Search

The creation of energetic electrons through plasmon excitation has implications in optical energy conversion and ultrafast nanophotonics. Here, the authors find evidence for three subpopulations of nonthermal carriers which arise from anisotropic electron-electron scattering near the Fermi surface.

A modular de novo designed biosensor platform consisting of a cage and key molecule is developed, and used to create sensors for seven distinct proteins including the spike protein from SARS-CoV-2 and anti-SARS antibodies.

Current HCV nucleic acid-based diagnosis is largely performed in centralised laboratories. Here, the authors present a pan-genotypic RNA assay, based on reverse transcriptase loop mediated isothermal amplification and develop a low-cost prototype paper-based lateral flow device for point-of-care use, providing a visually read result within 40 min.

A rare population of acinar cells expressing telomerase reverse transcriptase renew the acinar cell compartment during homeostasis, and are potential sources of premalignant cells in pancreatic carcinogenesis.

Monitoring of western chimpanzee populations in Guinea-Bissau and Côte d’Ivoire reveals the presence of rare and different genotypes of Mycobacterium leprae, suggesting greater circulation in wild animals than previously thought.

A design pipeline is presented whereby binding proteins can be designed de novo without the need for prior information on binding hotspots or fragments from structures of complexes with binding partners.

Chip-based architectures for mid-infrared gas sensing could enable many applications. In this direction, the authors demonstrate a microcomb-based dual-comb spectroscopy sensor with GHz resolution in the mid-IR band, with stability completely determined by a single high-Q microresonator.

Adaptable, turn-on maturation (ATOM) biosensors use monobody or nanobody targeting to control fluorescent protein maturation for fluorescence in the presence of target biomolecules, enabling bright and specific cellular biosensing.

Eberhardt et al. show that SARS-CoV-2 infects human coronary lesions where it preferentially targets plaque macrophages, triggering plaque inflammation and potentially leading to acute cardiovascular complications and long-term cardiovascular risks in patients with COVID-19.

The risk of developing cancer increases with age. Here, the authors address the contribution of age-dependent accumulation of senescent cells within the tumour stroma compartment and show that senescent cells increase the infiltration of myeloid-derived suppressor cells that inhibit cytotoxic T-cells, thus facilitating tumour outgrowth.

This article presents a synthetic genetic program for orthogonal, tunable and programmable control of bacterial lifestyle and associated phase-specific gene expression, offering a versatile platform for microbial engineering in complex contexts.

K + channels function in macromolecular complexes with accessory subunits to regulate neuronal function. Here, the authors describe Pin1-mediated regulation of the Kv4.2 complex, which impacts reversal learning in mice, providing potential treatment for disorders characterized by cognitive inflexibility.

The spatiotemporal activation of phagocytosis by hair follicle cells is orchestrated by lipids released from surrounding apoptotic cells and retinoids released by healthy cells.

Dynamic supramolecular systems can be designed to adapt phases in a pre-programmable way. Here the transient nature of a gel system is exploited, in combination with the application of mechanical stimuli, to obtain soft materials with aligned fibres in a controllable way.

How MICL recognizes and autoregulates the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps is explored in mouse models and human patients where disease severity is associated with aberrant neutrophil extracellular trap formation.

HERG channel inactivation is critical for normal heart rhythm. Authors determine structures of open and non-conducting states of HERG and identify a key role for S620 on the pore helix in coordinating transitions between open and inactivated states.

Quantum annealers have been used to study equilibrium states of condensed matter models and recently extended to 1D quantum quench dynamics. Here the authors use a quantum annealer to study the quench dynamics of 2D quantum spin models that are hard to simulate classically.

Accurate cell-type identification is vital for single-cell analysis. Here, the authors develop a computational pipeline called “LungMAP CellRef” for efficient, automated cell-type annotation of normal and disease human and mouse lung single-cell datasets.

The rational optimization of response times of protein conformational switches is a major challenge for biomolecular switch design. Here the authors present a generally applicable computational design strategy that in combination with biophysical experiments can improve response times using a Ca²⁺-sensor as an example.

Eye movements are the most frequent movements that humans make. In this Review, Schütz and Stewart integrate evidence regarding the costs of eye movements and discuss considerations for movement dynamics, timing and the spatial control of saccades.

Analyses of the genetic architecture of the human plasma metabolome in two large population-based cohorts identify associations between genetically determined metabolite levels and health.

The molecular basis underlying infection infection-mediated lung pathology is not fully revealed. Here the authors report that SPARCL1 expressed in pulmonary capillary endothelial cells contributes to immune pathology in mouse model via pro-inflammatory macrophage induction, while circulating SPARCL1 levels corelate with COVID-19 lethality.

UDP-glucuronic acid is a component of the extracellular matrix. Here, the authors report biallelic variants in the gene encoding UDP-Glucose 6-Dehydrogenase (UGDH) in individuals affected by developmental epileptic encephalopathies that impair UGDH stability, oligomerization, or enzymatic activity in vitro.

Georgiou et al. found that the sex of the person performing experiments affects mouse behavior, including responses to stress and ketamine. This effect was mediated by corticotropin-releasing factor neurons in the entorhinal cortex that project to CA1.

This manuscript elucidates new mechanisms of mutagenesis in mycobacteria by implicating two translesion DNA polymerases in genome diversification, including creating the mutations that underlie all antibiotic resistance in these global pathogens.

Boulder armouring inhibits small-crater formation on the rubble-pile asteroid Bennu, substantially reducing surface age estimates, according to an analysis of the crater size–frequency distribution.

Bennu’s surface has experienced continuous changes, mostly induced by its accelerating spin rate, which could have resulted in a collapse of its interior in the past. This scenario is also supported by the heterogeneity of Bennu’s internal mass distribution.

This study identifies the key roles of tides and topographic waves in forming Antarctic bottom water in different regions. The Antarctic coastline is divided into four overflow dynamical regimes, providing guidance for future observations.

The soil microbiome communicates with plant roots using a chemical language. Here, using p-coumaroyl-homoserine lactone as the synthetic communication signal, the authors demonstrate programmable microbe-to-plant communication from the sender in the soil bacteria to a receiver in the plant.

Kelly Stewart revels in a graphic biography that follows the human and scientific stories of three iconic primate researchers.

Electrolysers can upgrade CO₂ into high-value chemicals, but there are few tools capable of tracking the reactions that occur within these devices during operation. Now an electrolysis optical coherence tomography platform has been developed to visualize the electrochemical conversion of CO₂ to CO, plus the movement of components, within the device.

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a catechin flavonoid which induces apoptosis in cancerous cells, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here authors use an interdisciplinary approach to show a direct interaction between EGCG and the tumor suppressor p53 and demonstrate that EGCG inhibits ubiquitination of p53 by MDM2.

M. tuberculosis cytochrome bd oxidase is of interest as a TB drug target. Here, the authors present the 2.5 Å cryo-EM structure of M. tuberculosis cytochrome bd oxidase and identify a disulfide bond within the canonical quinol binding and oxidation domain (Q-loop) and a menaquinone-9 binding site at heme b₅₉₅.

Heteroplasmic mitochondrial DNA mutations lack effective treatments. Here the authors adapt I-CreI meganuclease to target the mitochondria and specifically-eliminate mtDNA with a m.5024C>T mutation in the mttRNA Ala gene.

Designing efficient, fast and low power consumption phase change memories remains a challenge. Aryana et al. propose a strategy to reduce operating currents by manipulating the interfacial thermal resistance between the phase change unit and the electrodes without incorporating additional insulating layers.

Cox and colleagues develop PXS-5505, a first-in-class selective pan-lysyl oxidase inhibitor and show that it reduces chemotherapy-induced desmoplasia and stiffness, thereby improving chemotherapy response and survival in pancreatic cancer models.

The collective-flow-assisted nuclear shape-imaging method images the nuclear global shape by colliding them at ultrarelativistic speeds and analysing the collective response of outgoing debris.

The MYST acetyltransferase HBO1 is a critical regulator in maintaining leukaemia stem cells, and a small-molecule inhibitor of HBO1 is developed that shows efficacy against a range of acute myeloid leukaemia cells.

Super enhancers are frequently involved in the dysregulation of gene expression in cancer. Here, in kidney cancer, a super enhancer is shown to drive the expression of KLF6, which alters the expression of lipid metabolism genes and promotes tumorigenesis.