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Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified over 200 genetic risk loci for breast cancer, but the target genes in these loci remain largely unknown. Here, the authors conduct multi-ancestry transcriptome-wide association studies to discover potential breast cancer susceptibility genes, which are further explored with single-cell sequencing and in vitro experiments.

Global analysis of obesity trends from 1980 to 2024 in 200 countries and territories using data from 4,050 population-based studies reveals that framing obesity as a single global epidemic masks the highly varied dynamics across countries and age groups.

Laser-driven light sails capable of reaching relativistic velocities in space have been proposed a century ago, but their experimental realization remains challenging. Here, the authors report the fabrication of flexible corrugated nanolaminate sails based on alumina and molybdenum disulfide, showing promising mass, optical and mechanical characteristics.

Here, Laidlaw, Garcia Sanchez and colleagues present a single-cell atlas for Trypanosoma cruzi, an important protozoan pathogen, providing insights into cell heterogeneity, life cycle transitions, the parasite’s immune evasion strategies and transcription complexity.

Peripheral blood transcriptomics is emerging as a powerful, non-invasive tool for disease monitoring. Here, the authors provide a comprehensive reference catalogue of longitudinal RNA variability, defining individual healthy dynamics and improving interpretation of blood-based biomarkers.

Pentatellurides exhibit magnetoresistance oscillations that deviate from conventional 1/B Landau-quantization. Here, the authors demonstrate robust non-1/B oscillations in ZrTe₅ and show that nonlinear Landau level backbending reconciles the diverse oscillatory regimes across the pentatellurides.

Neglected tropical diseases lack automated diagnostic pipelines, hindering effective point-of-care testing. Here, the authors develop an automated pipeline using deep learning and signal processing for schistosomiasis antigen tests, achieving high sensitivity and specificity.

N-terminal acetylation shapes protein fate during protein biosynthesis at the ribosome. Here the authors show that the NatA enzyme forms dynamic multi-factor complexes at the ribosome, acting as an interaction hub that coordinates cotranslational protein maturation.

Kale et al. show that nuclear divisions are defective at elevated temperature, leading to gastrulation defects and embryo lethality. Their work finds that F-actin – microtubule interactions during mitosis are vulnerable and hints to adaptations in current populations.

Single-cell transplantations of long-term haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), in-depth phenotyping and mathematical modelling identify reconstitution kinetics as a unifying metric of HSC potency and extrinsic regulation as a driver of HSC lineage bias.

Families enriched for exceptional longevity show health and survival advantages, but early-life effects are poorly understood. The authors examine early life health and survival trajectories in descendants of families with a history of exceptional longevity using national registry data in Denmark and suggest that this familial phenotype has early life developmental components.

Aqueous two-phase systems have potential as biomimetic materials, but often lack stability and are prone to collapse. Here, the authors use interfacial assembly of chitin nanofibres and cellulose nanocrystals to prepare a biobased system with permeability and switchable motility.

This study used a controlled human malaria challenge study in African adults and a custom merozoite protein microarray to identify antigens associated with clinical immunity against P. falciparum malaria for further study and development.

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.

RsmZ acts as a “protein sponge” by stripping RsmE off mRNAs to restore translation. This study reveals why binding at one RsmE site weakens the other via a Newton’s cradle-like allostery, enabling efficient handover of RsmE from mRNAs to the regulatory RNA.

DNA-sequencing data from primary tumours and paired metastases from participants in the TRACERx lung study and PEACE autopsy programme are used to analyse the metastatic diversity of advanced non-small cell lung cancer and the seeding patterns that underpin it.

Hops are a key ingredient in brewing beer. Here, the authors present a haplotype-resolved genome assembly of the North American–European hybrid hop cultivar ‘Apollo’ and uncover genetic and chemical diversity in core bittering pathways and genetic diversity in aroma pathways between European and North American hops.

In emerging markets and developing economies, how prevalent is public support for environmental protections? To test public demand, the authors surveyed 11,417 adults in 4 large cities in Africa and Asia—Accra, Delhi, Jakarta and Johannesburg—and found that clean air is a top priority, even if it entails economic costs.

Using inbred medaka strains, the authors mapped 59 genetic loci linked to heart rate. Gene editing validated conserved genes affecting heart rate and morphology, highlighting the power of isogenic strains in uncovering mechanisms of cardiac traits and disease.

In this work, authors show that alpibectir boosts ethionamide efficacy against Mycobacterium tuberculosis by enhancing its bioactivation and also shows intrinsic activity. The ethionamide-alpibectir combination (AlpE) is bactericidal in mice and active against drug-resistant strains.

The use of antimicrobial agents can exacerbate the proliferation of antimicrobial resistance genes, which can put public health at risk; evaluating this risk requires proper monitoring. An extensive investigation of Australian wastewater reveals a distinct correlation between the type of antimicrobial used and the socioeconomic status of the population.

Measures of hyperglycaemia are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Here the authors report that glycaemic variability is also a driver of cardiac vulnerability in diabetes, integrating population genetics, clinical data and experimental models to show how glucose fluctuations worsen heart injury and cardiovascular risk.

Foamy microglia are associated with multiple sclerosis progression, linking phagocytosis, altered lipid metabolism (oxylipins) and lysosomal stress to nonclassical neuroinflammation and disease severity, highlighting potential therapeutic targets.

A large-scale proteomics analysis of the dark proteome by the TransCODE Consortium reveals many translated non-canonical open reading frames to encode microproteins and peptideins.

Understanding collective behaviour is an important aspect of managing the pandemic response. Here the authors show in a large global study that participants that reported identifying more strongly with their nation reported greater engagement in public health behaviours and support for public health policies in the context of the pandemic.

The Scalesia plant radiation displays striking leaf-shape variation within Galápagos microclimates. Genome-wide analyses shows that lobed leaves evolved repeatedly through diversifying selection on diverse developmental regulators.

Analysis of 258 ancient genomes from southern Germany reveals a major demographic shift during the late fifth century, yet family structures persisted from Late Roman times, demonstrating cultural continuity despite profound demographic reorganization.

Schöndorf and Petrychenko et al. show that mitochondrial translation speed is coupled to OXA1L-mediated inner membrane insertion, with cotranslational nascent chain folding and insertion driving structural changes and translational pausing.

Plant roots elongate under mild nitrogen deficiency as part of a foraging response that facilitates nutrient uptake. Here the authors show that natural variation in this response among Arabidopsis accessions depends on the brassinosteroid (BR) signaling kinase BSK3, which can enhance BR sensitivity and root growth.

As presented at the 2026 ESC Heart Failure Congress, in a phase 2 randomized trial in patients with heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction after myocardial infarction, treatment with CDR132L, an antisense oligonucleotide inhibitor of miR-132, was well tolerated but did not have a significant effect on measures of left ventricular structure or function.

The mode of action of eukaryotic initiation factor 5A (eIF5A), a translation factor activated by hypusination, remains to be characterized. Here, the authors suggest that hypusinated eIF5A is involved in mitochondrial metabolism and translation promoting prostate cancer progression.

Pelagic Sargassum blooms have expanded over time across the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt. A nonlinear model indicates that winds and mixing drove growth in early years, while internal nutrient recycling now controls variability and supports forecasting.

Global Burden of Disease analysis found that in 2023, suboptimal diet was estimated to be responsible for 4 million deaths and 97 million morbidity burdens from ischemic heart disease.

Deletion of one allele of Rps19 or Rpl5 highlights how ribosomal proteins control fetal hematopoiesis. Imbalanced ribosomal protein stoichiometry disrupts developmental programs leading to pediatric disorders known as ribosomopathies.

Selective removal of the placental protein sFlt-1 via antibody-based apheresis was safe and was associated with modest reductions in blood pressure and prolongation of pregnancy in women with very preterm preeclampsia. The treatment supports conducting controlled trials to evaluate its safety and efficacy at a larger scale.

The effects of global biodiversity loss on local plant communities have been equivocal. Across 57,398 European time series, covering > 100 years, local plant diversity gains are often associated with rises in generalist and non-native plants.

A large-scale study on the replicability of claims from social and behavioural science journals reports that about half of the results replicate in the same patterns as the original study.

MYST acetyltransferases are an emerging class of therapeutic targets in cancer. Here, the authors report the dose-dependent inhibition of MYST enzymes by clinical inhibitors and define biomarkers to monitor selective target engagement.

The identification of cellular targets for natural products that potently inhibit the growth of cancer cell lines implicates oxysterol-binding proteins in the growth of cancer cells. These natural products, termed ORPphilins, also affect sphingomyelin biosynthesis.

Here the authors report real-world evidence through a retrospective analysis of a multinational cohort of 1.8 M older adults showing that GLP1RAs and SGLT2 inhibitors carry lower risk for hyperkalemia than sulfonylureas. However, SGLT2 inhibitors increased risk of ketoacidosis. Findings support safety-conscious prescribing for older adults, who are often underrepresented in clinical trials.

HST and JWST observations of four nearby galaxies show that massive young star clusters disperse their natal gas faster than low-mass clusters, with key implications for star formation, stellar feedback and planet formation models.

Recent studies have shown that probing the heating and ionization dynamics of solid-density plasmas with x-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) beams is inherently challenging. Here, the authors demonstrate sub-picosecond time resolution of solid-density Cu plasmas driven by an optical laser pulse, by combining resonant x-ray emission spectroscopy and absorption imaging from an XFEL probe beam.

This study shows that early-life cerebellar growth follows distinct regional trajectories and is linked to domain-specific maturation in cerebral networks. Moreover, it is uniquely associated with the development of socio-linguistic behavior.

Endocrine therapies are the main adjuvant therapy for estrogen receptor positive breast cancer, but 30% of patients recur. Here, the authors discover that endocrine therapy upregulates Rac1 signalling component P-Rex1, and inhibition of Rac1 reduces tumour growth in refractory breast cancer models.

In myocardial infarction, the rapid identification of an acute coronary artery occlusion is critical to prevent heart muscle damage, yet current ECG criteria miss many cases. Here, the authors show that a deep learning model trained on over 500,000 ECGs can accurately identify and localize occlusion myocardial infarctions, outperforming standard criteria.