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Porous materials can absorb energy by water infiltration, but studies at industrially relevant high-rate intrusions are rare. Here, high-rate experiments are performed on ZIFs showing high energy storage capacity, while molecular simulations allow design rules to be formulated for absorption materials.

Similarities in cancers can be studied to interrogate their etiology. Here, the authors use genome-wide association study summary statistics from six cancer types based on 296,215 cases and 301,319 controls of European ancestry, showing that solid tumours arising from different tissues share a degree of common germline genetic basis.

Genomic analysis of 491 medulloblastoma samples, including methylation profiling of 1,256 cases, effectively assigns candidate drivers to most tumours across all molecular subgroups.

Incorporating functional information has shown promise for improving polygenic risk prediction of complex traits. Here, the authors describe polygenic prediction method LDpred-funct, and demonstrate its utility across 21 heritable traits in the UK Biobank.

This overview of the ENCODE project outlines the data accumulated so far, revealing that 80% of the human genome now has at least one biochemical function assigned to it; the newly identified functional elements should aid the interpretation of results of genome-wide association studies, as many correspond to sites of association with human disease.

The impacts of wildfires in the western United States have been increasing for decades. Combining physical, epidemiological and economic models, this study finds that the economic damage of California wildfires in 2018 was roughly 1.5% of California’s annual gross domestic product.

Native mass spectrometry has been used to interrogate both biased signalling and allosteric modulation of the β₁-adrenergic receptor. Simultaneously capturing the effects of ligand binding and receptor coupling to different G proteins has enabled the relative importance of specific interactions to be investigated.

Common polygenic variation at chromosome 16p and rare recurrent deletions of 16p11.2 influencing autism risk are associated with reduced expression of genes throughout the 16p region, suggesting functional convergence of rare and common variant effects.

Investigation of variation in three cohorts has identified multiple genetic signals associated with the pregnancy-specific liver disorder, intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, giving insight into the disease which can cause preterm birth and stillbirth.

Murcy et al. show that increasing the plasma glutamine-to-glutamate ratio in atherosclerosis can distally reprogram transcriptional and post-transcriptional remodeling of the aorta by GLS2-dependent hepatic glutaminolysis.

Oncolytic measles virus (MV) vaccine strains have shown preclinical antitumor activity against glioblastoma (GBM). Here the authors report the results of a phase 1 trial of intratumoral administration of a MV strain engineered to express the carcinoembryonic antigen in patients with recurrent GBM including assessment of viral replication and proinflammatory remodeling of the treated tumors.

Whole-genome sequencing of medulloblastoma samples reveals several recurrent mutations in genes not previously implicated in the disease, many of which affect components of the epigenetic machinery in different disease subgroups.

A synaptic neuron and astrocyte program (SNAP) varies among healthy humans, may shape interindividual differences in synapses and plasticity, and is undermined in schizophrenia and with advancing age.

Cryo-EM structure of the Salmonella Typhimurium FliP–FliQ–FliR complex identifies this export gate as a core component of the periplasmic portion of the type III secretion system.

This study describes the integrative analysis of 111 reference human epigenomes, profiled for histone modification patterns, DNA accessibility, DNA methylation and RNA expression; the results annotate candidate regulatory elements in diverse tissues and cell types, their candidate regulators, and the set of human traits for which they show genetic variant enrichment, providing a resource for interpreting the molecular basis of human disease.

The colocation of all RNAs in the nucleus is determined with a droplet sequencing method.

Coherent X-ray diffraction spectroscopy has recently emerged as a powerful tool for imaging strain at the nanoscale. Developments in both fabrication and experimental techniques have now enabled all nine components of the strain tensor in a nanorod to be determined, demonstrating the ability of coherent X-ray diffraction spectroscopy to yield measurements of strain in three dimensions with a resolution of a few tens of nanometres.

Derailed differentiation of human-specific progenitors of the developing cerebellar rhombic lip is the cause of group 4 medulloblastoma, the most common childhood brain tumour. 

Physical activity has been linked to lower risks of colorectal and breast cancer. Here, the authors present a Mendelian randomisation analysis supporting a potentially causal relationship between higher physical activity levels and lower risks of breast cancer and colorectal cancer.

A randomized trial in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 showed no benefit and potentially increased harm associated with the use of convalescent plasma, with subgroup analyses suggesting that the antibody profile in donor plasma is critical in determining clinical outcomes.

Openshaw and colleagues find myeloid inflammation and complement activation signatures in patients with long COVID who were previously hospitalized.

The twin-arginine translocation (Tat) pathway transports folded proteins across membranes in bacteria and plant chloroplasts; the crystal structure of TatC, an integral membrane protein and core component of this complex, is now presented.

Human activities affect marine predators in complex ways, yet we lack spatial understanding of cumulative impacts across key habitats. Here the authors analyse distribution and movements of eight marine predators, and find that species and human impacts vary across space and overlap within marine sanctuaries.

A genome-wide association study for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) identifies 12 loci and implicates neurodevelopmental pathways and conserved regions of the genome as being involved in underlying ADHD biology.

Comprehensive molecular profiles are required to understand and treat sarcomas, which comprise more than 70 different subtypes. Here, the authors profile the genomic landscape of 7494 sarcomas across 44 histologies using targeted panel sequencing and identify potential therapeutic targets.

Daily location data on the individuals of 14 migratory marine species from 2000 to 2009 allow annual migratory cycles to be mapped to the time spent in the high seas and the exclusive economic zones of specific countries, providing a basis for international management strategies for these species.

Prostate cancer (PrCa) involves a large heritable genetic component. Here, the authors perform multivariate fine-mapping of known PrCa GWAS loci, identifying variants enriched for biological function, explaining more familial relative risk, and with potential application in clinical risk profiling.

Medulloblastomas are the most common malignant childhood brain tumours and are thought to arise from the cerebellum. There is substantial heterogeneity among medulloblastomas and some are thought to arise following aberrant Sonic Hedgehog pathway activation. It is now shown that a distinct subtype of medulloblastoma arises from the dorsal brainstem and is associated with altered WNT signalling. Distinct molecular and clinical profiles of the subtypes have implications for future treatment.

A genome-wide-association meta-analysis of 18,381 austim spectrum disorder (ASD) cases and 27,969 controls identifies five risk loci. The authors find quantitative and qualitative polygenic heterogeneity across ASD subtypes.

Clinical proteomics critically depends on the ability to acquire highly reproducible data over an extended period of time. Here, the authors assess reproducibility over four months across different mass spectrometers and develop a computational approach to mitigate variation among instruments over time.

Analysis of copy number alterations in 1,451 patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) and matched patient tumor samples shows strong conservation from patient tumors through late-passage PDXs and a lack of systematic copy number evolution driven by the mouse host.

A new drug inhibits the adverse effects of C-reactive protein, a blood protein that has been shown to exacerbate damage in the heart and brain after blockage of the blood supply.

Yardena Samuels and colleagues report the sequencing of 14 melanoma exomes. They identify a recurrent mutation in TRRAP in 4% of cases as well as mutations in GRIN2A in 33% of tumors.

Surface strain can be used in gas phase catalysis and electrocatalysis to control the binding energies of adsorbates on active sites, but in situ or operando strain measurements can be challenging. Coherent diffraction now allows strain inside individual Pt nanoparticles to be mapped and quantified under electrochemical control.

In this immunological ancillary study of the PREVAC trial, the authors show that approved Ebola virus vaccines induce memory T-cell responses that persist during the five year follow-up after initial vaccination.

The nuclear factor kappa B subunit c-Rel acts as a master regulator of metabolism and signalling in epithelial cells and macrophages that drives inflammation and fibrogenesis in various models of fibrosis.

Using whole-genome data for single-nucleotide polymorphism and results from genome-wide association studies, the authors show that people’s preference for pairing with those with similar phenotypic traits has genetic causes and consequences.

Evolutionary modelling and expert review are applied to integrate experimentally supported knowledge accumulated in the Gene Ontology knowledgebase to create a draft human gene ‘functionome’.

Characterization of ten temperate mycobacteriophages reveals at least five distinct prophage-expressed viral defence systems that interfere with infection by either closely related or unrelated lytic and temperate phages.

A biologically informed, interpretable deep learning model has been developed to evaluate molecular drivers of resistance to cancer treatment, predict clinical outcomes and guide hypotheses on disease progression.

An integrated transcriptome, genome, methylome and proteome analysis of over 200 lung adenocarcinomas reveals high rates of somatic mutations, 18 statistically significantly mutated genes including RIT1 and MGA, splicing changes, and alterations in MAPK and PI(3)K pathway activity.

Samples of different body regions from hundreds of human donors are used to study how genetic variation influences gene expression levels in 44 disease-relevant tissues.

Nanometre-sized clusters can self-organize into centimetre-scale hierarchical structures, mimicking the complex constructions seen in nature and providing a platform to design synthetically directed advanced materials with sophisticated functions.

At the nanoscale, elastic strain and crystal defects largely influence the properties and functionalities of materials. Here, the authors report an unusual twin boundary migration process in a single platinum nanoparticle during carbon monoxide oxidation using Bragg coherent diffraction imaging.