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Several transmission-blocking vaccine candidates based on Pfs230 and Pfs48/45 are in clinical development, but it remains unclear whether they will demonstrate high efficacy. Here, the authors develop a stabilized chimeric antigen presenting potent epitopes from Pfs230 and Pfs48/45 in a single construct and demonstrate induction of transmission-reducing antibodies when female mice are immunized with the antigen in a self-assembling protein nanoparticle formulation.

O’Shea and colleagues establish that optimisation of charge and stability is sufficient to enable any single-chain variable fragment intrabody to function within the cell. The authors use AI-led inverse folding to optimise intrabody characteristics, and they present hundreds of intrabody sequences targeting sixty cytoplasmic proteins.

Nitrogen and phosphorus in Greenland ice are present in measurable amounts and exceed algal needs, suggesting these nutrients do not limit glacier ice algae growth during the melt season.

This study quantifies Brazil’s soil carbon debt (1.40 Pg C) and demonstrates that improved agricultural practices enhance carbon recovery. The findings reveal Brazil’s significant capacity to mitigate emissions and influence global carbon markets.

Rice paddies contribute to atmospheric methane (CH₄) levels. Here the authors show that increasing levels of the rice plant hormone PSY can reduce CH₄ emissions by over 50% via alteration of microbial H₂ cycling in the rhizosphere.

Preclinical studies indicate a synergistic effect of radiotherapy treatment (RT) and Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) on tumor growth and metastasis. However, little is known about the immunomodulatory performance of different radioisotopes on the tumor microenvironment. Here, the authors employ alpha- versus beta-particle emitting radiopharmaceuticals in combination with dual ICI therapy and dissect mechanisms of in vivo immunomodulation and timing of ICI administration relative to RT, by comparing responses in immunogenic and non-immunogenic preclinical mouse models.

Media representations depict cities in illuminating ways. This study finds that representations of cities in Soviet-era newsreels grow more than expected with city size and are further biased in favor of some specializations and geographical locations.

T cells contribute to protection and pathogenesis in tuberculosis. Here the authors sequence T cell receptor repertoires in human skin biopsies from the site of the tuberculin skin test and show enrichment of clonotypes reactive to Mycobacterium tuberculosis using a computational pipeline metaclonotypist to identify distinct TCRs predicted to share peptide-MHC reactivity across participants, as an approach to explore T cell correlates of tuberculosis disease-risk stratification and vaccine efficacy.

Avian influenza jumped from wild birds into dairy cattle. Here, the authors report that two mutations in the viral polymerase helped the virus to quickly adapt to cattle. Mutations increased the polymerase activity and made the virus better at replicating in human cells.

Tan and colleagues present “cycling molecular assemblies” that borrow cellular lipidation machinery to build nanostructures inside the Golgi apparatus. These tools enable rapid organelle imaging and selective destruction of cancer cells.

The changing cellular, transcriptional, and genomic landscape of human lung aging can be characterized using single-cell RNA sequencing. Here, the authors show that lung aging is cell-type dyssynchronous, with alveolar epithelial and endothelial cells exhibiting the greatest changes in gene expression, transcriptional entropy, and a high level of somatic mutations.

Here, the authors show that packaging of bacterial DNA by phage-like particles is widespread in the gut microbiome, with activity of gene transfer agents being prominent in Oscillospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae; and identifying lateral transduction by a temperate phage in Bacteroides.

The PCRCR complex of Plasmodium spp. binds basigin on the erythrocyte surface. While Rh5 of the complex is restricted to P. falciparum, PTRAMP, CSS and Ripr orthologs are present across the genus, for which the authors report common features.

Organic additives frequently shape crystallisation in natural and industrial settings, yet their precise influence on nucleation remains poorly understood. Here, Baken et al. investigate how additives affect the crystallization of the industrially relevant minerals portlandite and gypsum. Using controlled titration coupled with in situ synchrotron monitoring, the team demonstrates that both minerals form via intermediate steps: portlandite gradually becomes more ordered as it develops, while gypsum switches abruptly from a disordered to an ordered state. The study reveals that additives influence these pathways prior to nucleation by altering the nature of prenucleation clusters. How strongly an additive interacts with these clusters depends on its chemical state, which is controlled by the pH conditions specific to each mineral. These findings offer a starting point for creating an industrial “toolbox” to help select more effective additives, and they advance our understanding of biomineralisation processes.

Self-oscillators are critical in various natural and engineered systems, as they enable complex collective behaviors through interactions among individual units. This study demonstrates that populations of Quincke colloids-self-oscillators whose back-and-forth motion defines both a phase and a nematic oscillation axis-can achieve a form of collective order, termed synchronematic order, characterized by hydrodynamic interactions that synchronize their oscillation phases and align their orientations.

Sheep producers face growing expectations to produce more food, conserve biodiversity, stay profitable and cut emissions. The authors find that interventions work best when addressing underperforming environmental, economic, or psychological areas.

Isoxazoles, oxazoles, and other five-membered heteroaromatics are prevalent motifs in core structure of pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. Here the authors report a photochemical platform for the selective conversion of isoxazoles into oxazoles, pyrazoles, pyrroles, and isothiazoles by exploiting excited-state reactivity.

CRISPR-Cas12a catalyses RNA-guided DNA cleavage. Here, authors present structure-function studies of a high-fidelity Cas12a variant that reveal how helical transition of a conserved “bridge helix” facilitates R-loop propagation and DNA cleavage.

Denz et al. show that loss of the antiviral protein IFITM3 allows human SARS-CoV-2 variants to adapt more rapidly in mice while preserving distinct, variant-specific patterns of infection and disease.

FBH1 is a DNA helicase and ubiquitin ligase that reverses stalled replication forks and limits RAD51 association with chromatin. Here, the authors describe the biochemical requirements for DNA unwinding and fork reversal activities and a cryo-EM structure of the SCF^FBH1 complex bound to a DNA fork.

TREM2 is an important AD risk factor playing essential roles in the microglial response to amyloid pathology. Here, authors show using a TREM2 reporter mouse that TREM2 levels are critical for efficacy of TREM2 agonism informing current clinical efforts.

Photocatalytic water splitting using a single particulate photocatalyst is a cost-efficient approach for sustainable hydrogen production. Here, the authors report a nanoscale Ba_xSr_1-xTaO₂N solid-solution photocatalyst exhibits an apparent quantum efficiency of 13.5% for H₂ evolution at 420 nm.

A streamlined blood test using mass spectrometry improves measurement of amyloid-β for early Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis, requiring less sample volume and reagents while maintaining high accuracy, sensitivity and strong agreement with brain imaging.

This study applies machine learning to fMRI data to map developmental variations in functional connectivity, uncovering heterogeneity across individuals and cortical regions that predicts neurocognitive maturation in youth.

The growing demand for rare earth elements (REEs) underscores the need for sustainable recovery methods and a reliable supply. Here the authors establish a platform using a yeast to produce bio-oxalic acid for REE recovery, achieving 99% REE recovery from low-grade ore.

The mechanisms underlying increased cardiometabolic risk from cancer treatment in childhood cancer survivors remain to be explored. Here, epigenome-wide analysis in childhood cancer survivors identified DNA methylation sites that mediate treatment-related cardiometabolic risks and are associated with inflammatory and metabolic pathways.

Using interviews, this paper establishes that experts agree government intervention is critical in enabling climate-resilient housing, given the transformative potential of regulatory reform, finance, and information services.

Machine learning is used to understand emissions of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide from the Southern Ocean. Low-pressure storms are found to drive emissions, leading to a revised picture of marine greenhouse gas cycling

Aerial surveys over the Permian Basin found 500+ major methane leaks, many recurring. A few sites leaked continuously and offer quick mitigation wins. These super-emitters may produce ~50% of regional emissions, underscoring the need for frequent monitoring.

This study finds that plastic mulch substantially increases crop yields but also contaminates soils and pollutes the environment. The authors propose biodegradable films, AI-driven farming, and policy reforms to address the productivity–sustainability trade-offs.

Diatoms are critical for carbon fixation and have strong biotechnology potential. Here, the authors optimized DNA and protein delivery methods for the model diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, also showing that DNA pieces can be stitched together directly in algal cells.

Viral ribonucleoprotein–viral protein networks form pre-replication centres that nucleate viral factories and drive respiratory syncytial virus replication.

Phylodynamic modelling shows how the changing antibiotic landscape and genetic determinants of resistance shape real-world gonococcal dynamics. Experiments validated that determinants with identical resistance phenotype differed in impact on fitness.

A technique called condense-seq has been developed to measure nucleosome condensability and used to show that mononucleosomes contain sufficient information to condense into large-scale compartments without requiring any external factors.

Ocean salinity could change as the climate warms. Here the authors show that the South Indian Ocean has freshened most of the Southern Hemisphere oceans and highlight the mechanisms behind this freshening, as well as the implications for Indian Ocean stratification and structure.

A spatial and single-cell transcriptomics study across multiple mammalian species identifies epidermal BMP signalling as a functional requirement for rete ridge formation, providing insight into mechanisms underlying hair density loss and wound healing.

There has been a recent interest in control of magnetism via ionic transport. The appeal of such magneto-ionic control lies in its extent, non-volatility and potential energy-efficiency, however, the number of systems showing such behaviour is limited. Here, Tan, Ma, and coauthors demonstrate magneto-ionic control through Carbon transport.

Rare cells are often biologically and clinically important, but their low abundance makes them challenging to study using single-cell transcriptomics. Here, the authors develop PURE-seq which integrates FACS and PIP-seq to directly sequence ultra-rare cells. It captures cells at 1 in 1,000,000 rarity, which the authors demonstrate by profiling circulating tumor cells and identifying Egr1 as a regulator of mouse hematopoietic stem cell aging.

Neural crest cells have been implicated in heart development, yet the mechanisms by which they act have remained elusive. Here, the authors show neural crest cells modulate Wnt signalling in cardiac progenitors, providing new insight into the mechanisms underpinning congenital heart defects.

In this study, the authors present optimization and efficacy testing of apolipoprotein-based lipid nanoparticles for delivering various nucleic acid therapeutics in vivo to immune cells and their progenitors in the bone marrow.

The relative contribution of lipid catabolism on fasting-induced longevity was unknown. Authors showed lifespan extension from fasting depend on silencing lipid catabolism upon nutrient replenishment through phosphorylation of NHR-49 by KIN-19.

Staphylococcus aureus is able to evade host immune responses by expressing surface adhesins, like collagen binding adhesin (Cna). Here, the authors report the role of Cna during S. aureus skin infections.

In young, estrogen-deprived female mice, the authors show that daily low-intensity vibration protected bone, muscle and fat metabolism. This treatment also enhanced bisphosphonate outcomes, strengthening the skeleton to counter adverse effects of cancer therapy on musculoskeletal tissue.

This study reports that de novo germline missense variants in SF3B1, distinct from the somatic variants frequently observed in cancer, cause a neurodevelopmental disorder and disrupt global RNA splicing.

Donahue et al. show that ageing is associated with changes in ER morphology. ER-phagy drives age-associated ER remodelling through tissue-specific factors.