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Japonica subspecies has a lower nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) than that of indica rice. Here, the authors show that natural variations in the NIN-like protein 4 (OsNLP4) encoding gene are responsible for the divergence and introgression of the indica OsNLP4 allele into elite japonica cultivar can increase NUE and grain yield.

The upscaling of kesterite photovoltaics is challenging and results in low performance. Xiang et al. tune the thiourea/metal precursor ratio to improve the morphology of the kesterite film, achieving 10.1% certified power conversion efficiency in 10.48-cm² modules.

Grain chalkiness is an undesirable trait that severely compromises rice quality. Here, the authors report the cloning of an E3 ubiquitin ligase encoding gene Chalk9 and reveal its crucial role in regulating grain chalkiness through mediating the ubiquitination-dependent degradation of OsEBP89.

The existence (or not) of electronic coherence in homopolymers is dependent on a balance between monomer–monomer interactions and environmental heterogeneity. Now, by understanding how even–odd orbital symmetry influences coherence and produces resistance oscillations as a function of distance—it is shown that DNA sequences can be designed to support coherent charge transport.

Radiation-induced malignantly transformed cells undergo multi-scale 3D genome reorganization. TP63 acts as a key mediator, creating accessible chromatin sites that form tumour-specific loops activating the MYC oncogene during malignant transformation.

Zhu, Fu, Zhu, Li and colleagues found that the key DNA repair enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 promotes transcriptional restart after DNA damage through PARylating and stabilizing AFF1 by preventing its ubiquitylation by the E3 ligase Siah1.

Hong-Xuan Lin, Ji-Ping Gao, Jun-Xiang Shan and colleagues show that natural variation in a proteasome α2 subunit gene contributes to thermotolerance in African rice. Their follow-up studies suggest that the variant allele protects cells from heat stress by enhancing the elimination of cytotoxic denatured proteins and maintaining heat-response processes.

Heat barriers pose significant challenges to hypersonic flight. Here, authors demonstrate a direct liquid cooling system using a structured thermal armor that elevates the Leidenfrost point, effectively managing temperatures up to 3000 °C.

Wound biomarker monitoring faces challenges in both sensitivity and stability. Here, authors present soft wireless bioelectronic device, using self-confined tetrahedral DNA circuits, that enhance detection limits, resists biofouling, and enables stable and real-time monitoring of diabetic wound healing.

Techniques for determining chiral purity are important, but can be challenging to achieve by eye. Here, the authors report the development of dyes with visual chiral recognition capabilities by changes in the coassembly process and therefore variable steric hindrance.

Phosphorus is an essential plant nutrient. Here Meng et al. show that low phosphorus availability stimulates hydrogen peroxide production which in turn promotes the oligomerization, nuclear translocation and DNA binding activity of the PHR2 transcription factor and enhances the phosphate starvation response.

Going from model development to a pilot implementation study, a deep learning model shows that acute aortic syndrome can be diagnosed directly from noncontrast CT, increasing accuracy and decreasing time to diagnosis.

Zhang et al. show that the activation of RIPK1 is suppressed by acetylhypusination in a spermidine-dependent manner. Disruption of this axis contributes to RIPK1-mediated vascular pathology to promote insulin resistance and diabetic kidney pathology.

Tandem electro-biocatalytic systems present a versatile platform for producing a variety of synthetic products using CO₂ as a starting material. Here direct ocean carbon capture is incorporated into an electrolysis scheme to produce formic acid from CO₂ dissolved in seawater that is subsequently converted to succinate in a bioreactor.

Negative regulator of thermotolerance 1 (NAT1) is identified as a negative regulator of thermotolerance in rice through the NAT1–bHLH110–CER1/CER1L module. Modifying NAT1 by targeted gene editing increases wax deposition and enhances thermotolerance in rice.

Enzyme design with non-canonical amino acids has achieved rapid progress in biocatalysis. Here, the authors present an efficient strategy for the design of artificial enzymes with unnatural catalytic center by the combination of non-canonical amino acid biosynthesis and genetic incorporation into protein of interest.

A genome-wide CRISPR screen helps to identify the Epstein–Barr virus receptor desmocollin 2 for primary epithelial cell infection. Additional infection assays revealed that desmocollin 3 also aids infection.

A 165 Myr record of N and Corg isotopes show that the N-cycle responds to feedbacks associated with productivity and the location of upwelling centers changing due to continental meander.

Laser ablation of imaged surface layers under adaptive control enables volumetric imaging of samples consisting of heterogeneous tissues, such as the skull and brain.

The authors propose a design strategy of multiscale engineering to boost the polar entropy of BaTiO3-based system, by which the large and flexible polarization change can be offered synchronously, availing superior electrocaloric performance.

A full-featured 2D NOR flash memory chip realized by an atomic device to chip technology combines a superior 2D electronic device as a memory core and a powerful CMOS platform to support complex instruction control.

Nasal colonization by Staphylococcus aureus is linked with depression in a human cohort and shown in a mouse model to cause decreased serotonin and dopamine in the brain.

Polygenic risk scores can help identify individuals at higher risk of type 2 diabetes. Here, the authors characterise a multi-ancestry score across nearly 900,000 people, showing that its predictive value depends on demographic and clinical context and extends to related traits and complications.

Xiang et al. use patient samples and mouse models of osteoarthritis to examine the link with muscle atrophy. They identify that, in osteoarthritis, senescent macrophages promote ferroptosis in skeletal muscle cells, and they show the therapeutic value of targeting this pathological mechanism.

Potassium tert-butoxide is used in a precious-metal-free alkyl transfer strategy for synthesizing azaarenes and polyazaarenes from alkenes and nitriles via carbon–carbon bond cleavage. This method produces aryl methanes as the sole by-product and allows divergent synthesis of functionalized azaarenes, some of which exhibit visible-light photocatalytic reactivity.

A sustainable two-step strategy for oxime synthesis in a neutral KHCO₃ medium is reported. Free-state NH₂OH is initially synthesized via nitrite electroreduction over a Ketjen-black-supported iron phthalocyanine catalyst, followed by a chemical aldehyde or ketone oximation using the electrochemically synthesized NH₂OH.

Immune checkpoint blockade is an effective therapy in melanoma, but response is highly variable between patients. Here, the authors show that Inducing co-stimulatory immune checkpoint CD137L expression in melanoma cells enhances T cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity.

It remains unclear whether machine learning methods can accurately identify cancer driver alterations. Here, the authors compare machine learning-based approaches to other computational methods to determine their utility for annotating variants of unknown significance and identifying driver alterations in real-world cancer patient data, demonstrating superior performance.

Yang et al. apply high-throughput structure probing approaches to characterize the secondary structure throughout the SARS-CoV-2 WT and VOC genomes, uncovering an ultra-long-range RNA-RNA interaction that directly binds ADAR1 to promote viral fitness.

Sepsis in patients is often accompanied by thrombocytopenia, but the exact role of platelets in the pathogenesis of septicaemia has not been elucidated. Here, Xiang et al. present evidence that platelets may act as anti-inflammatory cells and protect from septic shock.

Piezoresistivity finds many applications in micro-electromechanical systems, but a piezoresistive material at a molecular level has not yet been demonstrated. Here, Bruotet al. show this effect in double helix DNA molecules due to the electronic coupling between neighbouring bases upon mechanical force.

An untethered jamming mechanism uses magnetic fields to control interactions between soft-ferromagnetic composites with designed magnetization profiles. Stiffness, damping, and shapelocking are tuned for programmable robotic materials.

Tetrandrine is one of the most potent inhibitors of Ebola Virus infection. Here the authors identify LIMP-2 as a direct cellular target of Tetrandrine and establish a functional connection between lysosomal sphingosine homeostasis and calcium regulation.