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The synthetic biology era has seen a rapidly growing number of engineered DNA sequences. Here, the authors develop a deep learning method to predict the lab-of-origin of a DNA sequence based on hidden design signatures.

In geometrically frustrated magnets, long-range magnetic order is typically suppressed, whereas at the same time non-trivial spin correlations are observed. Using time-domain terahertz spectroscopy, the authors find evidence for extended quantum string-like excitations in the quantum spin ice material Yb₂Ti₂O₇.

CD44 expressed by fibroblastic reticular cells in secondary lymphoid organs regulates trafficking of dendritic cells, and thus has an essential role in the priming of T cells and the adaptive immune response.

Two Co single crystal surfaces remain metallic up to 1 bar during Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. The observed intermediates support the carbide mechanism as the reaction pathway. By adding and removing CO we can follow the dynamics of the (dis)appearance of intermediates.

Vaccines inducing mucosal immunity may provide better protection from respiratory viruses. Here, Ykema et al. demonstrate the utility of a bivalent, mucosally delivered nanostructured lipid carrier-replicon vaccine for induction of mucosal and systemic immunity and protection against morbidity and mortality from H5N1 and H7N9 influenza.

By analysing Hubble Space Telescope/Cosmic Origins Spectrograph spectra, evidence is provided for the presence of a Magellanic Corona surrounding the Large Magellanic Cloud, as predicted given its high mass.

Opacities are considered to be the source of the disagreement between theoretical solar models and helioseismic data. Here, the authors show solar opacity profiles derived from seismic inferences, which differs from theoretical values used in the solar models.

Spectroscopy of a gravitationally lensed galaxy at a redshift of 2.7 with spatially resolved maps of two foreground damped Lyman α systems indicates a vast mass of neutral hydrogen gas, consistent with a star-forming region.

Surfaces of semiconductors exhibiting large Rasha effect are of great interest for spintronics applications. Here, Butler et al. present the spectroscopic observation and microscopic mapping of termination-dependent band-bending at the surface of Rashba semiconductor BiTeI.

The process of cellular engineering is rapidly accelerating owing to advances in technologies to manipulate DNA and other biomolecules, giving rise to the field of synthetic biology. A meeting was held in August 2005 to present progress in the field and to discuss topics in ethics, safety and security.

A donor strain (XPORT) that can transfer a miniature integrative and conjugative element from Bacillus subtilis (ICEBs1) enables DNA delivery into a broad range of bacterial strains isolated from human skin and gut, and soil.

To follow in situ and in real time how catalyst surfaces respond to gas composition changes is a challenge. This study reports on an eventaveraging method, based on cyclic gas pulsing and software-based image recognition, that overcomes the challenge for large photoelectron spectroscopy datasets.

Very early observations of a type Ia supernova—from within one hour of explosion—show a red colour that develops and rapidly disappears. These data provide information on the initial explosion mechanism: surface nuclear burning on the white dwarf or extreme mixing of the nuclear burning process.

In synthetic biology designs, circuit components can generally move within the cell, meaning that functional cross-talk can cause faulty wiring. Genome mining, synthetic promoter construction and cross-reactivity screening now identify 20 orthogonal TetR repressor-promoter pairs for use in complex applications.

Central serous chorioretinopathy is an eye disease whose etiology is not well known. Here, the authors performed genetic association studies and identified vascular endothelial protein tyrosine phosphatase (VE-PTP) as a likely regulator of the risk of central serous chorioretinopathy, as well as other eye and vascular diseases.

This study shows that rainfall and land surface conditions control tropical humid heatwaves, with enhanced rainfall preceding heatwaves in moisture-limited regions, and suppressed rainfall preceding those in energy limited regions.

The authors here present geodetic and seismic data for a complete eruptive cycle (2005-2018) for Sierra Negra volcano, Galapagos Island. The data shows the largest pre-eruptive inflation (6.5 m) and rates of seismicity ever observed before a basaltic eruption and provides a rare illustration of caldera resurgence mechanisms.

The existence of a crystalline precursor is key to perovskite film formation, but the precise chemistry of the precursor and its transformation into perovskite are poorly understood. Here, the authors identify the crystal structure and conversion chemistry of the precursor for PbCl₂-derived methylammonium lead iodide perovskites.

Synthesis of metastable materials away from thermodynamic equilibrium has been a challenge in materials chemistry, but thin-film methods often struggle to yield ground-state structures. Now, a synthesis pathway to thin films of stable layered ternary nitrides is revealed, and the tendency for metastable intermediate formation is discussed.

Assessment of surface contamination shows that trace oxygen is a key factor influencing the trajectory and quality of graphene grown by low-pressure chemical vapour deposition, with oxygen-free synthesis showing increased reproducibility and quality.

An automation tool has been designed that enables partitioning of an algorithm into subcircuits split across cells for biological computing. The tool was applied to a hashing algorithm requiring 110 logic gates across 66 cells.

Spectroscopy from the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey of a galaxy at redshift 13 shows a singular, bright emission line identified as Lyman-α, suggesting the onset of reionization only 330 Myr after the Big Bang.

This study found that a prebiotic intervention was well-tolerated and safe, beneficially changed the microbiome, decreased inflammation and a marker of neurodegeneration, with possible clinical effects in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. This study offers the rationale for further investigations using prebiotic fibers in PD.

Field-driven insulator-to-metal transition and associated colossal magnetoresistance have been reported in the magnetic nodal-line semiconductor Mn₃Si₂Te₆. Gu et al. measure infrared response across magnetic ordering and the transition, revealing a weakly metallic state instead of a traditional metallic state.

A physiologically relevant 3D model of the outer-blood-retina-barrier recapitulates healthy and disease phenotypes.

Identifying the designers of engineered biological sequences would help promote biotechnological innovation while holding designers accountable. Here the authors present the winners of a 2020 data-science competition which improved on previous attempts to attribute plasmid sequences.

Five experts discuss their views on the main achievements and challenges of synthetic biology in basic and applied science, consider potential ethical issues, and describe how synthetic biology relates to disciplines such as systems biology and computational modelling.

For genetically engineered circuits, the movement of RNA polymerase across the DNA during transcription needs to be tightly controlled. A large library of strong terminators will make circuit design easier and more efficient.

The replicative helicase CMG is targeted for removal or proteolysis by the E3 ubiquitin ligase TRAIP. This study describes how the de-ubiquitylating enzyme USP37 protects genome stability by preventing premature TRAIP-dependent CMG unloading when replication stress impedes timely termination.

Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the surface composition of iron and ruthenium catalysts during ammonia synthesis at pressures up to 1 bar and temperatures as high as 723 K can be revealed.

The creation of orthogonal ‘AND’ logic gates by combining DNA-binding proteins into complex, layered circuits opens the way to the design of programmable integrated circuits in synthetic biology.

A series of feedforward-stabilized bacterial gene promoters produce near-identical expression levels regardless of copy number changes due to altered genetic context, strain or growth conditions.

This study describes design automation and predictable gene regulatory network engineering in a eukaryotic microorganism.

Hyperspectral reporter genes allow imaging of ground bacteria from aerial vehicles

Combining enzymes from different pathways in nature could enable de novo peptide design, but determining enzyme-specificity rules is non-trivial. Here a biophysical model combining enzymes sourced from bacterial ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP) gene clusters was generated to formalize enzyme-specificity rules and create peptide scaffolds with defined post-translational modifications.

Time-resolved X-ray scattering is utilized to demonstrate an ultrafast 300 ps topological phase transition to a skyrmionic phase. This transition is enabled by the formation of a transient topological fluctuation state.

EvoScan combines EvolvR mutagenesis and phage selection to explore the protein sequence space in different dimensions, identifying anchor points with critical mutations. Next, EvoAI, a deep learning-based method, uses these anchor points to accurately reconstruct the protein sequence space and design new proteins.

Lower olefins are mainly produced from fossil resources and the methanol-to-olefins process offers a new sustainable pathway. Here, the authors show a new zeolite containing tantalum and aluminium centres which shows simultaneously high propene selectivity, catalytic activity, and stability for the synthesis of propene.

The ATLAS Collaboration reports a measurement of the ratio of the decay rates of W bosons to τ leptons and muons, in agreement with universal lepton couplings as postulated in the standard model of particle physics.

Absorption lines of iron in the dayside atmosphere of an ultrahot giant exoplanet disappear after travelling across the nightside, showing that the iron has condensed during its travel.

Production of olefins from biomass-derived γ-valerolactone could lead to sustainable chemical processes, but catalysts suffer from deactivation due to water. Here, a MFI-type zeolite doped with Nb(v) and Al(iii) shows >99% yield at 320 °C and catalyst stability over 180 hours.

The impact of grain-scale residual stresses on the mechanical behaviour of 3D-printed metals and alloys remains unexplored. Here, the authors combine in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction and computer simulations to link residual stresses in steel to its tensile behaviour.

The authors use surface acoustic waves, focused in a Gaussian geometry, to manipulate the spin state of divacancy defects in silicon carbide via mechanical driving. They demonstrate that shear strain is important in controlling the spin transitions.

AMPK regulates cellular energy balance using its γ subunit as an energy sensor of cellular AMP and ADP to ATP ratios. Here, the authors show that γ2 AMPK activation lowers heart rate by reducing the activity of pacemaker cells, whereas loss of γ2 AMPK increases heart rate and prevents the adaptive bradycardia of endurance training in mice.

Epicardial engineered heart muscle allografts from induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes can safely and effectively remuscularize chronically failing hearts in rhesus macaques, leading to improved cardiac function and paving the way for human clinical trials.

Solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation on Li-ion battery anodes is critical for long-term performance. Here, the authors use operando soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy in total electron yield mode to resolve the chemical evolution of the SEI during electrochemical formation on silicon anodes.