to identify 198 genes whose disruptions yield neuroanatomical phenotypes

Here, the authors describe the global distribution of crAssphage, its presence in Old-World and New-World primates, and its association with gut bacterial communities and dietary factors, providing insights into the origin, evolution and epidemiology of human gut crAssphage.

Radiative bimolecular processes will dominate charge-carrier recombination in hybrid perovskite solar cells operating near the Shockley-Queisser limit. Here, the authors show that such processes are the inverse of absorption and increase as distribution functions sharpen towards lower temperatures.

A 16-bit microprocessor built from over 14,000 carbon nanotube transistors may enable energy efficiency advances in electronics technologies beyond silicon.

In a prespecified 3-year analysis of the KEN SHE trial, single-dose HPV vaccination was shown to be well tolerated and provided durable protection against cervical HPV infection in Kenyan women aged 15–20 years.

Despite the identification of genetic risk loci for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD), the genetic architecture and prediction remains unclear. Here, the authors use genetic risk scores for prediction of LOAD across three datasets and show evidence suggesting oligogenic variant architecture for this disease.

Susan Slager and colleagues report a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). They identify nine loci newly associated with CLL.

Sex chromosome evolution begins when recombination between a homologous pair of chromosomes is halted. Here, Wright et al.review our current understanding of the causes and mechanisms of recombination suppression between incipient sex chromosomes and suggest future directions for the field.

The intrinsically disordered CITED2 negative feedback regulator displaces the tightly bound hypoxia-inducible transcription factor HIF-1α from their common target TAZ1 through the formation of an intermediate ternary complex and thereby attenuates the hypoxic response.

A boreal conifer is advancing northwards into Arctic tundra, with this treeline advance facilitated by climate warming together with winter winds, deeper snow and increased soil nutrient availability.

A reactive surface engineering approach is used to produce an inverted perovskite solar cell that reaches a power conversion efficiency of 25% and has good operational stability.

A longitudinal analysis of viral expansion and clearance rates in 60 individuals sampled daily during acute infection reveals high inter-individual variation in infectious virus shedding, which may contribute to superspreading.

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.

Patagonian ice sheet changes largely mirrored those of the Northern Hemisphere over the last glacial cycle owing to displacements of the southern westerly winds, according to beryllium isotope constraints.

Combination of epidemiology, preclinical models and ultradeep DNA profiling of clinical cohorts unpicks the inflammatory mechanism by which air pollution promotes lung cancer

The phosphatase PTPN22 is associated with human autoimmune disease. Zamoyska and colleagues demonstrate that loss of PTPN22 enhances T cell responses to weak agonists and unmasks self-reactivity.

Gene discovery and polygenic predictions from a genome-wide association study of educational attainment in 1.1 million individuals.

Sulfolobus islandicus is a model organism within the TACK superphylum of the Archaea. Here, the authors perform a genome-wide analysis of essential genes in this organism, show that the proteinaceous S-layer is not essential, and explore potential stages of evolution of the essential gene repertoire in Archaea.

Virus assembly is technically challenging to study. Here the authors use cryo-electron tomography of measles virus-infected human cells to determine native-state virus structure and they locate well-ordered M lattices that organize viral glycoproteins, RNP, and drive assembly.

TGFβ secretion in the tumor microenvironment inhibits T cell-mediated anti-tumor immune responses. Here the authors show that a mutation predisposing to autoimmune diseases confers T cells resistance to TGFβ inhibitory action and could be exploited to engineer immunotherapies for TGFβ secreting tumors.

Martin Tobin and colleagues report a meta-analysis of 23 genome-wide association studies for pulmonary function. They identify 16 loci newly associated with variation in two cross-sectional measures of lung function, used to define airway obstruction and to grade the severity of obstruction.

Christopher Newton-Cheh and colleagues report genome-wide association analyses for QT interval, an electrocardiographic measure reflecting myocardial repolarization, in 100,000 individuals. They identify 35 loci associated with QT interval and highlight a role for calcium regulation in myocardial repolarization.

The heterogeneity of androgen receptor (AR) gene alterations across metastases in prostate cancer remains unresolved. Here, the authors characterise AR genomic complexity across spatially separated lethal metastases from 10 prostate cancer patients and investigate how AR alterations evolve.

Sven van der Lee, Julie Williams, Gerard Schellenberg and colleagues identify rare coding variants in PLCG2, ABI3 and TREM2 associated with Alzheimer's disease. These genes are highly expressed in microglia and provide additional evidence that the microglia-mediated immune response contributes to the development of Alzheimer's disease.