Search

A superconductor–graphene junction is shown to exhibit the quantum Hall effect, with the chemical potential of the edge state displaying a sign reversal. Such a system could provide a platform for observing isolated non-Abelian anyonic zero modes.

In most electrical conductors, heat is transported by charge carriers and so both usually flow in the same direction; but in two-dimensional electron systems subject to strong magnetic fields, certain fractional quantum Hall states can cause charge and heat to flow in opposite directions.

Majorana fermions, which are their own antiparticles, are expected to exist in topological superconductors. A study using superconducting leads in contact with a quantum well reveals the presence of supercurrents along one-dimensional sample edges of a quantum spin Hall state. These edge supercurrents are topological.

Two-dimensional electron gases host topological states such as fractional quantum Hall states, which often compete with correlated insulators formed due to Coulomb interactions, such as the Wigner solid. Here the authors report a re-entrant Wigner solid which forms and melts due to fractional correlations, highlighting the role of particle-hole symmetry for phase competition in the quantum Hall regime.

African ancestry is a known risk factor for prostate cancer development, but the genetic determinants of this are incompletely understood. Here, the authors identify 172 potentially pathogenic variants which are enriched in an African population.

Available wheat genomes are annotated by projecting Chinese Spring gene models across the new assemblies. Here, the authors generate de novo gene annotations for the 9 wheat genomes, identify core and dispensable transcriptome, and reveal conservation and divergence of gene expression balance across homoeologous subgenomes.

Analysis of human Robertsonian chromosomes originating from 13, 14 and 21 reveal that they result from breaks at the SST1 macrosatellite DNA array and recombination between homologous sequences surrounding SST1.

Unconventional unidirectional magnetoresistance observed in the heterostructures of a topological semimetal (WTe₂) and a magnetic insulator (Cr₂Ge₂Te₆) enables the electrical read-out of the magnetic states of a perpendicularly polarized magnet through longitudinal resistance measurements.

Magnetic Weyl semimetals in the 2D limit may behave like 2D Chern insulators and host the quantum anomalous Hall effect at high temperatures. Here, the authors report the observation of linearly dispersing topological states confined to the edges of the kagome Co₃Sn terraces in the magnetic Weyl system Co₃Sn₂S₂.

The perpendicular Néel order in a collinear antiferromagnetic insulator—chromium oxide—can be switched by 180° via the spin–orbit torque with a low current density of 5.8 × 10⁶ A cm⁻² and read out via the anomalous Hall effect.

This study aims to address a critical knowledge gap concerning the unique microstructure in 3D-printed metals by quantitatively characterizing the phase and dislocation density during the printing process using operando synchrotron X-ray diffraction.

Heavy pnictogen-based compounds are promising nontoxic and stable alternatives to lead-halide perovskites, but are limited by carrier localization. Here, by investigating CuSbSe₂, the authors identify how this limitation could be avoided.

Analyses of genome and exome sequencing data identify rare coding and structural variants associated with atrial fibrillation and highlight genetic links between atrial fibrillation and cardiomyopathies.

Skyrmions, a type of topological spin texture, have been proposed for both storing and processing information. Central to this is the ability to manipulate the skyrmions, while at the same time ensuring their stability. Here, Ran, Tan, Sun and coauthors observe the bending of skyrmion strings under a thermal gradient, providing key evidence for the existence of magnon friction.

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).

Genome-wide analyses identify variants associated with sinus node dysfunction, distal conduction disease and pacemaker implantation, implicating ion channel function, cardiac developmental programs and sarcomeric structure in bradyarrhythmia susceptibility.

The magnetic exchange interaction of MnBi₂Te₄—an intrinsic magnetic topological insulator—can be tuned by intercalating ferromagnetic layers of MnTe.

With the generation of large pan-cancer whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing projects, a question remains about how comparable these datasets are. Here, using The Cancer Genome Atlas samples analysed as part of the Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes project, the authors explore the concordance of mutations called by whole exome sequencing and whole genome sequencing techniques.

Some cancer patients first present with metastases where the location of the primary is unidentified; these are difficult to treat. In this study, using machine learning, the authors develop a method to determine the tissue of origin of a cancer based on whole sequencing data.

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 optimally doped Nd_0.8Sr_0.2NiO₂H epitaxial film, combined state-of-the-art experimental and theoretical approaches show abundant hydrogen with zero resistivity, and its critical role in superconductivity in epitaxial infinite-layer nickelates.

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.

Tong et al. form a 2D perovskite layer with two large organic cations to improve the structural and optoelectronic properties of Sn–Pb perovskites, and eventually the performance of single-junction and tandem solar cells.

MultiSTAAR provides a general and flexible statistical framework for functionally informed multi-trait rare variant analysis of biobank-scale sequencing studies by jointly analyzing multiple traits and incorporating annotation information.

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.

Phylogenomic analysis of 7,923 angiosperm species using a standardized set of 353 nuclear genes produced an angiosperm tree of life dated with 200 fossil calibrations, providing key insights into evolutionary relationships and diversification.

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

The authors show that an out-of-plane antidamping spin–orbit torque can produce a sizeable change in the switching dynamics of a magnetic layer with perpendicular anisotropy.

There’s an emerging body of evidence to show how biological sex impacts cancer incidence, treatment and underlying biology. Here, using a large pan-cancer dataset, the authors further highlight how sex differences shape the cancer genome.

A genome-wide association study of critically ill patients with COVID-19 identifies genetic signals that relate to important host antiviral defence mechanisms and mediators of inflammatory organ damage that may be targeted by repurposing drug treatments.

Whole-genome sequencing data for 2,778 cancer samples from 2,658 unique donors across 38 cancer types is used to reconstruct the evolutionary history of cancer, revealing that driver mutations can precede diagnosis by several years to decades.

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.

How ocean acidification will impact coastal biogenic habitats is unclear. This study predicts that indirect effects on habitat-forming organisms, combined with direct effects on biodiversity, will cause changes in structural complexity and extent of these habitats.

The genomes of 102 primary pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours have been sequenced, revealing mutations in genes with functions such as chromatin remodelling, DNA damage repair, mTOR activation and telomere maintenance, and a greater-than-expected contribution from germ line mutations.

Cancers evolve as they progress under differing selective pressures. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium, the authors present the method TrackSig the estimates evolutionary trajectories of somatic mutational processes from single bulk tumour data.

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.

In somatic cells the mechanisms maintaining the chromosome ends are normally inactivated; however, cancer cells can re-activate these pathways to support continuous growth. Here, the authors characterize the telomeric landscapes across tumour types and identify genomic alterations associated with different telomere maintenance mechanisms.

JWST observations of outflows from four young stars reveal in each case a molecular wind with a central cavity surrounding a fast jet. These results point to disk winds driving accretion, with implications for planet formation and evolution.

Upwelling mantle plumes are thought to be sheared by the motions of the overlying tectonic plates. Seismic imaging of a hotspot beneath the Galápagos Islands, however, identifies a plume that is not deflected in the direction of plate motion and whose characteristics are instead controlled by multistage melting processes.

Comparison of multiple genome assemblies from wheat reveals extensive diversity that results from the complex breeding history of wheat and provides a basis for further potential improvements to this important food crop.

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.