Search

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.

In the context of succinate uptake to promote adipose tissue browning, Reddy, Winther et al. show how the directionality of succinate transport across membranes is coupled with metabolic flux-derived changes in pH gradients.

Amphibians are the most threatened vertebrate group but receive a disproportionately small fraction of conservation funding. In this Review, the authors discuss the status of amphibian conservation, highlighting examples of successful initiatives that have occurred despite global funding challenges.

Nature-based climate solutions tend to overlook Africa’s diverse contexts and development priorities. We propose six guiding principles centred on the aspirations of African peoples, recognizing the cultural connection of communities to their environments and the role of biodiversity in sustaining livelihoods and identities.

Sodium-ion batteries are considered a promising substitute for Li-ion, but the timeline and conditions for achieving cost-competitiveness remain uncertain. This study evaluates their techno-economic potential, showing that while challenging, they could compete with low-cost Li-ion batteries by the 2030s under specific conditions.

Data collected from more than 2,000 taxa provide an unparalleled opportunity to quantify how extreme wildfires affect biodiversity, revealing that the largest effects on plants and animals were in areas with frequent or recent past fires and within extensively burnt areas.

To mark the tenth anniversary of Nature Climate Change, we asked a selection of researchers across the broad range of climate change disciplines to share their thoughts on notable developments of the past decade, as well as their hopes and expectations for the coming years of discovery.

NCOMMS-23-46799C Keratoconus can be effectively stabilized by corneal crosslinking (CXL), but the depletion of stromal oxygen limits the efficiency of CXL photochemical reactions. Here the authors address this issue by developing biocompatible graphitic carbon nitride quantum dots- based oxygen self-sufficient platforms.

A fibroblast lineage marked by FAP gives rise to POSTN-expressing fibroblasts resembling matrifibrocytes and IL-1β regulates FAP/POSTN fibroblast specification by directly signalling to cardiac fibroblasts, highlighting a role for immunomodulators in targeting cardiac fibrosis.

Genome-wide association analysis of gout and urate identifies 148 new loci, implicating biological pathways and prioritizing candidate genes involved in inflammatory processes.

san francisco

The California senate is expected to finalize legislation this week to prohibit employers from discriminating on the basis of genetic characteristics.

This meta-analysis by Chan and Albarracı́n finds that science-relevant misinformation was, on average, persistent, and corrections fared better when they were detailed, when recipients were likely familiar with both sides of the issue ahead of the study, and when the issue was not politically polarized.

Does self-administered mindfulness effectively reduce stress? In a study across 37 sites involving 2,239 participants, four mindfulness exercises significantly reduced short-term, self-reported stress.

A 15-year experiment at rocky intertidal sites on the northwestern US coast documents kelp, barnacle and mussel abundances before, during and after a multi-year marine heatwave and an outbreak of sea star wasting disease, including changes to communities that did not recover after return to baseline conditions.

Top down atmospheric measurements reveal a large difference between observed methane emissions and those reported from bottom up estimates of natural gas leakage for California.

In this Perspective, authors from the Polygenic Risk Methods Development (PRIMED) Consortium highlight the ethical and analytical impact of population descriptors in polygenic risk score development and advocate for documenting detailed justifications.

An investigation using various methods reports an association between adeno-associated virus 2 and paediatric hepatitis of unknown aetiology.

Assessing 3,129 species of trees and shrubs found in 164 global urban areas shows that over half of the species currently experience non-ideal climates. They project increases in risk due to climate change by 2050 and highlight cities where all species are at risk.

san francisco

US President Bill Clinton has endorsed legislation that would make it illegal for health care companies to discriminate against consumers on the basis of genetic information.

college park, maryland

A coalition of 50 academics, clinicians and community advocates has promised to provide a focus for the concerns of ethnic minorities about genetics research and related policies.

Meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies for endometriosis identify 49 distinct association signals. Fine-mapping of causal variants explores functional effects across various tissues. Genetic correlations between endometriosis and other pain conditions are also highlighted.

san francisco

The US National Bioethics Advisory Board has decided to examine setting up a single, independent body to protect human subjects in all federally funded research.

Discovery of a biochemical mechanism through which lactate binds and inhibits the SUMO protease SENP1, stimulating timed degradation of cell cycle proteins, and resulting in mitotic exit.

In a phase 2 trial of patients with untreated, recurrent and progressive brain metastases treated with an anti-programmed cell death protein 1 inhibitor, the overall intracranial benefit rate was 42.1%, which met the prespecified primary endpoint.

Coastal dunes are highly dynamic systems. This Review considers the foredune-building feedback between sand transport and vegetation and how their influence on foredune morphology, size and stability is affected by climate change and anthropogenic disturbances.

A case–control study investigating the causes of recent cases of acute hepatitis of unknown aetiology in 32 children identifies an association between adeno-associated virus infection and host genetics in disease susceptibility.

Carbon dioxide enrichment of a mature forest resulted in the emission of the excess carbon back into the atmosphere via enhanced ecosystem respiration, suggesting that mature forests may be limited in their capacity to mitigate climate change.

Remotely sensed NDVI data and contemporary field data from 84 grasslands on 6 continents show increasing divergence in aboveground plant biomass between sites in different bioclimatic regions.

Early continental crust formed at depth, implying some type of plate tectonics operating as long as 4 billion years ago, according to high-pressure and temperature melting experiments of an analogue material.

Land subsidence and uplift influence the rate of sea-level rise. Most coastal populations live in subsiding areas and experience average rates of relative sea-level rise three to four times faster than due to climate change alone, indicating the need for policy to address subsidence.

Whole-exome sequencing identifies ten risk genes for schizophrenia implicated by rare protein-coding variants, a subset of which overlap with risk genes in other neurodevelopmental disorders.

A new specific, small-molecule activator of the PI3Kα isoform (UCL-TRO-1938) identified through high-throughput screening can transiently activate PI3K signalling and biological responses in cells and tissues, with potential therapeutic applications in tissue protection and regeneration.

A better understanding of the development and progression of heterogeneity in oesophageal adenocarcinoma and its precursor condition, Barrett oesophagus, is crucial for improving surveillance and treatment strategies. The authors of this Review outline the current knowledge of the causes, mediators and therapeutic implications of spatial and temporal heterogeneity in these diseases.

CONSORT 2025 provides updated guidance to authors, reviewers and editors, when writing and evaluating manuscripts of randomized trials to ensure that trial reports are clear and transparent

The formation of large-scale brain networks represents crucial developmental processes that can drive individual differences in cognition and which are associated with multiple neurodevelopmental conditions. Here, the authors use generative network modelling to provide a computational framework for understanding neurodevelopmental diversity.

Random mutagenesis can uncover novel genes involved in phenotypic traits. Here the authors perform a large-scale phenotypic screen on over 100 mouse strains generated by ENU mutagenesis to identify mice with age-related diseases, which they attribute to specific mutations revealed by whole-genome sequencing.