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A single-cell multiomic immune cell atlas from 235 Japanese, including patients with COVID-19 and healthy individuals, linked with host genetics including germline and somatic mutation, plasma proteomics and metagenomics data reveals that immune cells are dynamically regulated in a cell state-dependent manner.

Researchers demonstrate a watt-class high-power, single-mode photonic-crystal laser operating continuously at room temperature. A beam quality of M² ≤ 1.1 is achieved.

Genetic mechanisms influencing COVID-19 susceptibility are not well understood. Here, the authors analyzed whole blood RNA-seq data of 465 Japanese individuals with COVID-19, highlighting thousands of fine-mapped variants affecting expression and splicing of genes, as well as the presence of COVID-19 severity-interaction eQTLs.

A genome-wide association study highlights a variant in DOCK2, which is common in East Asian populations but rare in Europeans, as a host genetic risk factor for severe COVID-19.

This study investigates how homeostatic mechanisms endow sensory representations in the auditory cortex with resilience against neuron loss. The map of sounds has the ability to recover after microablation by recruiting previously unresponsive neurons.

Analysis of the blood DNA virome in patients with COVID-19 and autoimmune disease associates endogenous HHV-6 (eHHV-6) and high anellovirus load with increased disease risk, most notably for systemic lupus erythematosus. eHHV-6 carriers show a distinct immune response.

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 73 Japanese patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and 75 healthy controls were analyzed using single-cell transcriptomics. Combining these data with genotyping data highlights the interplay between host genetics and the immune response in modulating disease severity.

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.

Non-heme iron and α-ketoglutarate-dependent (Fe/αKG) oxygenases have attracted attention for their application as biocatalysts due to their flexibility and high efficiency. Here, the authors show the biochemical and structural characterizations of the versatile Fe/αKG oxygenase SptF, involved in the biosynthesis of fungal meroterpenoid emervaridones.

Many endoperoxide-containing natural products have been isolated, but the biosynthesis of the endoperoxides remains unclear. Here, the authors report the structural and functional analysis of the NvfI endoperoxidase that catalyzes the formation of fumigatonoid A in the biosynthesis of novofumigatonin, and show that it does not employ tyrosyl radical in the reaction.

A close-up look at the action of space weathering on carbonaceous asteroids, provided by Ryugu’s returned samples, highlights its role on the dehydration of the first micrometre-thick layer of the surface, possibly hiding a water-rich interior. The depth of the 2.7 µm hydration band may be an indication of the level of space weathering withstood by a C-type asteroid.

The sample taken from carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu and brought back to Earth by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft contains outer Solar System-derived materials uncontaminated by terrestrial processes. Even CI carbonaceous chondrites, despite their closeness to solar abundances, are not pristine.

Thermal imaging data obtained from the spacecraft Hayabusa2 reveal that the carbonaceous asteroid 162173 Ryugu is an object of unusually high porosity.

Expression of Cas9 and gRNA from viral vectors in vivo may cause off-target activity. Here the authors present NanoMEDIC, which uses nanovesicles to transiently deliver editing machinery to hard-to-transfect cells.

Using more than 100 independent iPSC lines derived from patients with Alzheimer’s disease, the authors discovered loci associated with the neuronal production of amyloid β and confirmed their influence using RNA interference.

Sleeping mammalian brains show high coherence of slow-wave activity. In mouse models of Alzheimer's disease, which have abnormal levels of amyloid-β, amyloid plaques and associated memory deficits, these waves are massively impaired. This impairment is related to the previously demonstrated neuronal hyperactivity. Pharmacological manipulations that reduce hyperactivity result in the reinstatement of slow-wave coherence and in memory improvement.

Tumour-specific T cells can be expandedin vitroand adoptively transferred for therapy, but this strategy is limited by induction of short-lived T cell populations. Here the authors activate Notch signalling in cultured mouse or human T cells, resulting in the production of a long-lived stem cell memory T cell population that can fight tumours in mice.

The Hayabusa2 spacecraft returned 5.4 g of material from the asteroid Ryugu. A first analysis of the samples found an estimated density of 1,282 ± 231 kg m⁻³, considerably lower than even the most porous meteorites. Together with preliminary spectral analysis, these results indicate that Ryugu is similar to CI chondrites, but darker, more porous and more brittle.

The transparent and flexible photocatalytic films composed of titanium oxide, organophosphonate-modified polysilsesquioxane, and poly(bisphenol A-co-epichlorohydrin) were prepared. The effects of hydroxy group ratio and organic substituent on phosphorus atoms in these films were evaluated by appearance and photocatalytic ability. Film using anchoring layer with APPS-low was formed large cracks, while films with other anchoring layers were formed no cracks. However, all films were formed small cracks after a 10-day durability test. All films showed photodegradation ability of methylene blue, photoinduced hydrophilicity, and photocatalytic bactericidal effects on Escherichia coli.

Platinum nanoparticles stabilized by linear polyethyleneimine (LPEI) were prepared by the liquid-phase reduction of chloroplatinic(IV) acid with sodium borohydride. The averaged radii of particles were 3.26 and 1.76 nm when the molecular weights of LPEI were 25 000 and 2150, respectively. These nanoparticles were well dispersed in water in the range of pH 1–6. Branched polyethyleneimine also provided nanoparticles that dispersed in water in the range of pH 0–8. Linear poly(ethyleneimine-co-N-methylethyleneimine) gave nanoparticles that dispersed in water in the range of pH −1 to 15.

Regulated IRE1-dependent mRNA decay in eukaryotic microorganisms under physiological endoplasmic reticulum stress is demonstrated to occur by using Aspergillus oryzae as a model, which produces copious amounts of amylolytic enzymes.

In this work, POSS with an acetylacetonato group (POSS-acac) and metal–coordination polymers comprising POSS-acac (CP(Metal)s) were synthesized. The possible structure of CP(Metal)s was estimated from the UV–Vis spectrum and the residual mass after burning off and the surface morphologies of the CP(Metal)s were observed using scanning electron microscopy.

Organic–inorganic hybrid thin films containing [Ti₄(μ₃-O)(OiPr)₅(μ-OiPr)₃(O₃PPh)₃]·THF (TiOPPh) as element blocks were prepared via hybridization with the hydroxyl-substituted organic polymers (PVP, PSA, or PBE) by spin-coating. The hybrid thin films were characterized by AFM, DSC, and pencil hardness. The pencil hardness values of the PVP hybrid thin films were in the order 20 > 40 > 0 wt% and were dependent on the surface smoothness. When TiOPPh was reacted with excess ethanol, the core was retained. Therefore, the core of TiOPPh will be retained in the hybrid polymers.

We synthesized poly(bisphenol A-co-ephichlorohydrin)–titanium phosphonate clusters (Ti₄P₃: [Ti₄(μ₃-O)(OiPr)₅(μ-OiPr)₃(O₃PPh)₃]·thf; Ti₄P₄: [Ti(OiPr)(acac)(O₃PPh)]₄; Ti₇P₆: Ti₇(μ₃-O)₂ (OiPr)₆(μ-OiPr)₆(O₃PBnBr)₆). From the result of swelling test using tetrahydrofuran, Ti₇P₆ cluster showed highest cross-linking efficiency.

A polysilsesquioxane-based organic-inorganic hybrid membrane was prepared and applied as a proton-conducting membrane for fuel cells. A membrane of a random copolymer of ethyl 4-(2-methyl-3-triethoxysilylpropoxy)benzenesulfonate and triethoxy(methyl)silane showed proton conductivity of 2.0 × 10⁻⁵ to 1.1 × 10⁻³ S cm⁻¹ at room temperature. A membrane of a block copolymer of poly(3-(4-ethoxysulfonylphenoxy)-2-methylpropyl)silsesquioxane (SPES) and polymethylsilsesquioxane showed proton conductivity of 2.5 × 10⁻³ S cm⁻¹. The mixture of SPES and poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(ethylene oxide), or polyoctahedralpolysilsesquioxane showed proton conductivity of 2.7 × 10⁻³, 1.5x10⁻³ or 2.5 × 10⁻³ S cm⁻¹, respectively. The open-circuit voltage of the SPES membrane was 0.92 V.