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Spatially resolved images of M87 obtained at a wavelength of 3.5 mm in 2018 show a ring-like accretion structure, the inner (outer) edge of which connects the black hole (jet).

Kancharla, Kelly et al. identify an acridone antimalarial potent across all major parasite life stages. Lead candidate T111 shows oral efficacy, low toxicity, and synergy with tafenoquine, providing a unique mechanism to overcome resistance.

Over three decades, rapid expansion of the transposable element ISL3 has reshaped Enterococcus faecium, which helps to explain this pathogen’s growing clinical threat.

The tunability of electronic properties is a central goal of research into topological semimetals. Here, the authors report Weyl nodal ring states in the magnetic semimetal EuGa₄ and link the nodal ring state to the observed large non-saturating magnetoresistance.

Transmission of Plasmodium falciparum relies on the development of gametocytes, which undergo extensive cellular remodelling. Here, the authors demonstrate that the PfGID E3 ubiquitin ligase complex affects gametocyte development by regulating key proteins, producing defective cells that cannot infect mosquitoes.

The plasma absorption effect is demonstrated to enhance the performance of silicon ring modulators.

Biomolecules morph between conformations with distinct lifetimes essential for function. This study reveals the cores of flaviviral RNAs stay stable up to ten million times longer than canonical base pairs to effectively resist exonuclease digestion.

Xu et al. report a Pockels photonic memory by integrating ferroelectric field-effect transistor with lithium niobate on insulator micro ring resonator. Through the manipulation of ferroelectric domains and the Pockels effect, the device achieves energy consumption at fJ/state level.

Immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) has proven therapeutically valuable in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and other cancers but treatment failure is still seen. Here the authors use multiplex immunofluorescence to visualise the tumour microenvironment in NSCLC to probe functional and metabolic states and correlate this with survival.

Nudt21-mediated 3′UTR regulation orchestrates tissue regeneration through dose-dependent control of stem cell differentiation and multiprotein complex assembly, revealing alternative polyadenylation as essential for organismal survival.

The 26S proteasome contains a hexamer of ATPase subunits, which binds, unfolds and translocates substrates in an ATP-dependent manner. Kim et al. use FRET to show that ATP binding preferentially occurs at neighbouring subunits of the hexamer, and identify two allosteric systems that coordinate translocation.

Podosomes are actin structures important in multiple cell functions. Here, the authors use iPALM microscopy to reveal an “hourglass” shape of the podosome actin core, a protruding “knob” at the bottom of the core, and two actin networks extending from it.

This Perspective highlights the failures of an ageing cell in properly maintaining mRNA health at the various steps of the mRNA life cycle that result in vulnerability to disease, pointing to RNA imbalance as an emerging hallmark of cellular ageing.

Glassy MOF membranes fabricated via a liquid-metal interface enable defect-mediated CO₂ transport, revealing how interfacial control and defect engineering combine to produce high-performance porous membranes.

Degraders of SMARCA2/4 have so far relied on bivalent designs. Here, a targeted discovery campaign identified the first monovalent degraders, revealing a highly potent, selective compound that recruits FBXO22 through a covalent mechanism.

The transformation of petroleum-derived feedstocks into useful chemicals often requires controllable cleavage of C–H or C–C bonds. There are many examples of achieving this through the oxidative addition of C–H bonds to metal centres, but analogous transformations of C–C bonds are rare. Here, using a tungsten centre and exploiting the formation of an unusual chelating ligand, a strong C–C bond is cleaved; other metal centres with suitable ancillary ligands could perform the same function.

Light-driven micromotors can convert energy to motion in sub-millimeter dimensions. Here, the authors extend this concept and introduce reconfigurable micromachines with multiple components, driven by optoelectronic tweezers, and demonstrate new functionalities.

Inspired by the art of kirigami, a haptic device based on a miniaturized electromechanical structure combined with skin as an elastic, energy-storing element demonstrates bioelastic state recovery and can be used in sensory substitution.

The Perseverance rover detected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons preserved within sulfates in the fan and floor of Jezero crater on Mars, offering new insights into past habitability and the preservation of organic matter on Mars.

Proapoptotic signals trigger the transition of cIAP1 from an autoinhibited monomeric form to an activated dimer. NMR and time-resolved SAXS analyses reveal the conformational dynamics of the cIAP1 monomer that facilitates rapid and irreversible activation.

Risk associated with genetically defined forms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can propagate by means of transcriptional regulation to affect convergently dysregulated pathways, providing insight into the convergent impact of ASD genetic risk on human neurodevelopment.

Monoamines and neurotoxicants share a binding pocket in VMAT1 featuring polar sites for specificity and a wrist-and-fist shape for versatility, and monoamine enrichment in storage vesicles arises from dominant import via favoured lumenal-open transition of VMAT1 and protonation-precluded binding during its cytoplasmic-open transition.

Characterizing folding pathways of large proteins that bind complex cofactors is challenging. The authors use optical tweezers to study the 542-residue FAD-binding lightsensor protein dCRY, identifying several intermediates and cofactor binding steps, and dissecting the role of FAD moieties in folding.

Tension-PAINT integrates molecular tension probes with DNA-PAINT to enable ~25-nm-resolution mapping of piconewton mechanical events. Tension-PAINT can be used to study dynamic forces, and an irreversible variant integrates force history over time.

Spatio-temporally structured light can provide useful applications in laser-wakefield acceleration. Here, the authors demonstrate the generation of wakefields by means of quasi-Bessel beams focused by an axiparabola, imaged with femtosecond relativistic electron microscopy.

This study demonstrates that the MKK3b/6 signalling pathway drives the skeletal muscle growth-promoting effects of resistance exercise.

Replicative sliding clamp loading is critical for DNA replication and repair. Here, authors report structures of major clamp loading intermediates in a bacterial system, revealing how the clamp is opened and loaded onto DNA.

Using MPXV genomes specific to New York City, phylogenetic clusters were identified. Most mutations were driven by ABOBEC3. The prevalence of coinfections with distinct strains was ~4.2% and results may improve MPXV genomic epidemiology applications.

A microfluidic mixing device for multiple, rapid and automated single-molecule measurements permits the study of macromolecule properties under varying environmental conditions. Also in this issue, Gambin et al. present another microfluidic mixing device for rapid single-molecule measurements.

A superlattice structure of gold tetrahedra formed via a surface-promoted pathway is reported. The octo-diamond crystal is achiral, but exhibits bilayers of left- and right-handed chiral motifs with chiroptical plasmonic responses.

Development of diamond-based quantum and electronic technologies requires heterogeneous integration, which has remained challenging. This work realizes direct bonding of single crystal diamond membranes to a broad range of technology-relevant substrates while maintaining quantum coherence for hosted qubits.

Acoustically driven spin control of silicon monovacancies can be used to measure the resonant properties and dynamical strain distribution in lateral overtone bulk acoustic resonators.

Ubiquitylation regulates essentially all of the intracellular processes in eukaryotes by modifying numerous cellular proteins in a spatially and temporally controlled manner. Many components of the ubiquitin–proteasome system are themselves modified by ubiquitylation; this regulates their activity or targets them for degradation.

Cryo-electron microscopy structures reveal the mechanisms underlying multiple-substrate specificity, coupling of epoxidation with carboxylation and allosteric motions during VKGC catalysis, offering potential strategies for targeting haemostatic and non-haemostatic disorders associated with defects in γ-carboxylation.

Peer review information: Nature Communications thanks Shiqing Deng, and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. A peer review file is available.

FacZ is a division site placement factor that antagonizes the cell division protein GpsB in Staphylococcus aureus.