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JWST’s COSMOS-Web survey is used to create an ultra-high-detail dark matter map, revealing hidden filaments, clusters and distant structures. By tracing features out to z = 2, this map shows how dark and luminous matter build the cosmic web across cosmic time.

Analysis combining multiple global tree databases reveals that whether a location is invaded by non-native tree species depends on anthropogenic factors, but the severity of the invasion depends on the native species diversity.

Researchers find that whether a person is first vaccinated or first infected with COVID-19 influences their antibody and T-cell responses, offering new insights into how hybrid immunity develops and protects over time.

Species’ traits and environmental conditions determine the abundance of tree species across the globe. Here, the authors find that dominant tree species are taller and have softer wood compared to rare species and that these trait differences are more strongly associated with temperature than water availability.

A new version of nanorate DNA sequencing, with an error rate lower than five errors per billion base pairs and compatible with whole-exome and targeted capture, enables epidemiological-scale studies of somatic mutation and selection and the generation of high-resolution selection maps across coding and non-coding sites for many genes.

An Omicron investigator, a Mars explorer and an AI ethics pioneer are some of the people behind the year’s big research stories.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 are well known breast cancer predisposition genes, however, many variants have not yet been classified for their pathogenicity. Here, the authors analyse a large combined cohort to provide evidence of variant pathogenicity.

Different types of SETBP1 variants cause variable developmental syndromes with only partial clinical and functional overlaps. Here, the authors report that SETBP1 variants outside the degron region impair DNA-binding, transcription, and neuronal differentiation capacity and morphologies.

Poll of 5,000 researchers finds contrasting views on when it’s acceptable to involve AI and what needs to be disclosed.

For our fifth anniversary, we reconnected with authors of recent Comments and Perspectives in Nature Machine Intelligence and asked them how the topic they wrote about developed. We also wanted to know what other topics in AI they found exciting, surprising or worrying, and what their hopes and expectations are for AI in 2024—and the next five years. A recurring theme is the ongoing developments in large language models and generative AI, their transformative effect on the scientific process and concerns about ethical implications.

The study advances the use of serological surveys to guide trachoma elimination program decisions and provides a way to set thresholds for whether or not to continue an intervention program.

The icosahedron is the most symmetrical solid structure and is found in metal clusters, colloidal aggregates, viruses and organelles. Here, the authors propose a general theory for the design of multi-component icosahedral aggregates by packing shells of different types.

Accurate segmentation of ischemic stroke lesions from brain MRI is crucial for timely diagnosis and treatment planning. Here, the authors present DeepISLES, an AI ensemble for stroke MRI analysis that outperforms previous methods and matches expert radiologist performance in identifying stroke lesions.

Carbon isotopic analysis reveals global biogeographic traits in shark trophic interactions, and sheds light on the diverse foraging behaviour of sharks.

How the bones of the skull vault expand to cover the brain is poorly understood. Here, the authors demonstrate that such bones grow through a mechanical feedback mechanism that propagates a wave of differentiation and emergent cell motion.

Here the authors reveal how telomeres signal mitotic stress. A key protein network alters their structure exposing telomere ends to signal mitotic stress, ultimately triggering a controlled DNA damage response to remove faulty cells.

Vaccination is effective in protecting from COVID-19. Here the authors report immune responses and breakthrough infections in twice-vaccinated patients receiving anti-TNF treatments for inflammatory bowel disease, and find dampened vaccine responses that implicate the need of adapted vaccination schedules for these patients.

CETP inhibitors are being developed for treatment of coronary heart disease. Here, the authors show that the anticipated beneficial effects of lower plasma levels of CETP are shared among individuals of European and East Asian ancestry.

Using national registry data from Denmark, 30 maternal diagnoses linked to offspring autism were identified with most associations attributable to family-level factors rather than direct causal effects of maternal diagnoses.

A rare case of asymptomatic dominantly inherited Alzheimer’s reveals confined tau pathology and unique proteomic features, highlighting potential resilience mechanisms decades beyond expected onset.

From 1980 to 2018, the levels of total and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased in low- and middle-income countries, especially in east and southeast Asia, and decreased in high-income western countries, especially those in northwestern Europe, and in central and eastern Europe.

Understanding and controlling many-body interactions is essential for advancing quantum science. A crystal containing millions of strongly interacting ytterbium ion dopants has now been used to simulate complex quantum many-body phenomena.

Long-term characterisation of SARS-CoV-2 antibody kinetics is needed to understand the protective role of the immune response. Here the authors describe antibody levels and neutralisation activity in healthcare workers over seven months and investigate the role of immunity to endemic human coronaviruses.

Arboviruses transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes have an expanding global distribution and identifying areas at risk is important for public health planning. Here, the authors present global disease maps for dengue, chikungunya, Zika and yellow fever through a multi-disease ecological niche modelling approach.

CRISPR arrays form the physical memory of prokaryotic adaptive immune systems by incorporating viral DNA sequences as spacers. Here, Blombach et al. show that transcription factor Cbp1 recruits chromatin protein Cren7 at CRISPR arrays, forming ‘chimeric’ chromatin-like structures that regulate expression of long CRISPR arrays in Sulfolobales archaea.

Inverse vulcanization is a process that enables to convert sulfur, a by-product of the petroleum industry, into polymers. Here the authors report a synthetic method of inverse vulcanization via mechanochemical synthesis; compared to thermal routes, a broader range of monomers can be used, and the protocol yields materials with enhanced mercury capture capacity.

We find that justice considerations constrain the integrated Earth system boundaries more than safety considerations for climate and atmospheric aerosol loading, and our assessment provides a foundation for safeguarding the global commons for all people.

This paper proposes a research agenda towards the more just, equitable and effective integration of gender into blue carbon initiatives. It is a call-to-action towards closing the gender gap in the conservation and restoration of these ecosystems.

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is characterized by debilitating neurological symptoms. Dinca et al. demonstrate the pronounced impact of DM1 on the morphology and RNA metabolism of astrocytes. Their findings suggest astroglial pathology in DM1 brain dysfunction.

Evolutionary modelling and expert review are applied to integrate experimentally supported knowledge accumulated in the Gene Ontology knowledgebase to create a draft human gene ‘functionome’.

Observations from the JWST MIRI/LRS show the detection of SO₂ spectral features in the 5–12-μm transmission spectrum of the hot, Saturn-mass exoplanet WASP-39b, suggesting that photochemistry is a key process in high-temperature exoplanet atmospheres.

A study reports whole-genome sequences for 490,640 participants from the UK Biobank and combines these data with phenotypic data to provide new insights into the relationship between human variation and sequence variation.

Challenges in obtaining empirical trait data hinder the development of trait-based frameworks for soil microbes. Here, the authors analyse traits of saprobic fungal isolates from a grassland site to propose a fungal economics spectrum, suggesting a general trait framework for soil fungi.

Polθ has been recently identified as a therapeutic target in cancer but specific inhibitors are currently unavailable. Here, the authors identify small molecule inhibitors of Polθ’s polymerase activity which elicit BRCA1/2 synthetic lethality, enhance the effect of PARP inhibitors and target PARP inhibitor resistance caused by 53BP1/Shieldin pathway defects.

A study using structure determination by cryogenic electron microscopy identifies and characterizes TMEM106B amyloid filaments in human brain, and suggests that their formation is age dependent, with no obvious association with disease.

The SiO₂ contents of erupted volcanic melts are correlated with persistent seismic signals that accompany eruptions—volcanic tremor—and may represent an eruption monitoring tool, according to a study of volcanic ash glasses from Cumbre Vieja volcano.

Personalized cancer medicine currently lacks custom platforms that mimic the microenvironment of human tissues. Here, the authors show how self-assembled patient-derived models of pancreatic cancer recapitulate key biological features of the original tumours such as matrix composition and stemness.

A systematic collection for single-cell and spatial transcriptomics is critical for in-depth analysis and novel discovery in AD. Here, authors show ssREAD which covers over 7 million cells and 381 spatial samples from human and mouse, providing a comprehensive resource for AD research.

Rapid, visual detection of pathogens is important for point-of-care diagnostics. Here the authors present enVision, which uses enzyme-DNA complexes to detect pathogen nucleic acids and provide a rapid, smartphone compatible readout.