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A bio-inspired supramolecular material combines tiny amino acid sequences present in proteins with equally small segments of the plastic poly(vinylidene fluoride), yielding high-performance sustainable ferroelectric nanostructures with potential for future resorbable bioelectronics, ultra-low power devices, and large-scale information storage.

Magnetic phase transitions typically lead to changes in a materials magnetostrictive properties. Here, Šiškins et al use the motion of a nanodrum to study the nonlinear magneto-mechanical response of FePS₃, and observe changes in the nonlinear stiffness and damping near the Neel temperature.

A textile fibre computer combining sensing, memory, processing and communication in a 5-g mass has been developed, enabling distributed computation on the human body through garments.

The dynamic behavior of supramolecular polymers in aqueous environments remains poorly understood due to the assembly pathway complexity. Here, the authors present a combinatorial titration methodology to probe in situ a binary assembly mechanism between spheroidal micelles and β-sheet polymers of peptide amphiphiles, which collectively govern supramolecular dynamics.

It is unclear why flying insects congregate around artificial light sources. Here, the authors use high-speed videography and motion-capture, finding that insects fly perpendicular to light sources due to a disruption of the dorsal light response.

Surface dynamics play a central role in the biological function of natural supramolecular structures. Here, the authors investigate the nanoscale dynamics at the surface of synthetic nanostructure using binding affinity to surface bound chelators.

By simulating the implementation of airport-based wastewater surveillance sites at the global level, a modeling study shows how this early warning system would perform in identifying sources of pandemic outbreaks, in time and space, and what the optimal location of monitoring sites would be.

Highly compressible crystalline materials typically rely on the high compressibility of their chemical bonds. Now, a family of LnFe(CN)₆ frameworks (Ln = Ho, Lu or Y) has been shown to exhibit pronounced volumetric and linear compressibilities through a spring-and-gear mechanism instead, in which a torsionally flexible LnN₆ unit twists reversibly under pressure.

Ocean warming during the last deglaciation decreased the solubility of oxygen. A global compilation of marine sediment records shows that the deglacial trend of deoxygenation was overprinted by changes in ocean circulation and marine productivity.

Researchers demonstrate the ability to multiplex and transfer data between twisted beams of light with different amounts of orbital angular momentum — a development that provides new opportunities for increasing the data capacity of free-space optical communications links.

Significant amounts of different perchlorate salts have been discovered on the surface of Mars. Here, the authors show that magnesium perchlorate has a major impact on water structure in solution, providing insight into how an aqueous fluid might exist under the sub-freezing conditions present on Mars.

Semiconductor quantum dots that simultaneously support blue and yellow emission offer a route to realizing efficient white light-emitting diodes.

Monomethylation of histone H4 lysine 20 (H4K20me1) contributes to DNA replication but the mechanism is not well understood. Here, the authors identify a conserved tandem Tudor domain of BAHCC1 as a H4K20me1-specific reader, which promotes the recruitment of MCM complex to chromatin for efficient DNA replication.

After spinal cord injury (SCI), cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels drop in the central nervous system. Here, authors show that boosting cAMP and subsequently activating corticospinal neurons led to improved neuronal function and motor recovery in female rats after SCI, highlighting a brainstem rerouting pathway for restoring movement after injury.

Observations of a fast X-ray transient reveal that it is a gamma-ray-burst explosion from a very distant galaxy that emits light with the wavelength necessary to drive cosmic reionization, the last major phase change in the history of the Universe.

North Atlantic Deep Water formation was only moderately weaker than it is now during the last glacial period, even when freshwater inputs were high, according to an analysis of independent proxy records.

The formation of ternary degrader-protein complexes is a key step in the targeted degradation of proteins of interest. Here, the authors explore the structure and dynamics of such complexes applying high-performance computer simulations augmented with experimental data.

Transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) is a non-invasive method to modulate deep brain activity. Using direct recordings from implanted electrodes, we showed that TUS engages the human globus pallidus internus, with effects on neural oscillations and behavior.

Size control in quantum materials by direct growth is still difficult to achieve. Here, the authors present the width-dependent growth of single-layer nanoribbons of transition metal dichalcogenides from nanoalloy seeds, achieving strain-induced quantum emission with a purity of up to 90 % for single photons.

The targeted development of proteome-wide selective covalent probes remains a challenge. Here, the authors show the exploration of the natural product Sulphostin as a starting point for dipeptidyl peptidase 8 and 9 inhibitor development.

Fiber-reinforced polymer composites are lightweight structural materials used in a wide range of applications, but manufacturing of composites requires expensive tooling and long, energy-intensive processing. Here, the authors report rapid, scalable, and energy-efficient additive manufacturing of fiber-reinforced thermoset composites, while eliminating the need for tooling or support materials.

Micrometre-thick oriented 2D covalent organic framework (COF) films are prepared via kinetically trapped 3D covalent adaptable network (CAN) intermediates. Imine-linked CANs are formed through solution casting and align spontaneously during solvent evaporation. Upon solvothermal treatment, the amorphous CANs are converted into porous crystalline COF films without losing their molecular alignment.

Emerging applications of steam electrolysis and electrochemical synthesis for future hydrogen technologies at intermediate temperatures set stringent requirements on the stability of protonic ceramic cells. Now a sintering approach enables densified Ce-free protonic zirconate cells with enhanced Faradaic efficiency and exceptional stability under harsh operating conditions.

The few options available for the measurement of in-plane and cross-plane thermal conductivity of covalent organic frameworks films limit their application for lightweight thermal management. Here, the authors measure both, the in-plane and cross-plane thermal conductivity of two dimensional covalent organic frameworks with different pore sizes using laser-based pump-probe techniques.

The time-dependent viscoelastic moduli of biomolecular condensates are connected to the functions that the condensates influence in cells. Now sticker and spacer residues in proteins are shown to regulate condensate viscoelasticity and ageing dynamics.

Despite decades of research, autonomous robotic manipulation skills remain limited, especially for complex tasks such as insertion or bending of materials. Johannsmeier et al. introduce a taxonomy of manipulation skills that synthesizes tactile behaviours from process specifications, achieving high robustness and performance with minimal learning time.

Experiments under upper-tropospheric conditions map the chemical formation of isoprene oxygenated organic molecules (important molecules for new particle formation) and reveal that relative radical ratios control their composition

NMR spectroscopy and imaging show that dendrites in a solid-state Li battery are formed from Li plating on the electrode and Li⁺ reduction at solid electrolyte grain boundaries, with an interlapped stalled growth period.

Aggregated forms of α-synuclein are characteristic of Parkinson’s disease. Here the authors show that the condensation-driven aggregation pathway of α-synuclein can be inhibited using small molecules: the aminosterol claramine stabilizes α-synuclein condensates and inhibits α-synuclein primary nucleation in the aggregation process.

This pilot trial showed that perioperative treatment with the isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) inhibitor safusidenib of patients with low-grade IDH-mutant glioma, with craniotomy and lumbar puncture before and after treatment, is feasible and safe and enabled in-depth translational investigation of safusidenib treatment-induced changes in the tumor, including electrophysiological effects.

Energy decay, describing the leakage of system energy into the surrounding environment, has been used to characterize the energy interactions for individual resonators. Here, authors utilize energy decay to analyze and observe coherent energy transfer and beating phenomena in coupled micromechanical resonators.

This study shows how pressure induces local disorder and partial amorphization in CsPbBr₃, using total X-ray scattering and big-box modeling to reveal reversible structural changes at the atomic scale.

Axonal injury, induced in the white matter by expansion of early tumour cells, is a key driver of glioblastoma progression.

How the human visual system leverages the rich structure in object motion for perception remains unclear. Here, Bill et al. propose a theory of how the brain could infer motion relations in real time and offer a unifying explanation for various perceptual phenomena.

Arya et al. report that migrating neutrophils resolve acute inflammation by releasing exosomes associated with nuclear DNA. This process is distinct from the release of neutrophil extracellular traps, and relies on the lamin B receptor.

Perturbed B cell responses have been associated with Crohn’s disease. Here, the authors sequence the B cell receptor repertoire in patients with Crohn’s disease and identify shared B cell clones, thus implicating the presence of common Crohn’s disease-associated antigens driving a pathogenic B cell response.

Efforts to apply targeted protein degradation for antibiotic development are limited by our understanding of prokaryotic protein degradation. Here, the authors establish a chemical-genetic platform and predictive model to determine the degradation potential of essential mycobacterial proteins.

The authors observe that the atomic reconstruction in MoS₂/WSe₂ heterobilayers with large lattice mismatch results in the most significant periodic strain distribution, contributing to the effective localisation of excitons within moiré potential traps at room temperature.