Search

Global challenges demand global solutions. Here, the authors show a distributed self-driving lab architecture in The World Avatar, linking robots in Cambridge and Singapore for asynchronous multi-objective reaction optimisation.

The mediodorsal thalamus (MD) is central to flexible decision-making. Here, the authors identify MD’s unique roles in arbitrating between different reinforcement learning strategies through prefrontal-striatal brain circuits.

Cell-cell adhesion of endothelial tissue, mediated by the adhesion molecule VE-cadherin, is tightly regulated. Here the authors show that the F-BAR domain protein pacsin2 is recruited to the trailing end of mechanically unbalanced Focal Adherens Junctions, where it inhibits internalization of VE-cadherin and protects cell-cell adhesion.

Interfacial reactions between lithium and anodes are not well understood in an all-solid environment. For the silicon anode we now demonstrate that, rather than strong Li–Si alloying at the conventional solid–liquid interface, the lithiation reaction of micrometre-sized Si can be greatly constricted at the solid–solid interface.

A metasurface-based approach is used to implement computationally expensive digital convolution operations in high-speed, low-power optics for improving the latency and power consumption of machine vision systems.

In Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, both the bacterium and the macrophages exhibit phenotypic diversity. Here, the authors show that macrophage metabolic states control redox heterogeneity and drug response in intracellular M. tuberculosis.

precisION discovers, localizes and quantifies protein modifications within complex proteoform assemblies through data-driven analysis of native top-down mass spectra.

Salivary gland cancers (SGC) respond poorly to immunotherapies and new treatment strategies are needed. Here, the authors develop an integrated analysis of advanced SGC to characterize the immune microenvironment and identify potential therapeutic vulnerabilities.

Hayer et al. observe that collectively migrating endothelial cells extend rear VE-cadherin-rich membrane structures that are engulfed by follower cells, correlating spatially with the direction of movement.

Deciphering the relationship between prolonged topographic growth and temporary earthquake uplift is challenging due to the mismatch in their deformation patterns. Zhang et al. introduce a novel model to address this highly hotly-debated discrepancy.

Proving sustainable chemical plastic recycling must rely on realistic feedstocks and sustainability-driven catalyst design. Here, the authors report titania-supported Ru–Ni alloy nanoparticles achieving up to 55% liquid (C6 to C45) products for low-carbon and profitable polyethylene hydrogenolysis and determine a metric for sustainable product distributions.

An asymmetric self-assembled monolayer improves the efficiency of perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells compared with symmetric self-assembled monolayers, resulting in a certified power conversion efficiency of up to 34.58%.

Tunable chiroptical structures are of extensive interest. Here, the authors show designs and experimental implementations of a programmable, scalable chiroptical heterostructure containing twisted aligned carbon nanotubes and phase change materials.

The first experimental demonstration of saturable absorption in core-electron transitions in aluminium paves the way for investigating warm dense matter, which potentially has an important role in planetary science and the realization of inertial confinement fusion.

The molecular mechanisms underlying tumour initiation remain elusive. Here, the authors use spatiotemporally controlled oncogene activation and tumour suppressor inhibition with multi-omics to unveil the role of YAP-mediated oral epithelial progenitor cell reprogramming into tumour-initiating cells.

The crystallization of metastable liquid phase change materials releases stored energy upon nucleation. Here, the authors demonstrate area-selective activation of thermoresponsive processes by exothermic crystallization of sodium acetate into trihydrate crystals within a patterned polyacrylamide hydrogel.

Discoveries in Jurassic rocks reveal that birds were adept fliers earlier than scientists realized.

This study aims to address a critical knowledge gap concerning the unique microstructure in 3D-printed metals by quantitatively characterizing the phase and dislocation density during the printing process using operando synchrotron X-ray diffraction.

An independently certified power conversion efficiency of 32.5% for perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells is achieved through improved charge transfer at the amorphous indium zinc oxide interconnecting layer and reduced optical losses at the front and rear electrodes.

Prenatal stress triggers molecular dysregulations in fetal neuroimmune circuits, leading to altered mast cell and sensory neuron function, which predisposes offspring to develop eczema in response to otherwise harmless mechanical friction after birth.

Compact electron accelerators based on laser-plasma acceleration scheme may be useful for future light sources, radiation therapy etc. Here the authors demonstrate electron acceleration in laser plasma interaction via vacuum laser acceleration and relativistic transparency injection.

Understanding the keyhole porosity formation is important in laser powder bed fusion. Here the authors reveal the dynamics of keyhole fluctuation, and collapse that induces bubble formation with three main stages of evolution; growth, shrinkage, and being captured by the solidification front.

A dynamic interconversion of three nickel states in lithium nickel oxide is demonstrated using evidence from x-ray spectroscopic data and first-principles calculations, which explains many physical properties of this and similar materials.

The COVID-19 pandemic, Ebola, mpox and AIDS all show the importance of strengthening Africa-wide surveillance and response systems that protect everyone.

Heat transport across interfaces can be restricted due to interfacial thermal resistance between different materials. Here, authors find experimental evidence of a significant and enduring heat barrier between two high-energy-density materials that is consistent with interfacial thermal resistance.

Here, the authors examine the human anterior cruciate femoral and tibial entheses and identify two thin-graduated mineralization regions with distinct biomolecular compositions and mineral assembly patterns to adapt to their respective mechanical functions.

In a hybrid superconductor–ferromagnet device, the dynamic stray fields of current-driven vortices unidirectionally excite coherent short-wavelength magnons.

A self-assembly perovskite strategy is reported that can integrate optoelectronic arrays with arbitrary non-developable structures, enabling structural manipulations of photodiode arrays with micrometre precision.

The nucleus accumbens (NAc) controls reward learning and motivated behaviors. Here, authors show that the neuropeptide gastrin-releasing peptide regulates the excitability of subpopulations of NAc neurons and modulates motivated behavior in mice.

This work proposes a wet-chemical etching assisted aberration-enhanced single-pulsed femtosecond laser nanolithography, named “WEALTH”, for manufacturing small-size, large-area, deep holey nanostructures, promising for emerging nanophotonic devices.

ZipSeq uses patterned illumination and photocaged oligonucleotides to serially print barcodes onto live, intact tissues for spatially mapping single cell transcriptomes.

Frequencies for motor kinematics are encoded by the cerebellum through population tuning of firing probabilities, which leads to cerebellar oscillations and corresponding motions.

Bernier, Hefendehl et al. describe a stromal progenitor cell population consisting of pericytes, venular smooth muscle cells and perivascular fibroblasts in the adult brain that modify their function and coordinate blood vessel repair following stroke.

Satellite observations reveal that the Conger–Glenzer Ice Shelf collapse in East Antarctica occurred in four stages spanning a period of 25 years, culminating in its rapid disintegration in March 2022.

A study describes the experimental infection of cattle with a highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b genotype B3.13 strain using an aerosol respiratory route for heifers and an intramammary route for lactating cows.

The application of all-perovskite tandem photovoltaics is limited by the poor operational stability of the solar cell. Here, the authors report a solar-assisted water-splitting system using an electrochemical flow cell and a tandem solar cell and achieve a solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 17.8%.