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Human and rodent supragranular pyramidal neurons differ in HCN channel-related properties. Comparison across primates reveals robust HCN1 expression and HCN channel-dependent physiology, with cell type dependent differences in macaques versus humans.

The role of the complement system (CS) - part of the immune system - in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains underexplored. Here, the authors evaluate the association of genetic variants in CS-related genes with PDAC risk, and explore their potential role in prognosis and immune infiltration.

A high-resolution transcriptomic and epigenomic cell-type atlas of the developing mouse visual cortex from embryonic to postnatal development is presented, providing a real-time dynamic molecular map associated with individual cell types and specific developmental events.

An analysis of 24,202 critical cases of COVID-19 identifies potentially druggable targets in inflammatory signalling (JAK1), monocyte–macrophage activation and endothelial permeability (PDE4A), immunometabolism (SLC2A5 and AK5), and host factors required for viral entry and replication (TMPRSS2 and RAB2A).

The mechanism by which Mars lost its early dense and carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere remains relatively unknown. Here, via mineralogical analysis of the Lafayette Martian meteorite, Tomkinson et al. infer that carbonation was an effective carbon dioxide sequestration mechanism on an early, water-rich Mars.

Genomic epidemiology studies have indicated southern Africa as likely sources of emergence of six Omicron lineages since November 2021. Here, the authors trace the geographic origins and dispersion patterns of these six lineages and highlight Gauteng province in South Africa as likely to have played a key role.

The authors develop and characterise a selective Greatwall inhibitor, C-604, and show that its cytotoxicity stems from PP2A-B55α hyperactivation. They identify B55α and Greatwall levels as biomarkers of responses to Greatwall-targeted therapy.

An analysis of the impact of logging intensity on biodiversity in tropical forests in Sabah, Malaysia, identifies a threshold of tree biomass removal below which logged forests still have conservation value.

Phylogenomic analysis of 7,923 angiosperm species using a standardized set of 353 nuclear genes produced an angiosperm tree of life dated with 200 fossil calibrations, providing key insights into evolutionary relationships and diversification.

Frequency combs based on terahertz quantum cascade lasers, which combine the high power of lasers with the broadband capabilities of pulsed sources, are demonstrated. The frequency combs generate 5 mW of terahertz power covering a frequency range of almost 500 GHz and produce more than 70 lines at 3.5 THz.

Available wheat genomes are annotated by projecting Chinese Spring gene models across the new assemblies. Here, the authors generate de novo gene annotations for the 9 wheat genomes, identify core and dispensable transcriptome, and reveal conservation and divergence of gene expression balance across homoeologous subgenomes.

Here, the authors develop hydrocarbon-stapled paxillin-mimetic peptides that act as selective and potent focal adhesion kinase (FAK) scaffold inhibitors to displace FAK from focal adhesions. Treatment shows reduced cancer cell survival in vitro and reduced tumor burden in vivo.

Tumour evolution and heterogeneity in high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) remains poorly characterised. Here, the authors investigate the genomic landscape of HGSOC and reveal two distinct evolutionary trajectories associated with clinical outcomes.

Nanomedicine efficacy in a clinical setting depends on the pharmacological properties of the therapeutic nanoparticles. Here, the authors exemplify an accelerated translational strategy from small-scale screening to clinical scale-up for an orally-dosed aqueous paediatric HIV nanomedicine.

Here authors use RNA interference to identify circular RNAs involved in synaptogenesis. They report that the candidate circRERE inhibits the formation of silent synapses via microRNA miR-128-3p stabilization.

 A transcriptomic cell-type atlas of the whole adult mouse brain with ~5,300 clusters built from single-cell and spatial transcriptomic datasets with more than eight million cells reveals remarkable cell type diversity across the brain and unique cell type characteristics of different brain regions. 

The genomic profile and early transmission dynamics of the Omicron strain of SARS-CoV-2.

The spike protein of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 has a higher affinity for ACE2 than Delta, and a marked change in its antigenicity increases Omicron’s evasion of therapeutic and vaccine-elicited neutralizing antibodies.

A study of the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in England between September 2020 and June 2021 finds that interventions capable of containing previous variants were insufficient to stop the more transmissible Alpha and Delta variants.

Chronic infection with SARS-CoV-2 leads to the emergence of viral variants that show reduced susceptibility to neutralizing antibodies in an immunosuppressed individual treated with convalescent plasma.

Sera from vaccinated individuals and some monoclonal antibodies show a modest reduction in neutralizing activity against the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2; but the E484K substitution leads to a considerable loss of neutralizing activity.

In this study, Aggarwal and colleagues perform prospective sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 isolates derived from asymptomatic student screening and symptomatic testing of students and staff at the University of Cambridge. They identify important factors that contributed to within university transmission and onward spread into the wider community.

Shotgun metagenomic sequencing (using the MinION platform) of mock microbial communities and faecal samples from healthy and ill preterm infants can be used to identify pathogens and their antimicrobial resistance gene profiles in real time, indicating the potential for translation into clinical settings.

Multi-ancestry genome-wide association analyses identify 124 risk loci for rheumatoid arthritis, of which 34 are novel. A polygenic risk score based on multi-ancestry data showed comparable performance between populations of European and East Asian ancestries.

Molnupiravir, an antiviral drug used to treat COVID-19, induces numerous mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 genome that can increase the rate at which the virus evolves — yielding viral variants that might survive and be passed on.

Due to the pulsed nature of X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) instruments the majority of protein crystals, which are injected using continuous jet injection techniques are wasted. Here, the authors present a microfluidic device to deliver aqueous protein crystal laden droplets segmented with an immiscible oil and demonstrate that with this device an approx. 60% reduction in sample waste was achieved for data collection of 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonate 8-phosphate synthase crystals at the EuXFEL.

Avian influenza polymerase undergoes host adaptation in order to efficiently replicate in human cells. Here, the authors use NMR spectroscopy and quantitative ensemble modelling to describe the highly dynamic assemblies formed by the human-adapted or avian-adapted C-terminal domains with the respective ANP32A host proteins.

Exploring the molecular consequences of exposing mice to social stress, Lyons et al. identify that hippocampal and cortical neurons acquire features of senescence, identifying a mechanism through which the social environment may contribute to aging.

Here, the authors characterize a case of SARS-CoV-2 superinfection with Alpha and Epsilon variants, in which, via full genome sequencing analyses, they identify recombinant haplotypes in the spike, nucleocapsid, and ORF 8 coding regions, suggesting recombination could play a role in SARS-CoV-2 genetic diversity.

The Omicron variant evades vaccine-induced neutralization but also fails to form syncytia, shows reduced replication in human lung cells and preferentially uses a TMPRSS2-independent cell entry pathway, which may contribute to enhanced replication in cells of the upper airway. Altered fusion and cell entry characteristics are linked to distinct regions of the Omicron spike protein.

The relative importance of the mechanisms underlying species radiation remains unclear. Here, the authors combine reference genome assembly and population genetics analyses to show that neutral forces have contributed to the radiation of the most species-rich tree genus Syzygium.

A high-quality sequence assembly of the zebrafish genome reveals the largest gene set of any vertebrate and provides information on key genomic features, and comparison to the human reference genome shows that approximately 70% of human protein-coding genes have at least one clear zebrafish orthologue.

Behaviour drives infection risk in social groups. Here, Li et al. show that depending on the behavioural role of clonal ants in a colony, genetically identical individuals face vastly different risks of becoming infected with parasitic nematodes.

In this study, the authors provide a global overview of SARS-CoV-2 genome sequencing, and estimate the proportion of cases sequenced and time to genome upload. They identify disparities and highlight the need to strengthen surveillance in lower and middle income countries.

The 501Y.V2 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in South Africa became dominant over other variants within weeks of its emergence, suggesting that this variant is linked to increased transmissibility or immune escape.

The SARS-CoV-2 PANGO lineage C.1.2 has been under monitoring by global health authorities as it has spread worldwide. Here, Bhiman and colleagues characterise the emergence of the lineage, and its neutralisation sensitivity using data from vaccinees and previously infected individuals.

Comparative RNA-seq, ChIP–seq and quantitative phosphoproteomics reveal how the blast fungus uses the Pmk1 MAP kinase to regulate a network of transcription factors that orchestrate the complex transcriptome changes necessary for infecting rice plants.

Oncogenic RAS mutants remain difficult to target with small molecules. Here, the authors show that RAS-binding Affimer proteins inhibit RAS signaling while binding diverse regions on the RAS surface, suggesting the potential to use Affimers as tools to identify new binding pockets and pharmacophores.

The chimeric cytokine IC7Fc combines the beneficial effects of the cytokines IL-6 and CNTF on weight loss and metabolism in mice, with no obvious side effects in mice and non-human primates.

Comparison of multiple genome assemblies from wheat reveals extensive diversity that results from the complex breeding history of wheat and provides a basis for further potential improvements to this important food crop.

Dense water that formed over the Antarctic continental shelf spreads throughout the global ocean as Antarctic Bottom Water. Observations over eight years reveal a strong seasonal cycle in the flow of Weddell Sea bottom water northwards that is linked to winds over the western margin of the Weddell Sea.

A new drug inhibits the adverse effects of C-reactive protein, a blood protein that has been shown to exacerbate damage in the heart and brain after blockage of the blood supply.

This study synthesizes data from several published datasets to provide a global estimate of the impact of nitrification on oceanic new production.