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The identification of tools dated to the time of Homo sapiens associated with microfloral evidence of wet tropical forests indicates that West African forests were occupied by humans much earlier in human evolution than previously thought.

Taveneau et al. leverage artificial-intelligence-driven protein design to create inhibitors that control RNA-targeting enzymes in cells, revealing a strategy to rapidly design off-switches for RNA-editing systems.

This study examines long-term changes in species richness across tropical forests in the Andes and Amazon. Hotter, drier and more seasonal forests in the eastern and southern Amazon are losing species, while Northern Andean forests are accumulating species, acting as a refuge for climate-displaced species.

De novo domestication was performed on the brassica Thlaspi arvense (pennycress) by identifying and stacking CRISPR-induced mutations to create a new intermediate oilseed crop that can be grown in the off-season, with seed compositions similar to canola (low erucic acid and reduced glucosinolate).

Titanium concentrations in zircon crystals reveal a link between the world’s largest copper resources and magmas with very high-water contents.

Satellite altimetry reveals intensifying global river water level variability (2016–2024) through increased seasonality, reduced seasonal fluctuations, and escalating hydrological extremes, signaling dual stress from concurrent droughts and floods.

The Moon is thought to have initially had a magma ocean that gradually solidified. Crystallization experiments find that the resulting crustal thickness depends on water content and is consistent with significant water in the early Moon.

Neotropical tree community composition shows opposing successional pathways for wet and dry forests, but as vegetation cover increases over time, trends converge. Selecting species that have similar wood density to early successional communities could improve reforestation prospects.

Muscularis macrophages, housekeepers of enteric nervous system integrity and intestinal homeostasis, modulate α-synuclein pathology and neurodegeneration in models of Parkinson’s disease, and understanding the accompanying mechanisms could pave the way for early-stage biomarkers.

The authors estimate genomic vulnerability for closely related species of rainbowfish. They find that narrow endemic species that have hybridized with a warm-adapted generalist show reduced vulnerability to climate change and that hybridization may facilitate evolutionary rescue for such species.

Methane is a strong contributor to global warming. Here the authors demonstrate that mechanically prepared Pd-Pt supported on ceria catalysts abate methane better than conventionally impregnated ones, even under wet conditions, owing to a highly dynamic structure.

González-Gualda, Reinius et al. demonstrate that platinum-based chemotherapy-induced senescence promotes malignancy in ovarian and lung cancer via TGFβ ligands, with evidence in mouse models validated in clinical samples. Concomitantly blocking TGFβ signaling with chemotherapy reduces tumor burden and increases survival in mice.

By combining satellite observations with ground-based data and expert validation, this analysis demonstrates considerable misestimation of grassland extent and thereby carbon stock estimates in previous global assessments based on remote sensing.

Synergistic amino-catechol adhesives have attracted attention; however the topological relationship is still poorly understood. Here, the authors report on a study into the adhesion of a library of DOPA-lysine peptides to organic and inorganic surfaces and demonstrate the effects of spacers for energy dissipation.

Observations by the Curiosity rover at Gale Crater on Mars indicate that high-frequency wet–dry cycling occurred on the early Martian surface, indicating a possible seasonal climate conducive to prebiotic evolution on early Mars.

Neonatal brain injury from intermittent hypoxemia increases fatty acid oxidation and causes long-term changes in hippocampal lipid profile. Here authors demonstrate oral treatment with glycerol-triacetate restores lipid fatty acid profile and promotes functional recovery.

Metabolic and proteomic profiles derived from fossilized skeletal remains of animals enable inferences regarding physiological health and disease as well as diet to provide reconstructions of ancient soil, vegetation and palaeoclimate characteristics.

Rearrangement of the B cell receptor is sequential, and pairing of the successfully assembled heavy chain with the surrogate light chain proteins VpreB and λ5 to form the pre-B cell receptor is an important checkpoint signal for continued B cell development. Here, the authors show that λ5 plays a key role in the multi-step assembly process involving association-induced folding reactions.

This study uses single-cell DNA sequencing to analyze genomic evolution in pancreatic cancer using a cohort of multiregionally and longitudinally sampled patients’ tissues across various clinical contexts.

Electrochemical acid-base production has attractive applications in mineral recovery and CO₂ removal, but current membrane-based designs are plagued by resistive losses. The authors report a membrane-less system generating useful acid and base solutions at high rates with less energy.

Saturation genome editing of a cancer mutation hotspot in CTNNB1, the gene encoding β-catenin, reveals a gradient of effects of missense mutations on Wnt signaling.

This research quantifies hospital admissions in Shanghai for mental and behavioral disorders linked to humid heat, projecting a 68.2% increase by the 2090s under high greenhouse gas emissions and emphasizing the importance of mitigation strategies to reduce future morbidity burdens.

Wheat yields in northwest Europe have plateaued since the mid-1990s. This study finds that no ceiling in genetic yield potential has been reached and that climatic conditions have not constrained wheat yields across high-yielding environments in the region thus far; suboptimal agronomic management is responsible for unrealized wheat yield progress of 67–114 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ during the period 1994–2016.

How the complex interplay between multiple nutrients within the microenvironment dictates potential sites of metastatic cancer growth is explored.

Here the authors show that endogenous or therapeutically delivered GDF-15 activates brainstem neurons that trigger splenic β-adrenergic signaling. This, in turn, suppresses autoreactive T cells and reduces neuroinflammation, identifying a possible target for multiple sclerosis treatment.

This study forecasts intra-annual forest growth towards the end of the 21st century under different scenarios of climate change. It predicts that the extension of the growing season will not be sufficient to compensate for the future drought-induced summer growth limitation.

2D p-type transistors are essential for the realization of complementary circuits for post-silicon electronics. Here, the authors report a chloroform doping strategy to fabricate p-type monolayer WSe₂ transistors with high performance and long-term stability.

How tree diversity effects on ecosystem functioning vary along climatic gradients is unclear. Here, analysing data from 15 experimental forest sites, the authors show that tree growth responses to neighbourhood species diversity are stronger in wetter climates but are unaffected by interannual climatic variation within sites.

Genomic and transcriptomic analysis of samples from patients with multiple myeloma, followed by in vitro validation, indicate mechanisms of antigen escape in response to GPRC5D T cell-engager talquetamab, including biallelic deletions, small nucleotide variants, insertion-deletions and chromatin silencing.

This study evaluates the potential of wetland conservation and restoration to improve water quality and highlights the important role of wetlands in nitrogen removal across European river basins.

Here authors find a latitudinal migratory divide in a butterfly across Earth’s hemispheres, highlighting how hemisphere-specific seasonality and navigational cues shape migratory strategies. They find genomic differentiation is driven by a chromosomal inversion, with heterozygotes near the equator.

Pathogenic variants in UNC13A underlie a novel neurodevelopmental syndrome, with three subtypes defined by distinct genotypes with varying clinical and functional impacts characterized in cellular and animal models.

Characterizing the responses of viral, prokaryotic and relic DNA dynamics to simulated precipitation on dry grassland soils, the authors show that soil viral communities follow remarkably similar successional patterns, despite large differences in composition.

The impact of negative energy balance on dopamine transmission is unclear. Here, authors show that the ABA model disrupts dopamine transmission via loss of GABAergic control over VTA dopamine neurons contributing to the development of hyperactivity.

Variants in the PSMC5 gene impair proteasome function and cellular homeostasis, altering brain development in children. This study reveals underlying molecular mechanisms contributing to this neurodevelopmental phenotype, and suggests therapeutic leads for neurodevelopmental proteasomopathies.

Data from a variety of sources—including satellite, climate and soil data, as well as field-collected information on plant traits—are pooled and analysed to map the functional diversity of tropical forest canopies globally.

Analysis of the genomes of 50 species of Lemuriformes shows high levels of genomic diversity, likely due to allele sharing, as well as population declines and inbreeding patterns resulting from ecological factors and human impacts in Madagascar.

Dietary n-6 PUFAs enhance adipose tissue expandability through the PPARγ–LPCAT3 membrane remodelling axis.

The role of non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) in mediating the impacts of drought in tropical trees is unclear. Here, the authors analyse leaf and branch NSC in 82 Amazon tree species across a Basin-wide precipitation gradient, finding that allocation of leaf NSC to soluble sugars is higher in drier sites and is coupled to tree hydraulic status.

Tree longevity is thought to increase in harsh environments, but global evidence of drivers is lacking. Here, the authors find two different pathways for tree longevity: slow growth in resource limited environments and increasing tree stature and/or slow growth in competitive environments.

Climate change threatens to alter the carbon balance of tropical forests. Increases in the age of carbon in soil CO₂ emissions with experimental warming or drying suggest that climate change will exacerbate soil carbon losses in tropical forests.

Dietary restriction promotes the expansion of effector T cells via ketone bodies, which enhances anti-tumour immunity and synergizes with immunotherapy in mice.

Rewetting of seasonally dry soils induces dramatic shifts in viral biomass and diversity. Combining stable isotope probing, metagenomics, and viromics Nicolas et al. provide evidence that viral lysis contributes to microbial turnover and the associated CO₂ efflux.

Microflora Danica—an atlas of Danish environmental microbiomes—reveals that although human-disturbed habitats have high alpha diversity, species reoccur, revealing hidden homogeneity.

Hydro-responsive plant movements have provided inspiration for the design of adaptive materials. Harringtonet al. investigate the hydration-dependent unfolding of ice plant seed capsules and find an origami-like folding pattern, which could aid the development of biomimetic folding structures.

Data from 42 chronosequence sites show a geater abundance of legumes in seasonally dry forests than in wet forests, particularly during early secondary succession, probably owing to legumes’ nitrogen-fixing ability and reduced leaflet size.

Dry-season climate variability is a primary driver of tropical tree growth, according to observations from a pantropical tree-ring network.