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Grain number per panicle (GNP) is a yield-determining trait of rice. Here, the authors identify a GSK3-like kinase-encoding gene GNP2 and a bZIP transcription factor-encoding gene GNP5, demonstrating their synergistic regulation of GNP and showing that specific allele combinations of these genes enhance rice yield in field conditions.

Revealing structural isomerism in nanoparticles remains a largely unresolved task. Here, the authors use several techniques, including single-crystal X-ray crystallography, to characterize two structural isomers of Au₃₈, and report their different optical and catalytic properties and differences in stability.

Metal nanoclusters are explored for their precise structures and compelling properties. Here, the authors synthesize a gold cluster with unique structural features, including giant staple motifs, tetrahedral-coordinateμ₄-S atoms, and a helical closest-packed crystallographic pattern that influences the cluster’s photoluminescence.

Cas9d employs a unique RNA-coordinated structural module for precise DNA targeting. Structure-guided engineering on both Cas9d and its sgRNA achieved a smaller, high-fidelity CRISPR system with robust activity, advancing genome-editing applications.

The authors resequence a core collection of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) comprising 419 accessions. They analyze genomic variation and conduct a genome-wide association study for 13 fiber quality and yield traits in 12 different environments.

Finding new drug targets may open up a way to combat microbial infections. In this work, authors present the molecular basis for the dual-function regulator MexL as a target to control the virulence and pathogenesis of opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

High-quality genomes of two cultivated tetraploid cottons Gossypium hirsutum cv. NDM8 and Gossypium barbadense acc. Pima90 and resequencing of 1,081 G. hirsutum accessions provide insights into the role of structural variations.

Studying the genetic progression of many cancers is difficult as longitudinal samples are rarely available. Here, the authors analyse a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia over a 29 year period and track the clonal evolution of the patient’s disease and response to therapy.

Although many studies have characterized genetic variation in human populations, few have investigated structural variation and few have been in non-European populations. Here, the authors have performed long read sequencing on 405 Chinese individuals to identify structural variants and link them to phenotypes.

Ultraclean and damage-free transfer of graphene over large areas is crucial for the future development of flexible electronics and optoelectronics. Using a rosin-assisted method, the authors transfer graphene with an ultraclean surface and uniform small sheet resistance—a 4-inch monolithic organic light-emitting diode is demonstrated.

Two new species of well-preserved jawed fishes with complete bodies from the early Silurian period (Telychian age, around 436 million years ago) of Chongqing, South China are described: a jawed stem gnathostome, Xiushanosteus mirabilis, and a chondrichthyan, Shenacanthus vermiformis.

We describe the structure and activity of Cas14 nuclease, a component of the type VII CRISPR–Cas interference complex with Cas5 and Cas7, in different functional states.

The function of brainstem reticulotegmental nucleus (RtTg) and its related circuits are not fully understood. Here, the authors report a cochlear nucleus-RtTg-spinal motor neuron circuit that specifically mediates acoustic startle reflexes.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors and antiangiogenic agents have shown some activity in patients with late-stage gastric cancer. Here the authors report the results of a phase II trial of neoadjuvant anti-PD1 (camrelizumab), antiangiogenic agent (apatinib), and chemotherapy (S-1 ± Oxaliplatin) in stage T4a/bN + M0 gastric cancer patients.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have remained difficult to grow as single crystals. Now, amphiphilic amino-acid derivatives that assemble in micelles in aqueous solutions have been shown to promote the growth of a variety of imine-bridged COFs into single crystals, in a step-by-step fashion, within their hydrophobic compartment.

To run algorithms on a computer they are broken down into logical operations that are implemented in hardware. A quantum logical AND gate has now been demonstrated, which could substantially improve the efficiency of near-term quantum computers.

Itaconate is an immunomodulatory metabolite that has been reported to regulate tumorigenesis. Here, the authors show that macrophage-derived itaconate induces epigenetic-mediated CD8⁺ T cell exhaustion, promoting hepatocellular carcinoma development.

Current wrinkling processes for pattern formation cannot be easily controlled, resulting in deformation or detachment of patterns from substrates. Here, Zhong et al. report a wrinkling strategy for creating patterned structures with long-range order and resistant to force relaxation.

Little is known on the transcriptional mechanisms that control cancer stem cell (CSC) self-renewal and stemness. Here the authors show superenhancers (SEs) play a role in the transcription of cancer stemness genes as well as prometastatic genes, thereby controlling their tumorigenic potential; disrupting SEs inhibited CSC self-renewal and eliminated CSCs.

A method is reported that produces highly strong, tough and elastic 2D COF films, using a sacrificial go-between, which endows them with new properties, enhances their current applications and paves the way for new applications.

Articulated remains of Tujiaaspis vividus reveal that galeaspids—extinct jawless vertebrates—had precursors to paired pectoral fins that consisted of paired, continuous pectoral–pelvic lateral fins that passively generated lift.

The assembly of atomically precise clusters into ordered superstructures enables new functional material designs. Here, the authors propose a strategy for linear arrangements of AgCu clusters and explore the consequent transfer and coupling of magnetic spins.

Crystallization-induced photoluminescence weakening in ultrasmall metal nanoparticles is not well understood. Here, the authors study conformational isomers of gold nanoclusters to examine the effect of interparticle distance on this phenomenon, and propose a model of distance-dependent non-radiative excitation electron transfer.

Granular matter exhibit slow dynamics similar to glassy systems, but the impact of particle friction on relaxation processes remains unclear. Through experiments on tapped granular packings, the authors find that the relaxation behaviors of granular systems with varying frictional properties consistently follow a generalized law of atomic glasses, suggesting a quasi-universal mechanism shared by both systems.

The established HiCASE technique significantly enhances the detection of ultralow frequency mutated genes in ctDNA, promoting its application and translating basic research into clinical practice.

The study of the general factors underlying clogging are fragmented and application-driven due to its broad spectrum of applications. The authors propose a holistic understanding of the clogging process by investigating the clogging of a granular hopper flow using high-speed imaging, finding a signature formation of precursory chain structures.