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Exploring active and durable catalysts for seawater electrolysis is crucial for sustainable hydrogen production. Here, the authors report a strategy for designing a nickel-molybdenum catalyst for photothermal-promoted anion exchange membrane seawater electrolysis.

Machine learning predicts Cu-Al electrocatalysts provide better efficiency and productivity than copper when using intermittent renewable electricity to convert carbon dioxide to useful chemicals and fuels.

Forward-biased bipolar membranes (FB-BPMs), which recover potential from pH gradients through ion–ion recombination, show promise for application in sustainable devices. The authors use physics-based modeling to elucidate how ion-specific phenomena dictate performance, reveal how selective ion management can mitigate energy losses and provide insights into the rational design of next-generation FB-BPMs.

Electrochemical conversion of CO₂ into value-added chemicals holds promise to enable the transition to carbon neutrality, but enhancing the selectivity toward a specific hydrocarbon product remains a challenging task. Now, the authors present a Cu–polyamine hybrid catalyst that achieves Faradaic efficiency of 87% for ethylene and full-cell energy efficiency of 50%.

Fluorochemicals are obtained directly from fluorspar activated in water at low temperature, without the requirement to manufacture hydrogen fluoride, a toxic and hazardous gas that is central to the current industrial process.

Understanding the mechanisms underlying the survival of drug tolerant persister cells following chemotherapy remains elusive. Here, multi-omics analysis and experimental approaches show that the germ-cell-specific H3K4 methyltransferase PRDM9 promotes metabolic rewiring in glioblastoma stem cells.

Cells must sense heat quickly to protect their proteins and membranes. Here, the authors show that membrane stretch detected by the membrane sensor Mid2 promotes rapid phosphorylation of the Hsp70 chaperone to coordinate gene activity, protein synthesis and resolution of stress-induced protein droplets during heat shock.

5-Deoxyribose is formed from 5′-deoxyadenosine, a toxic byproduct of radical S-adenosylmethionine enzymes. Here, the authors identify and biochemically characterize a bacterial salvage pathway for 5-deoxyribose, consisting of three enzymes, and solve the crystal structure of the key aldolase.

Mapping the operational chemical, physical and electronic structure of an oxygen evolution electrocatalyst at the nanoscale links the properties of the material with the observed oxygen evolution activity.

Influenza A virus infection causes a dramatic upregulation of ADP-ribosylation that as part of the cellular antiviral response, a process that is counteracted by the viral NS1 protein.

Mutations in GJB2 cause DFNB1, the most common hereditary deafness. ATAC-seq identification of gene regulatory elements enables targeted GJB2 delivery to cochlear cells, preventing hearing loss in mouse models.

Cryogenic electron microscopy structures and functional analyses reveal that NCLX functions as a H⁺/Ca²⁺ rather than a Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchanger, and uncover its transport mechanism with implications for therapies treating cardiac and neurodegenerative disorders related to abnormal mitochondrial Ca²⁺.

Transcription factor osr2 is identified as a specific marker and regulator of mural lymphatic endothelial cell (muLEC) differentiation and maintenance, and muLECs and border-associated macrophages share functional analogies but are not homologous, providing an example of convergent evolution.

Electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂ to multicarbon products is useful for producing high-value chemicals and fuels. Here the authors present a strategy that is based on the in situ electrodeposition of copper under CO₂ reduction conditions that preferentially expose and maintain Cu(100) facets, which favour the formation of C₂₊ products.

The extent of the hierarchical relationship between premotor and primary motor cortices has been contested. Here, the authors show that hierarchical interactions between analogous brain regions and forelimb musculature vary substantially between two motor behaviors in mice.

The production of higher alcohols is very valuable because of their high volumetric energy density. Now, Sargent, Sinton and co-workers report the design of copper nanoparticles with tailored nanocavities that promote n-propanol formation by the coupling of C2 and C1 intermediates inside the cavity.

Achieving recyclable printed electronic circuits with high-resolution and conductivity is challenging. Here, a “growth-and-transfer” process electroplates conductive bulk zinc onto a sacrificial carrier followed by transfer to a biodegradable substrate.

Koh, Ma et al. show that during climbing, mouse motor cortex instructs limb muscle activity patterns primarily by selectively activating certain muscles at certain activity states, via neural activity patterns distinct from those previously described.

Sodium-ion batteries are promising low-cost alternatives to lithium-ion systems yet limited by underperforming anodes. This Review highlights advances and challenges in hard carbon and alloy-based anodes, outlining design strategies to boost capacity, stability and commercial viability of next-generation high-energy sodium-ion batteries.

Here the authors demonstrate that the assembly of mitochondrial respiratory supercomplex (III₂–IV) from Toxoplasma gondii is critical for parasite fitness. They reveal the basis for cytochrome b inhibition by atovaquone and improved ELQ inhibitors.

Chemical modulation of intron selection has emerged as a route for cancer therapy. Here, structures of the U2 snRNP’s SF3B module and of prespliceosome- both in complexes with splicing modulators- provide insight into the mechanisms of intron recognition and branch site inactivation.

Hailong, an anti-phage defence system, synthesizes an oligodeoxyadenylate signal that blocks effector activity in the absence of phage infection but is degraded by phage-encoded DNA exonucleases, leading to protective growth arrest of infected cells.

The variability in clinical outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection is partly due to deficiencies in production or response to type I interferons (IFN). Here, the authors describe a FIP200-dependent lysosomal degradation pathway, independent of canonical autophagy and type I IFN, that restricts SARS-CoV-2 replication, offering insights into critical COVID-19 pneumonia mechanisms.

A method for design of polymer membranes uses strategically placed pendant groups with specific hydrophobicity to precisely tailor hydrated pore size, with applications in ion-conducting membranes for redox flow batteries.

Cell state plasticity of neuroblastoma cells is linked to therapy resistance. Here, the authors develop a transcriptomic and epigenetic map of indisulam (RBM39 degrader) resistant neuroblastoma, demonstrating bidirectional cell state switching accompanied by increased NK cell activity, which they therapeutically enhance by the addition of an anti-GD2 antibody.

Understanding of the immune microenvironment in pediatric acute T cell lymphoblastic leukemia is limited. By analyzing single-cell transcriptome, surface protein expression and immune repertoire data, the authors here identify non-malignant CD4^-CD8^- TCRαβ T cells that are present in a subset of patients with Rap1 signaling in leukemia cells and are associated with adverse clinical outcome in patients with low minimal residual disease.

MORC2, a chromatin remodeler involved in epigenetic silencing and DNA repair, is linked to cancer and neurological disorders when dysregulated. Here, the authors show that MORC2 binds DNA at multiple sites, clamps onto it, and induces compaction, a process regulated by its phosphorylation.

A neuron-specific activity-dependent DNA repair mechanism is identified, the impairment of which may lead to neurodevelopmental disorders, neurodegeneration and ageing.

Large-scale combinatorial perturbation screens are important to identify genetic interactions and synthetic lethal gene pairs. Here, Burgold et al. present a next-generation dual guide system that allows library-scale screening across hundreds of thousands of genetic interactions.

Little is known about the mean free path spectra of lattice vibrations—known as phonons—that carry heat in non-metallic solids. Regner et al. demonstrate a technique that enables measurement of these spectra over an unprecedented range, enabling a more complete picture of heat flow in non-metals.

Little is known about the transition of a metal nanoparticle from the plasmonic to excitonic state. Here, the authors map this evolution in atomically precise gold nanoparticles, a critical step for understanding the origins of surface plasmon resonance, metallic bonding, and catalytic behaviour.

Polygenic scores for body mass index and obesity constructed using data from 5 million people with different ancestries were associated with distinct weight gain trajectories from early childhood to adulthood.

Organic cations are typically unstable under low-humidity, alkaline conditions. Here, the authors report an organic cation featuring a proton protected within a cage that can withstand vapor-phase alkaline conditions.

Little millet is an orphan crop offering a promising yet underutilized option in the pursuit of food and nutritional security. Here, the authors report its genome assembly, and elucidate its recent tetraploid structure, sub-genome dominance, and the genetic basis for micronutrient content.

Here, the authors engineered probiotic bacteria to sense inflammatory biomarkers in the gut and respond by producing protein reporters that can be imaged noninvasively with ultrasound, providing a potentially easier and cheaper approach to diagnose and monitor IBD or other GI conditions.

Myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are associated with tumourigenesis and therapy response. Here, the authors show that beta 2-adrenergic receptor activation in MDSC leads to metabolic rewiring which regulates chemotherapy response in preclinical models of blood cancer.

Diosgenin is a spiroketal natural product that is used as a precursor in the industrial synthesis of steroids. Here, the authors identified key cytochrome P450 enzymes responsible for the conversion of cholesterol to diosgenin from two phylogenetical distinct diosgenin-producing plant species.

Few non-copper catalysts have been observed to produce appreciable amounts of propane—a useful fuel—by electrochemical reduction of CO₂. New research shows that ionomer-coated imidazolium-functionalized Mo₃P nanoparticles produce propane with high activity and selectivity.

A global network of researchers was formed to investigate the role of human genetics in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity; this paper reports 13 genome-wide significant loci and potentially actionable mechanisms in response to infection.

Few biomaterials are suitable for long-term tissue engineering applications and these examples usually possess limited property scope, can be difficult to process, and are non-responsive to external stimuli. Here, the authors overcome these issues by developing a class of easily processable polyamides with stereo-controlled mechanical properties and high-fidelity shape memory behaviour.

Cryo-electron microscopy and single-molecule studies reveal that the adaptors BICDR1 and HOOK3 recruit two dynein molecules to dynactin and thereby increase the force and speed of the dynein–dynactin microtubule motor.

Zhang et al. show that the Creb5 transcription factor regulates the formation of synovial joints, directs the genesis of articular cartilage, and regulates the shape of the ends of long bones by blocking Wnt5a expression in the perichondrium.

Analyses of 2,658 whole genomes across 38 types of cancer identify the contribution of non-coding point mutations and structural variants to driving cancer.

Copper catalysts are widely studied for electrochemical CO2 conversion, but their structural changes during reactions require further investigation. Here the authors propose that Cu undergoes transformation through alkali cation-induced cathodic corrosion when exposed to sufficiently negative potentials in the presence of alkali cations in the electrolyte.

The multi-subunit SWR1C remodeler deposits histone variant H2A.Z at nucleosomes flanking protein-coding genes. Here the authors use single-molecule and ensemble methodologies to identify three ATP-dependent phases in the H2A.Z deposition reaction.