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A multi-ancestry genome-wide gene–smoking interaction study identifies 13 new loci associated with serum lipids.

Innovative hydrogen sensors, able to achieve parts-per-billion detection limits with sub-second response times, struggle to enter the market because of inadequate standardization frameworks, as existing frameworks primarily address conventional flammable gases. The disconnection between technical readiness and outdated guidelines prevents the effective deployment of complete hydrogen detection systems. Immediate actions are required to develop a risk-informed, performance-based standardization framework that validates sensor reliability under real-world conditions and provides clear guidance for system integration. Bridging these gaps is essential to prevent infrastructure failures that could undermine substantial investments and public confidence in the global energy transition.

An adversarial domain translation framework is presented for scalable integration of single-cell atlases across samples, technical platforms, data modalities and species.

Lawrencium, with atomic number 103, has an isotope with a half-life of 27 seconds; even so, its first ionization potential has now been measured on an atom-at-a-time scale and agrees well with state-of-the-art theoretical calculations that include relativistic effects.

The CMS Collaboration reports the study of three simultaneous hard interactions between quarks and gluons in proton–proton collisions. This manifests through the concurrent production of three J/ψ mesons, which consist of a charm-quark–antiquark pair.

Valley states can be used to realise topologically protected transport. Here, He et al. show that considering additional degrees of freedom, together with glide symmetry, allow the design of 2D acoustic topological pseudospin-valley coupled saddle surface states in 3D structures.

CRISPR-Cas9 technology holds the potential to treat a wide spectrum of genetic diseases. Here, the authors describe a modular platform for extracellular vesicle-based Cas9 delivery, using MS2-based RNA-binding domains and UV-cleavable linkers, suitable for various Cas9-based moieties.

Topological superconductors are potentially important for future quantum computation, but they are very rare in nature. Here, the authors observe topological surface states acquiring a nodeless superconducting gap with similar magnitude as that of the bulk states in 2M-WS₂, suggesting an intrinsic topological superconductor.

Using spin-5/2 nuclei of ¹⁷³Yb atoms trapped in an optical lattice, a Schrödinger-cat state persists for a coherence time of 1.4 × 10³ s. In measuring external magnetic fields, the cat state exhibits a sensitivity approaching the Heisenberg limit.

Polyamide reverse osmosis membranes are widely used for desalination and wastewater treatment, though it is challenging to remove toxic micropollutants. Here the authors use a thermal-intensified interfacial polymerization method affording a membrane removing micropollutants.

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.

A millimetre-scale bioresorbable optoelectronic system with an onboard power supply and a wireless, optical control mechanism is developed for general applications in electrotherapy and specific uses in temporary cardiac pacing.

A pan-cancer genomic analysis reports the effects of structural variations on chromatin domains (TADs). Most TAD disruptions do not result in appreciable changes in expression of nearby genes.

The combination of computational design, laboratory-based screening and biophysical validation enables the de novo generation of variable heavy-chain antibody fragments and antibodies that precisely target chosen disease-related molecules.

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.

The most up-to-date combination of results on the properties of the Higgs boson is reported, which indicate that its properties are consistent with the standard model predictions, within the precision achieved to date.

Enhancing the superconducting temperature is often the main driver of synthetic studies of novel superconducting materials. Now, an approach yielding an air-stable iron selenide system that superconducts up to 40 K is reported.

Inbreeding depression has been observed in many different species, but in humans a systematic analysis has been difficult so far. Here, analysing more than 1.3 million individuals, the authors show that a genomic inbreeding coefficient (FROH) is associated with disadvantageous outcomes in 32 out of 100 traits tested.

Mechanical relaxation processes in glasses can provide information on the structural and mechanical properties of glasses. Here, the authors observe a fast secondary relaxation process in La-based metallic glasses, providing information on the inelasticity of metallic glasses.

Whether electron–phonon coupling is a generic feature in FeSe/SrTiO₃ to enhance superconductivity remains unclear. Here, Zhang et al. report replica bands in FeSe/SrTiO₃(110), suggesting a common mechanism in FeSe on SrTiO₃with different surface terminations.

A proper theoretical description for unconventional superconductivity in iron-based compounds remains elusive. Here, the authors, to capture the electron correlation strength and the role of Fermi surfaces, report ARPES measurements of three iron chalcogenide superconductors to establish universal features.

The authors report that the metallic spin-1/2 chain compound Ti₄MnBi₂ forms near a quantum critical point with inherent frustration. They identify strong 1D spin and 3D electron coupling that should stimulate the search for materials exhibiting a 1D Kondo effect and heavy fermions.

A new artificial intelligence model, DeepSeek-R1, is introduced, demonstrating that the reasoning abilities of large language models can be incentivized through pure reinforcement learning, removing the need for human-annotated demonstrations.

Fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) are socially polymorphic, with some workers tolerating several queens in their colony and others tolerating just one; this study shows that a non-recombining supergene is responsible for this social polymorphism, and the operation of this genomic region is remarkably similar to that of sex chromosomes.

Species’ traits and environmental conditions determine the abundance of tree species across the globe. Here, the authors find that dominant tree species are taller and have softer wood compared to rare species and that these trait differences are more strongly associated with temperature than water availability.

Luminescent lanthanide complexes are promising materials for use in displays and sensors, however, these materials often undergo thermal quenching. Here, the authors synthesize and characterize a terbium dinuclear phosphine oxide-bridged phenanthrene complex, which exhibits thermally-enhanced emission.

ARLNC1 is a newly discovered lncRNA that is induced by androgen receptor (AR) and maintains AR signaling by stabilizing the AR transcript. Knockdown of ARLNC1 suppresses AR expression, AR signaling and prostate cancer growth in vitro and in vivo.

Creatine can be used for thermogenesis in adipocytes. Here Kazak et al. show that creatine uptake is required to sustain this thermogenic pathway. Knockdown of the creatine transporter, CrT, in adipocytes decreases thermogenesis and energy expenditure, whereas creatine supplementation increases energy expenditure in mice fed a high-fat diet.

Cytoplasmic flows in the fruit fly oocyte can reorganize cellular components. These structured vortical flows arise through self-organizing dynamics of microtubules, molecular motors and cytoplasm.

The challenges of meeting food, water and energy needs are interconnected, requiring integrated assessments of land use, socioeconomic policies and climate change. This study assesses the required increases in water, trade and agricultural land needed to double food production by 2050.

The MICrONS mouse visual cortex dataset shows that neurons with similar response properties preferentially connect, a pattern that emerges within and across brain areas and layers, and independently emerges in artificial neural networks where these ‘like-to-like’ connections prove important for task performance.

The ATLAS Collaboration reports the observation of the electroweak production of two jets and a Z-boson pair. This process is related to vector-boson scattering and allows the nature of electroweak symmetry breaking to be probed.

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing has the potential to support diagnosis of unknown infections as it can identify all potential pathogens without requiring a prior suspected cause. Here, the authors develop and clinically validate a metagenomics-based assay for common and novel respiratory viral pathogens.

An analysis of 2,954 genomes from 38 cancer subtypes identified 19,166 retrotransposition events in 35% of samples. Aberrant LINE-1 retrotranspositions can lead to the deletion of tumor-suppressor genes as well as the amplification of oncogenes.

Donor exciton delocalization and its impact on photovoltaic performance of organic solar cells remains less explored. Here, the authors found that delocalized excitons are formed in aggregates of the donor polymer D18, and that these delocalized excitons mediate charge generation in solar cells.

The Casimir effect is based on quantum electrodynamical effects between two electrically neutral objects in close proximity. Here Zou et al. observe the Casimir effect between two silicon components on a single micromechanical chip, allowing for an on-chip exploitation of the Casimir force.

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.

Mutations in the methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) gene cause Rett syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder with features of autism. Multiple mouse models of MeCP2 have been generated, but show only a subset of the symptoms of Rett syndrome. These authors find that mice with selective deletion of MeCP2 in GABA-mediated neurons show not only impaired GABA-mediated function, but capitulate multiple key features of Rett, further suggesting a role of inhibitory function in neuropsychiatric disease.

There are currently a lack of tools to detect heterogeneity in 3D cultures. Here the authors report Traject3d as a framework to identify heterogeneous states in 3D culture and to understand how these give rise to distinct phenotypes using label-free multi-day time-lapse imaging.

The ERK signalling pathway is activated in many cancers, however ERK1 and ERK2 are difficult to target pharmacologically. Here, the authors identify a small molecule inhibitor that binds covalently to the D-recruitment site of ERK and induces cell death and reduces tumour growth in mice.

Eclogites have been suggested as high niobium/tantalum reservoirs that complement the low niobium/tantalum ratios of the silicate Earth. However, the hafnium isotopic composition of eclogite fragments suggest that the high niobium/tantalum signature of eclogites is unlikely to be primary. Instead, it probably reflects chemical modification during residence in the subcontinental lithospheric mantle.

The CMS Collaboration reports evidence for off-shell Higgs boson contributions in the production of Z boson pairs, and measures the width of the Higgs boson, which is inversely related to its lifetime.

Excitatory neurons in the neocortex exhibit considerable morphological diversity, yet their organizational principles remain a subject of ongoing research. Here, the authors use unsupervised learning to show that most excitatory neuron morphologies in the mouse visual cortex form a continuum, with notable exceptions in deeper layers.

Analysis of the longest-lived mammal, the bowhead whale, reveals an improved ability to repair DNA breaks, mediated by high levels of cold-inducible RNA-binding protein.