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An ultraviolet- and carbon-rich environment is needed to explain the bright emission coming from complex organic molecules observed near the midplane of protoplanetary disks. This implies that the gaseous reservoir from which actively forming planets accrete is carbon and organic rich.

Cryo-electron microscopy structures of a folding intermediate on the BAM complex of Escherichia coli reveal how interactions between the BamA catalyst and substrate permit stable association during folding, followed by rapid turnover.

A carbon monoxide gas ring co-orbiting with dusty debris is observed in the outer terrestrial planet region of the star HD 172555, which indicates that a planetary-scale impact took place.

An integrated system consisting of conformable piezoelectric devices, three-dimensional digital image correlation, multiphysics modelling and real-time classification algorithms predicts facial kinematics and decodes facial deformations.

Here, the authors provide the structure of mature Coxsackie Virus A10 alone and in complex with its receptor KREMEN1, and of A-particles. This shows how the receptor spans the viral canyon and suggests that receptor binding triggers pocket factor release and conformational changes resulting in expanded particles.

The folding of outer membrane proteins (OMPs) is catalyzed by the βbarrel assembly machinery (BAM). Here, structural and functional analyses of BAM stabilized in distinct conformations elucidate the roles of lateral gate opening and interactions of BAM with the lipid bilayer in OMP assembly.

Packing nanoparticles into ordered superstructures finds applications in photonic materials, but fabrication over large scales is challenging. Zhao et al. show a roll-to-roll approach to prepare flexible films of ordered polymer nanoparticles via an oscillatory shear-induced structural transition.

A structural and functional analysis of the systems involved in oligosaccharide uptake in gut Bacteroidetes describes multicomponent complexes termed utilisomes that include pre-processing and transport subunits.

Imaging through scattering media is possible using a transmission matrix or the memory effect. Here, the authors describe the nature of optical memory effects in structures of arbitrary geometry and use this framework to estimate the transmission matrix of an optical fibre from just one end.

Herzfeld et al. examine how the cerebellum learns to correct movements. They find a timing code that links a Purkinje cell’s preference for error to its downstream projection on motor effectors that produce force to correct for that error.

Non-homologous DNA end joining (NHEJ) is the main repair pathway of DNA double-strand breaks. Recent studies show that synapsis — the crucial pairing of DNA ends — is performed by several mechanisms, and this insight can now be integrated with updates on the DNA end processing and ligation steps of NHEJ, and with NHEJ-related human diseases.

In addition to the evolutionary innovation of feathers, bird skin has complex adaptations. Here, McNamara and colleagues examine exceptionally preserved skin from feathered dinosaurs and ancient birds from the Cretaceous and show the early acquisition of many skin attributes seen in modern species.

The crystal structure of the inner-membrane urea channel HpUreI from Helicobacter pylori, the causative organism of peptic ulcers, reveals how the channel selectively transports urea across the membrane and buffers the pathogen’s periplasmic pH against the acidic gastric environment.

Using cryo-EM structures, single-molecule fluorescence and electrophysiological studies, Kern et al. show how LRRC8A:C volume-regulated channels assemble into heteromers and use pore-bound lipids to block conduction in a closed state.

FliD forms a cap complex at the tip of bacterial flagella and is essential for flagellum filament assembly. Here, the authors present the cryo-EM structure of the Campylobacter jejuni cap complex, revealing a pentameric assembly of FliD and further show that the C. jejuni flagellum filament is 11-stranded.

Observations of an ultraluminous quasar, SDSS J010013.02+280225.8, at redshift z = 6.30 show that the object has an optical and near-infrared luminosity a few times greater than those of previously known quasars at z > 6; the black hole that drives the quasar has a mass about 12 billion times that of the Sun.

Aspects of the disordered Bose–Hubbard model, such as the Bose glass–superfluid transition, are still incompletely understood, but this can now be probed in an ultracold atomic gas in an optical lattice using controlled quantum quenches of disorder.

The structures of four plant phytochrome sensory modules, including an A-type phytochrome, illuminate the function of these red/far-red photoreceptors and suggest the existence of a nuclear localization signal specific to the phytochrome A lineage.

How cells respond to denaturation of extracellular protein domains remained largely unknown. Here, authors describe an aggregation-dependent endocytosis pathway, facilitating uptake and degradation of antibody- and stress-induced protein aggregates.

Analysis of the metallicities of more than 400 stars hosting 600 candidate extrasolar planets shows that the planets can be categorized by size into three populations — terrestrial-like planets, gas dwarf planets with rocky cores and hydrogen–helium envelopes, and ice or gas giant planets — on the basis of host star metallicity.

Volta phase-plate cryo-electron microscopy reveals the structure of the full-length calcitonin receptor in complex with its peptide ligand and Gα_sβγ.

A structure-guided small-molecule and chemoproteomics approach uncovers a catalytic site inhibitor selective for the jumonji subfamily of H3K27me3 demethylases; the inhibitor decreases lipopolysaccharide-induced proinflammatory cytokine production by human primary macrophages.

Oxygen release in Li-rich layered oxides is of both fundamental and practical interest in batteries, but a varied mechanistic understanding exists. Here the authors evaluate the extent of oxygen release over extended cycles and present a comprehensive picture of the phenomenon that unifies the current explanations.

Nanoparticle surfaces can be engineered for targeted delivery of cancer therapies. In this Review, Gomerdinger, Nabar and Hammond outline the role of surface chemistry at all levels of nanoparticle trafficking, from administration route, to tissue accumulation, cellular targeting and ultimately subcellular localization. They emphasize the utility of non-covalent surface modifications for improving stealth and targeting abilities of nanoparticles for cancer.

The development of single cell RNA sequencing technologies has been instrumental in advancing our understanding of tissue biology. Here, MacParland et al. performed single cell RNA sequencing of human liver samples, and identify distinct populations of intrahepatic macrophages that may play specific roles in liver disease.

Habitat loss typically results in biodiversity decline, yet predicting how different facets of biodiversity are affected is challenging. Here, the authors show that the geometry of area loss is crucial to predict loss of taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity across three taxa on four continents.

The solution structures of the two PAR-binding zinc finger (PBZ) modules from APLF, a human protein putatively involved in DNA damage response, are now presented. Together with binding studies with PAR fragments and mutagenesis, the work sheds light on PAR recognition by PBZ modules.

A multi-step interrupted gelation process to generate complex hydrogels with multi-membrane 'onion-like' and tubular architectures has been developed. The method allows the formation of free 'inter-membrane' spaces well suited for an easy cell or drug introduction.