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Common bean is an evolutionary model for studying adaptive diversity in legumes. Here, the authors present the common bean pangenome based on five high-quality genomes and whole-genome reads of 339 wild and domesticated genotypes, and reveal adaptive gene loss during expansion and domestication.

Here, using anatomy, transcriptomics, and functional assays, the authors reveal how Japanese wisteria climb using an unusual vascular architecture. Ectopic cambia arise from cortical cells and repurpose conserved cambium regulators, including KNOX genes.

The first annotated chromosome-level reference genome assembly for pea, Gregor Mendel’s original genetic model, provides insights into legume genome evolution and the molecular basis of agricultural traits for pea improvement.

The ComFC protein is essential for natural transformation, a process that plays a major role in the spread of antibiotic resistance genes. Here the authors show that ComFC is a membrane-associated protein that participates in the transport of DNA through the cell membrane and the handling of the single-stranded DNA once delivered into the cytoplasm.

The medium-resolution transmission spectrum of the exoplanet WASP-39b, described using observations from the Near Infrared Spectrograph G395H grating aboard JWST, shows significant absorption from CO₂ and H₂O and detection of SO₂.

JWST data show that the exoplanet WASP-18b has thermally distinct regions of its dayside. The authors mapped the sizes of these regions, measured their temperatures and potentially identify water destruction in the hottest region.

Time-series observations from the JWST of the transiting exoplanet WASP-39b show gaseous water in the planet’s atmosphere and place an upper limit on the abundance of methane.

The atmospheric terminator region of WASP-39 b, a hot gas giant exoplanet, is inhomogeneous, despite past assumptions, with the evening terminator being hotter and thus probably clearer, and the morning terminator probably being cloudy and consequently cooler.

Assemblies of six representative perennial Glycine genomes and a comparison with annual soybean genomes reveal evolutionary patterns, differentiation and adaptation of annual and perennial genomes and mechanisms driving subgenome fractionation.

Some plants use nectar to attract ant bodyguards. Here, the authors use a cross-kingdom phylogenetic approach to find that ferns and angiosperms evolved nectaries in the Cretaceous, coinciding with ant evolution, and that ferns recruited ant-bodyguards from existing ant-angiosperm partnerships.

An analysis of 24,202 critical cases of COVID-19 identifies potentially druggable targets in inflammatory signalling (JAK1), monocyte–macrophage activation and endothelial permeability (PDE4A), immunometabolism (SLC2A5 and AK5), and host factors required for viral entry and replication (TMPRSS2 and RAB2A).

In the US, 99.8% of the 459 endangered animals are susceptible to at least one climate change sensitivity factor. Yet analysis of official documents (1973–2018) shows this risk does not translate into action: only 64% of species are considered threatened by climate change, and management planned for 18%.

A global network of researchers was formed to investigate the role of human genetics in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity; this paper reports 13 genome-wide significant loci and potentially actionable mechanisms in response to infection.

Phase-resolved mid-infrared observations from JWST of the hot gas giant WASP-43b detect a day–night difference of 659 ± 19 K. Comparison with climate models shows that the observations are compatible with cloudy skies, at least on the nightside, and the lack of methane detection suggests the presence of disequilibrium chemistry.

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.

Whole-genome sequencing, transcriptome-wide association and fine-mapping analyses in over 7,000 individuals with critical COVID-19 are used to identify 16 independent variants that are associated with severe illness in COVID-19.

The dayside thermal emission spectrum and brightness temperature map of the ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-18b obtained from the NIRISS instrument on the JWST showed water emission features, an atmosphere consistent with solar metallicity, as well as a steep and symmetrical decrease in temperature towards the nightside.

The transmission spectrum of the exoplanet WASP-39b is obtained using observations from the Single-Object Slitless Spectroscopy mode of the Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph instrument aboard the JWST.

Paul Pharoah and colleagues report the results of a large genome-wide association study of ovarian cancer. They identify new susceptibility loci for different epithelial ovarian cancer histotypes and use integrated analyses of genes and regulatory features at each locus to predict candidate susceptibility genes, including OBFC1.

The transmission spectrum of the super-Earth exoplanet GJ 1214b is observed to be featureless at near-infrared wavelengths and its atmosphere must contain clouds to be consistent with the data.

Analysis of transits of an ultra-hot giant exoplanet reports the precise abundance constraints of 14 major refractory elements, showing distinct deviations from proto-solar, along with a sharp transition temperature at which those elements are depleted.

IFN-γ is central in inflammatory pathogenesis, response to infection and autoimmune diseases. Here the authors show that MMP12 expression is reduced in patients with SLE and that MMP12 post-translationally truncates IFN-y, inhibiting its function and affecting pathogenesis of mouse models of peritonitis, SLE and rheumatoid arthritis.

Observations from the JWST show the presence of a spectral absorption feature at 4.05 μm arising from SO₂ in the atmosphere of the gas giant exoplanet WASP-39b, which is produced by photochemical processes and verified by numerical models.

A spectroscopic thermal phase curve of GJ 1214b obtained with the JWST in the mid-infrared is reported and a planet with a high metallicity atmosphere blanketed by thick and reflective clouds or haze is found.

Saturn-mass exoplanet HD 149026b has an atmospheric metallicity 59–276 times solar, which is greater than Saturn’s atmospheric metallicity of roughly 7.5 times solar and more correlated with bulk metallicity than planet mass.

A genome-wide association study of critically ill patients with COVID-19 identifies genetic signals that relate to important host antiviral defence mechanisms and mediators of inflammatory organ damage that may be targeted by repurposing drug treatments.

Transmission spectroscopy observations from the James Webb Space Telescope show the detection of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of the gas giant exoplanet WASP-39b.

Three distinct models for the recently discovered super-Earth (masses 2–10 times that of Earth) planet GJ 1214b that are consistent with its mass and radius have been suggested. Breaking the degeneracy between these models requires obtaining constraints on the planet's atmospheric composition. Here, a ground based measurement of the transmission spectrum of GJ 1214b between 780 and 1,000 nm is reported. The lack of features in this spectrum rules out cloud free atmospheres composed primarily of hydrogen. If the planet's atmosphere is hydrogen-dominated, then it must contain clouds or hazes that are optically thick at pressures <200 mbar. Alternatively, the data are also consistent with the presence of a dense water vapour atmosphere.

The C/O ratio of the transiting hot Jupiter WASP-77Ab is measured here and found to be approximately solar, though the (C+O)/H ratio is subsolar.

Most data for extrasolar rocky planets comes from observations of objects significantly larger than the Earth. The newly discovered SPECULOOS-3 b is a good target for efforts to characterize exoplanets closer in size to the solar system terrestrial planets.

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has identified a nearby, bright, quiescent M dwarf star that hosts two sub-Neptune-sized planets and one super-Earth-sized planet. The system is eminently suitable for follow-up studies of transit timing variations, radial velocity measurements and transmission spectroscopy.

The human gut microbiota produces an extensive array of carbohydrate-active enzymes to degrade carbohydrates derived from the diet, host and other microorganisms. Withers and colleagues discuss the vast diversity and activities of these enzymes and their potential applications.