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Large-effect variants in autism remain elusive. Here, the authors use long-read sequencing to assemble phased genomes for 189 individuals, identifying pathogenic variants in TBL1XR1, MECP2, and SYNGAP1, plus nine candidate structural variants missed by short-read methods.

Liu et al. report Chinese normative lifespan brain charts showing later neurodevelopmental milestones than those detected in Western cohorts. Individual deviations from these norms are valuable in assessing clinical risk and outcomes.

Du, Xie, Dai, Jia, et al. assess the role of MEFV variants in Castleman Disease using both in vitro experiments and patient samples. The inflammatory response, scRNA landscape, and high prevalence of MEFV variants propose a critical role for MEFV in Castleman disease.

The synthesis of functionalized γ-lactams is challenging due to instability of the products and difficulties in controlling diastereoselectivity. Here, the authors report on the design and synthesis of a naphthyl-based pyrene-containing covalent organic framework and utilize it as a heterogeneous photocatalyst for synthesis of γ-lactams.

In this contribution, the authors demonstrate that modifying carbon supports with thiophene-derived sulfur enhances ionomer distribution within fuel cells, thereby achieving remarkably high-power density and platinum utilization—even at an low Pt loading of just 0.125 mgPt cm⁻².

Edge AI systems require high-frequency, temperature-stable entropy sources, which traditional sources fail to provide. Here, the authors experimentally demonstrate a 3D 16-layer Fe-diode array that achieves high efficiency, low energy consumption, and high recognition accuracy.

The global progress, balance, and coordination of Sustainable Development Goals during 2000-2020 improved overall, with gaps narrowing between low- and high-income countries.

Effective band-gap engineering of armchair graphene nanoribbons calls for control over both width and edge structure. Here, the authors report a modular synthesis of narrow N = 6 armchair graphene nanoribbons whose edges can be unsymmetrically modified with heteroarenes, introducing a simple way to tune band gap.

Richard T. T. Forman and Jianguo Wu call for global and regional approaches to urban planning.

Rice stripe virus deploys its SP protein to dismantle SERRATE condensates in rice cells, blocking microRNA production and enhancing viral spread. This discovery reveals how viruses can hijack host phase separation to modulate gene regulation.

Two divergent haplotypes from a highly heterozygous lychee genome of the cultivar ‘Feizixiao’ and resequencing of 72 lychee accessions provide insights into the genome evolution and domestication history of lychee.

Wu et al. shed light on the role of peroxisomal biogenesis factor 14 (PEX14) in peroxisomal protein import. They show that PEX14 condensates recruit the receptor PEX5 loaded with peroxisome-targeting signal 1 (PTS1) clients or PTS2 clients bound to receptor PEX7.

International trade interacts with Sustainable Development Goal targets in profound ways. This study finds that while trade improves scores for environmental Sustainable Development Goals in developed countries, it decreases them in developing countries, and distant trade is a bigger contributor to scores than adjacent trade between countries.

Age-dependent dynamics of gut bacteriome, virome, and antibiotic resistome reveal microbial and pathogenic shifts shaping health in captive koalas.

This study reveals that RNA silencing component Argonaute 2 (AGO2) loads small RNAs at endoplasmic reticulum–chloroplast membrane contact sites with the help of RNA helicase 3 (RH3), which also enhances the loading of viral-derived small RNAs. These findings highlight the connections between RNA silencing, viral replication, and plant antiviral resistance.

Selective electrochemical water oxidation via a 2e⁻ pathway represents a sustainable H₂O₂ electrosynthesis route. Here, the authors develop an unsaturated coordinative bismuth-benzene tricarboxylic acid metal-organic framework using a hetero-linker doping strategy for high activity and selectivity.

Congenital vertebral malformation has a complex genetic architecture that isn’t fully understood. Here, the authors explore the genetic architecture of congenital vertebral malformation through case-control rare variant genetic analyses and embryonic transcriptome analyses of the developing spine.

Climate-driven warming affects the reproduction of oviparous ectotherms. Here, authors identify and characterize a VtgR-mediated heat protection mechanism for oocyte development in both mud crabs and zebrafish.

SARS-CoV-2 infection has been shown to drive NLRP3 inflammasome activation and thereby cytokine storm, but how it does so is unclear. Here the authors show that the viral N protein can bind to NLRP3, resulting in enhanced interaction with ASC and thereby with the NLRP3 inflammasome.

Developing depolymerizable and recyclable polymers with high light-emitting efficiencies is of vital importance for sustainable photonic technologies, but remains challenging. Here the authors design a strategy to develop such polymers based on the use of controllable cleavable moiety.

Peroxisomes are single membrane-bound organelles containing numerous enzymes to perform metabolic functions. However, our view of peroxisomal protein import has remained incomplete. Two recent studies provide valuable insight to help explain the underlying molecular mechanisms of peroxisomal import.

Small RNAs regulate plant–pathogen interactions. In rice, AGO18 sequesters microRNA528, which negatively regulates resistance to viruses through the silencing of L-ascorbate oxidase and thus controls the production of reactive oxygen species.

Phase-separating peptide (PSP) coacervate microdroplets (CMs) have emerged as promising intracellular delivery vectors, but the molecular grammar governing intracellular uptake and release kinetics of CMs is elusive. Here, the authors systematically manipulate the sequence of PSPs to establish molecular guidelines for designing and optimizing PSP CM-based intracellular delivery systems.

The mechanism underlying mechanical hyperalgesia is not fully understood. Here authors show opposing roles of tactile afferents in mechanical nociception using mouse pain models.

Zhangjun Fei and colleagues report the draft genome of a Chinese elite watermelon inbred line 97103 and resequencing of 20 diverse accessions that represent the three subspecies of Citrullus lunatus. Comparative genome-wide analyses identify the extent of genetic diversity and population structure of watermelon germplasm.

For relaxor ferroelectrics, correlating their properties and local structures is challenging. Here, the authors correlate the atomic-scale structure and the large dynamic electromechanical property in Bi_0.5Na_0.5TiO₃-based relaxor ferroelectrics.

This study reports on biologically sourced polymuconate polymers with weakened C–C backbone bonds, designed for closed-loop chemical recycling to monomers. Synthesized via free-radical polymerization, these materials achieve tunable mechanical properties comparable to those of commercial plastics. A techno-economic analysis shows that recycling significantly reduces costs and environmental impacts, enhancing the competitiveness of these polymers in the sustainable plastics market.

Plant traits, particularly height and basal diameter, are strong predictors of ecosystem property variations in coastal forests, based on a meta-analysis of global 396 data points and field data in eastern China

Second near-infrared (NIR-II) fluorescence imaging is promising for real-time surveillance of surgical operations, but its clinical uses have been limited by the safety and cost concerns associated with lasers or X-rays. Here the authors report the engineering and applications of white-light activatable organic nanomaterials with bright NIR-II emission.

The ability of protected areas to prevent biodiversity loss is still unclear. Here, the authors assess 160,000 protected areas, finding that while larger areas with stricter protections effectively reduced habitat loss, most areas still were not preventing deforestation or conversion to agricultural land.

The paper reveals areas of common and differentiated SDG priority at the national and subnational levels in China considering synergy and trade-off. The findings suggest that provincial governments should formulate more targeted policy aligning with national priority to achieve SDGs.

Dissolution of manganese from the cathode in lithium manganate based batteries is a major cause for the capacity decay. Here, the authors show a nanoscale surface-doping approach to mitigate the problem and to improve the battery capacity and cycleability.

Capturing the detailed structural evolution of electronic excited states is a challenging but critical step to understand and control ultrafast molecular dynamics. Here, combining a Coulomb explosion imaging approach and molecular dynamics simulations, the authors retrieve the transient geometry of the ground and excited states of D2O mono- and dication with few femtosecond, few picometre accuracy.