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Analysing >1,700 inventory plots from the Amazon Tree Diversity Network, the authors show that the majority of Amazon tree species can occupy floodplains and that patterns of species turnover are closely linked to regional flood patterns.

Zinc-finger nucleases allow targeted genetic modification at loci chosen by the investigator, but the extent of their off-target activity—which could be toxic to cells—has not been evaluated experimentally on a genome-wide scale. Gabriel et al. document the off- and on-target activity of zinc-finger nucleases using lentiviral vectors to tag integration sites.

The goals, resources and design of the NHLBI Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) programme are described, and analyses of rare variants detected in the first 53,831 samples provide insights into mutational processes and recent human evolutionary history.

Influenza A viruses spread through contact, large and small respiratory droplets (aerosols), but the relative importance of these modes of transmission is unclear. Cowling et al. model data from community trials of face masks and hand hygiene and find that aerosol transmission accounts for half of influenza occurrences.

In Nova Scotia, kelp forests sequester more carbon than eelgrass beds by ~1.3 orders of magnitude, mainly through release and export of dissolved organic carbon, according to combined analyses of in-situ data and model simulations.

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.

Examining drivers of the latitudinal biodiversity gradient in a global database of local tree species richness, the authors show that co-limitation by multiple environmental and anthropogenic factors causes steeper increases in richness with latitude in tropical versus temperate and boreal zones.

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.

Vaccination efficiency in HIV infection is hampered by the low immunogenicity of HIV-1 Env glycoprotein (Env). Here authors optimise the neutralising antibody response to Env by stabilizing the Env trimers in the context of expressing them in a Newcastle Disease Virus-like particle and providing conditions that mimics replicating virus infection.

Analyses of genome and exome sequencing data identify rare coding and structural variants associated with atrial fibrillation and highlight genetic links between atrial fibrillation and cardiomyopathies.

Cross-ancestry genome-wide association analyses in individuals of European and East Asian ancestry identify 11 new risk loci for intracranial aneurysms and highlight a polygenic architecture explaining a substantial fraction of disease heritability.

Although the common genetic variants contributing to blood lipid levels have been studied, the contribution of rare variants is less understood. Here, the authors perform a rare coding and noncoding variant association study of blood lipid levels using whole genome sequencing data.

A genome-wide association study including over 76,000 individuals with schizophrenia and over 243,000 control individuals identifies common variant associations at 287 genomic loci, and further fine-mapping analyses highlight the importance of genes involved in synaptic processes.

MultiSTAAR provides a general and flexible statistical framework for functionally informed multi-trait rare variant analysis of biobank-scale sequencing studies by jointly analyzing multiple traits and incorporating annotation information.

How embryonic melanoblast behaviour influences adult pigmentation patterns and causes patterning defects is unclear. Here, Mort et al. construct a stochastic model parameterised experimentally to show that melanoblast migration is undirected and that reduced proliferation causes patterning defects.

The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network reports an integrative analysis of more than 400 samples of clear cell renal cell carcinoma based on genomic, DNA methylation, RNA and proteomic characterisation; frequent mutations were identified in the PI(3)K/AKT pathway, suggesting this pathway might be a potential therapeutic target, among the findings is also a demonstration of metabolic remodelling which correlates with tumour stage and severity.

Lipid concentration in the serum is one of the most important risk factors for coronary artery disease and can be targeted for therapeutic intervention. A genome-wide association study in >100,000 individuals of European ancestry now finds 95 significantly associated loci that also affect lipid traits in non-European populations. Among associated loci are those involved in cholesterol metabolism, known targets of cholesterol-lowering drugs and those that contribute to normal variation in lipid traits and to extreme lipid phenotypes.

Exome sequencing and copy number analysis are used to define genomic aberrations in early sporadic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; among the findings are mutations in genes involved in chromatin modification and DNA damage repair, and frequent and diverse somatic aberrations in genes known as embryonic regulators of axon guidance.

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.

A genome-wide association meta-analysis study of blood lipid levels in roughly 1.6 million individuals demonstrates the gain of power attained when diverse ancestries are included to improve fine-mapping and polygenic score generation, with gains in locus discovery related to sample size.

Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is an anti-inflammatory drug proposed as a treatment for COVID19. Here the results are reported from a randomised trial testing DMF treatment in 713 patients hospitalised with COVID-19. DMF was not associated with any improvement in day 5 outcomes.

A study shows that clonal haematopoiesis of indeterminate potential is associated with an increased risk of chronic liver disease specifically through the promotion of liver inflammation and injury.

A randomized trial in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 showed no benefit and potentially increased harm associated with the use of convalescent plasma, with subgroup analyses suggesting that the antibody profile in donor plasma is critical in determining clinical outcomes.

What is the state of trust in scientists around the world? To answer this question, the authors surveyed 71,922 respondents in 68 countries and found that trust in scientists is moderately high.

Microglial states are dynamically regulated during development and disease. Here, the authors show that these changes are mediated by cell autonomous TGF-β signaling in microglia, which is developmentally regulated by ITGB8 in radial glia.

1000 Genomes imputation can increase the power of genome-wide association studies to detect genetic variants associated with human traits and diseases. Here, the authors develop a method to integrate and analyse low-coverage sequence data and SNP array data, and show that it improves imputation performance.

Whole-genome sequencing of 264 clones sampled from 12 Escherichia coli populations evolved over 50,000 generations under identical culture conditions is used to characterize the patterns and dynamics of genome evolution over time.

The authors summarize the data produced by phase III of the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) project, a resource for better understanding of the human and mouse genomes.

Ji et al. identify an idiopathic generalised epilepsy network that links heterogeneously distributed brain abnormalities to a common brain network and deep brain stimulation sites which reduce generalised seizures.

Integration of genome-wide association analysis of 406,504 individuals in the UK Biobank and scATAC–seq data reveals that variants in tubule epithelial regulatory elements mediate most heritable differences in human kidney function.

A species-level phylogenetic analysis of the high-elevation flora of the European Alps reveals that the flora is young and colonist rich. Its assembly was primarily driven by the Pleistocene climatic cycles, rather than ancient orogenic events.

The influence of X chromosome genetic variation on blood lipids and coronary heart disease (CHD) is not well understood. Here, the authors analyse X chromosome sequencing data across 65,322 multi-ancestry individuals, identifying associations of the Xq23 locus with lipid changes and reduced risk of CHD and diabetes mellitus.

Heat increases heart rate across vertebrates. Here, authors pinpoint a motif in the HCN4 channel that governs heat-driven heart rate acceleration and demonstrate its conserved role in other HCN channels, revealing a conserved mechanism linking temperature to membrane excitability.

Genotype and exome sequencing of 150,000 participants and whole-genome sequencing of 9,950 selected individuals recruited into the Mexico City Prospective Study constitute a valuable, publicly available resource of non-European sequencing data.

An analysis involving the shotgun sequencing of more than 300 ancient genomes from Eurasia reveals a deep east–west genetic divide from the Black Sea to the Baltic, and provides insight into the distinct effects of the Neolithic transition on either side of this boundary.

GWAS have identified more than 500 genetic loci associated with blood lipid levels. Here, the authors report a genome-wide analysis of interactions between genetic markers and physical activity, and find that physical activity modifies the effects of four genetic loci on HDL or LDL cholesterol.

This study uses gene expression predictors for the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and other brain regions to perform a transcriptomic imputation analysis of schizophrenia, identifying 413 genic associations across 13 brain regions and 36 significantly enriched pathways.

Small molecule antagonists of CCR6 are potential drugs for autoimmune disorders. Here the authors present inactive structures of CCR6 bound by different allosteric antagonists from two series simultaneously, offering multiple approaches to inhibit CCR6.

The heterogeneity of whole-exome sequencing (WES) data generation methods presents a challenge to joint analysis. Here, the authors present a bioinformatics strategy to generate high-quality data from processing diversely generated WES samples, as applied in the Alzheimer’s Disease Sequencing Project.

There lacks a comprehensive analysis on the large-scale deployment of solar photovoltaic projects and its impact on poverty alleviation. Here the authors show that solar photovoltaic poverty alleviation pilot policy increases per-capita disposable income in a county by approximately 7%-8%.

Vaccination with multiple doses has been proven effective against severe COVID-19, but protection levels widely vary among individuals. This study examines the serological and immunological profiles in recipients of multiple doses of Pfizer BNT162b2 vaccine for immune markers that correlate with protection against and susceptibility for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The mantle lithosphere has thinned more than the crust beneath the Malawi Rift despite being melt-poor, according to seismic wave imaging; this suggests early melting of fusible mantle material.

In a post-approval study including more than 17,000 patients on the safety of pulsed field ablation, a new method for treatment of atrial fibrillation, the procedure was found to have a low rate of adverse events but was associated with some unexpected rare complications that will need further study.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses from H5 clade 2.3.4.4b are circulating widely in birds and have recently caused large outbreaks in mammals. Here, Furey et al. develop a clade 2.3.4.4b HA-expressing mRNA-LNP vaccine and show that it elicits strong protective immune responses in mice and ferrets.