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Nuclear architecture depends on proper regulation of lamin A/C modifications. Here, the authors show that TAF4A and NF-Y control Kansl2 expression in muscle stem cells, preserving genome stability and supporting muscle regeneration.

A terahertz field exceeding 1 V nm⁻¹ induced a structural phase transition in the top atomic layer of a bulk WTe₂ crystal. Differential imaging revealed a surface shift of 7 ± 3 pm and an electronic signature consistent with a topological phase transition.

Pr₂Ir₂O₇ is a candidate for a metallic spin liquid with a quantum critical point; however, the exact nature of its ground state and quantum criticality is unknown. Here, the authors report strong deviations from dipolar spin-ice ground state and find normal electronic behavior near quantum criticality.

Axonal injury, induced in the white matter by expansion of early tumour cells, is a key driver of glioblastoma progression.

Shining intense laser light onto a thin aluminium foil creates a relativistic plasma aperture—and diffraction. As a result, an electron beam is generated with a spatial structure that can be changed by varying the characteristics of the laser pulse.

Using data from a phase 3 efficacy trial, the authors here show that post-boost Omicron BA.1 spike-specific binding and neutralizing antibodies inversely correlate with Omicron COVID-19 and booster efficacy for naive and non-naive participants, supporting the continued use of antibody as a surrogate endpoint.

A high-frequency quasiperiodic oscillation in the soft X-rays from unusual transient AT2018cow points towards the presence of a compact object in the remnant: either a neutron star with spin period of 4 ms or a low-mass black hole.

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.

Conductive polymers are of great interest for electronic applications, but their disorder has made it difficult to realize their full electronic potential. Here transport measurements uncover the intrinsic transport properties of metal-organic polymer nanoribbons.

Carbon nanotubes are promising hosts for spin qubits, however existing demonstrations show limited coherence times. Here the authors report quantum states in a carbon-nanotube-based circuit driven solely by cavity photons and exhibiting a coherence time of about 1.3 μs.

Kronenberg et al. develop a system to record cell–substrate interactions allowing the measurement of horizontal and vertical forces at high resolution, and demonstrate its use by monitoring podosome protrusion and other cell behaviours.

Fe isotopic composition of the distal ejecta of a terrestrial impact crater records both evaporation and condensation, refining the nature of the isotopic fractionation taking place during hypervelocity impacts in the Solar System.

How the bones of the skull vault expand to cover the brain is poorly understood. Here, the authors demonstrate that such bones grow through a mechanical feedback mechanism that propagates a wave of differentiation and emergent cell motion.

The mechanism of action of the antibacterial tripeptide AMC-109 is unclear. Here, Melcrová et al. show that AMC-109 self-assembles into stable aggregates with a cationic surface, and then individual peptides insert into the bacterial membrane and disrupt membrane nanodomains, thus affecting membrane function without forming pores.

Structurally divergent reactions on racemic mixtures, which produce distinct chemical species from an enantiomeric mixture, are extremely rare in the literature. Here, the authors are able to use a dynamic combinatorial approach to yield structurally divergent, non-isomeric [2]catenanes from an enantiomeric mixture.

Coordination of benzene by a tungsten complex can minimize the formation of oligomeric aromatic products in Friedel-Crafts Arylation. Here the authors show that coordinating benzene to tungsten through two carbons (dihapto-coordination) enables a rarely observed double protonation of the bound benzene, allowing its subsequent coupling to a second arene without the need of a precious metal or Lewis acid catalyst.

This protocol describes how to use atomic force microscopy to measure the elastic modulus of soft 2D surfaces and cell-laden 3D hydrogels. We provide instructions for sample preparation, instrument calibration and data collection and analysis.

The manufacture of polymeric microactuators is complicated when using techniques like lithography, but inkjet printing can be used to deposit self-organizing liquid-crystal networks instead. Printing sub-units with different inks is easily scalable and creates light-driven actuators with sections that can be individually addressed to mimic the flapping movements of cilia.

Determination of apical tension, fluidity, and intercellular adhesive forces in an epithelial monolayer are currently disruptive. Here the authors present a method using acoustic force microscopy to measure changes in these parameters upon tight junction structural alterations in a MDCK monolayer.

Flexible neural probes, consisting of a linear array of graphene microtransistors, can be used to record from DC brain signals to high-frequency neuronal activity in awake rodents, thus showing potential for in vivo electrophysiology, and in particular epilepsy research.

Mesenchymal stem cells adopt differentiation pathways based upon mechanical cues in their environment which change throughout development. Here the authors develop a material and culture system to modify and measure the degree to which cells retain cumulative effects of mechanosensing to explore how cells erase the memory of some cues while locking in memory of others.

Long-range wireless data links can be created by combining a software-defined digital signal processing back end with on-chip high-power terahertz signal sources and broadband frequency mixers based on Schottky diode technology.

Untrustworthy sources or detectors mean that quantum entanglement cannot always be ensured, but quantum steering inequalities can verify its presence. Using a highly efficient system, Smithet al. are able to close the detection loophole and clearly demonstrate steering between two parties.

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy is a genetically inherited disease caused by deletion of an arginine in Phospholamban (PLN), a small protein that regulates intracellular calcium levels. Here the authors show that zebrafish with the PLN p.Arg14del mutation develop severe cardiomyopathy which is preceded by contractile dysfunction and altered calcium dynamics and istaroxime is identified as a small molecule that can rescues some of these phenotypes.

Atom and ion trapping provides new tools for ultracold chemistry. Using these techniques it is possible to measure the population distribution of the product states of three-body recombination in an ultracold atomic gas.

The ability to synthesise lemniscular molecules to allow for the study and application of their chiroptical properties is a notable technical challenge. Herein, the authors report the design and synthesis of enantiomers of a [5]helicenoid derived molecular lemniscate, in which two homochiral helicenes are linked via the formation of two azine motifs.

Frequency comb synthesizers are important for metrology, but they have been difficult to use as frequency rulers in the terahertz region due to their low power. Consolinoet al. phase-lock a quantum cascade laser to a free-space-propagating terahertz comb, demonstrating that they can overcome this limitation.

In human spinal ligament tissue exposed to high stress, fibrotic regions displaying elevated Rho-associated kinase signalling and an increased density of myofibroblasts expressing smooth muscle actin α contribute to degenerative spinal disease.

A broadband multi-frequency Fabry–Pérot laser diode, when coupled to a high-Q microresonator, can be efficiently transformed to an ~100 mW narrow-linewidth single-frequency light source, and subsequently, to a coherent soliton Kerr comb oscillator.

The precision of laser spectroscopy of highly charged ions is improved by eight orders of magnitude by cooling trapped, highly charged ions and using quantum logic spectroscopy, thereby enabling tests of fundamental physics.

An individual electron is used as a quantum sensor to realize atomic-scale magnetic resonance imaging.

The authors show that a mutation in the synaptic vesicle protein otoferlin impairs hearing by reducing the rate of vesicle replenishment at the inner hair cell ribbon synapse. They propose that the function of otoferlin is to replenish synaptic vesicles.

A population of neutrophils in the skin produces extracellular matrix, providing a defence strategy by reinforcing the barrier properties of the skin and helping to block the entry of pathogens.

Cervix and breast carcinomas are highly heterogeneous in their mechanical properties across scales. This heterogeneity provides the tumour with stability and room for cell motility.

Ultrafast magnetic field steps are generated by light-induced quenching of supercurrents in a YBa₂Cu₃O₇ superconductor. They exhibit millitesla amplitude, picosecond rise times and slew rates approaching 1 GT s^–1.

The Kibble–Zurek mechanism describes the formation of topological defects in systems undergoing continuous phase transitions, and predicts a power law for their density. Pyka et al. create defects in ion coulomb crystals and observe their scaling behaviour in the context of the Kibble–Zurek theory.

The link between stiffness heterogeneity and tumor cell heterogeneity remains poorly understood. Here, authors propose an AI-informed method that reveals correlations between stromal stiffness and breast cancer cells with a heterogeneous EMT phenotype.