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The measurement of the total cross-section of proton–proton collisions is of fundamental importance for particle physics. Here, the first measurement of the inelastic cross-section is presented for proton–proton collisions at an energy of 7 teraelectronvolts using the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider.

The authors developed small-molecule inhibitors of STOML3 oligomerization, a membrane protein that interacts with mechanosensitive ion channels, such as Piezo2. One of these molecules was effective in silencing touch receptors and reversed touch-evoked pain associated with nerve injury or diabetic neuropathy.

Mir-138, identified in a screen for microRNAs associated with synapses, regulates dendritic spine morphogenesis through APT-1, a depalmitoylation enzyme that modulates the membrane localization of the heterotrimeric G protein alpha subunit.

From 1980 to 2018, the levels of total and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased in low- and middle-income countries, especially in east and southeast Asia, and decreased in high-income western countries, especially those in northwestern Europe, and in central and eastern Europe.

The Haldane model, which predicts complex topological states of matter, has been implemented by placing ultracold atoms in a tunable optical lattice that was deformed and shaken.

Coexistence of a topological insulator phase and a topological crystalline insulator phase helps to maintain topological properties under a controlled symmetry breaking perturbation. Here, Eschbacket al. report a superlattice of Bi and Bi₂Te₃to be such a dual topological insulator.

The ATLAS Collaboration reports the observation of the electroweak production of two jets and a Z-boson pair. This process is related to vector-boson scattering and allows the nature of electroweak symmetry breaking to be probed.

Tc toxins of Yersinia entomophaga are assembled only in a subpopulation of cells, followed by a suicide mechanism that results in the release of the toxins.

Ultrafast time-resolved serial femtosecond crystallography is used to investigate a photodissociation reaction in a protein, revealing the strong impact of the pump laser fluence on the structural changes  and the reaction mechanism.

Genetic variants at multiple loci of chr5p15.33 have been associated with susceptibility to numerous cancers. Here the authors show that the association of one of these loci may be explained by a variant, rs36115365, influencing telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) expression via ZNF148.

Pulsed electron-electron double resonance spectroscopy (PELDOR/DEER) and single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer spectroscopy (smFRET) are used to determine conformational changes and probe distances in biological macromolecules. Here the authors compare the methods on a large set of samples.

In wildlife tagging, stress from capture and handling can alter post- release behavior and potentially study interpretations. This study of 42 mammal species shows that these effects diminish within 4–7 days, and quicker for animals in high human activity areas indicating adaptation to disturbance.

Long-read single-cell RNA sequencing is capable of detecting isoform-level gene expression and genomic alterations such as mutations and gene fusions, thereby providing cell-specific genotype-phenotype information. Here, the authors use long-read scRNA-seq on metastatic ovarian cancer samples and detect cell-type specific isoforms and gene fusions that may otherwise be misclassified in short-read data.

The ATLAS Collaboration reports a measurement of the ratio of the decay rates of W bosons to τ leptons and muons, in agreement with universal lepton couplings as postulated in the standard model of particle physics.

The ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider reports a search for charged-lepton-flavour violation in decays of Z bosons into a τ lepton and an electron or muon of opposite charge.

MLKL is regarded as an executor of the necroptotic inflammatory cell death pathway. Here authors show, by introducing a mutation into mouse MLKL representing a frequently occurring human single nucleotide polymorphism, that MLKL mutations could critically alter the inflammatory response and the clearance of Salmonella from organs upon infection.

In a multicenter research program coordinated by the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium, Spielmann et al. analyze the cardiac function and structure in ~4,000 monogenic mutant mice and identify 705 mouse genes involved in cardiac function, 75% of which have not been previously linked to cardiac heritable disease in humans. Using the UK Biobank human data, the authors validate the link between cardiovascular disease and some of the newly identified genes to illustrate the resource value and potential of their mutant mouse collection.

Since their initial operation, free-electron lasers are regularly upgraded in their performance and parameter control. Here the authors present the first lasing results of the soft X-ray free-electron laser beamline of the Paul Scherrer Institute, demonstrating different modes of operation and polarisation control of the tailored soft X-ray pulses.

OLED materials based on thermally activated delayed fluorescence have promising efficiency. Here, the authors investigate an organometallic multicore Cu complex as luminophore, by pump-probe X-ray techniques at three different facilities deriving a complete picture of the charge transfer in the triplet excited state.

Symbiotic microbes in insects can enable their hosts to access untapped nutritional resources. Here, the authors show that symbiotic bacteria in reed beetles can provide essential amino acids to sap-feeding larvae and help leaf-feeding adults to degrade pectin, respectively.

Daniel Gudbjartsson and colleagues report a genome-wide association study for atrial fibrillation, a condition associated with increased risk of stroke. They report a variant in ZFHX3 associated with atrial fibrillation as well as ischemic stroke.

Exploiting topological insulator surface states in electronic devices requires an understanding of the factors that affect transport. Here, the authors use scanning tunnelling potentiometry to determine the contributions of different kinds of surface defects to the electrical resistance.

Researchers report the direct observation of ultrafast magnetic dynamics using the magnetic component of highly intense terahertz wave pulses with a time resolution of 8 fs. This concept provides a universal ultrafast method of visualizing magnetic excitations in the electronic ground state.

The degenerative joint disease osteoarthritis is known to involve the activation of the protease ADAMTS-5. Now, Frank Echtermeyer and his colleagues have shown that the transmembrane proteoglycan syndecan-4 is responsible for this activation. They also show that genetic deletion of syndecan-4, or inhibition with a blocking antibody, reduces disease progression in a mouse model.

Topological insulators possess dispersionless electronic surface states with perpendicular spin-momentum locking which may be utilised in spintronic devices. Here, the authors demonstrate p–n junctions formed from two topological insulator thin films, tuning the junction type by film thickness.

A rescanning microscopy approach enables two-photon image-scanning microscopy that doubles resolution relative to that of conventional two-photon microscopy at high frame rates and with high sensitivity for improved super-resolution imaging of living specimens.

Corticobasal degeneration is a rare neurodegenerative disorder that can only be definitively diagnosed by autopsy. Here, Kouri et al. conduct a genome-wide-association study and identify two genetic susceptibility loci 17q21 (MAPT) and 3p12 (MOBP), and a novel susceptibility locus at 8p12.

Quantum electrodynamics predicts a rare process in which light is scattered by light. The ATLAS Collaboration reports signs of this elusive effect in the collisions of ultra-relativistic lead ions.

The full extent of the genetic basis for hearing impairment is unknown. Here, as part of the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium, the authors perform a hearing loss screen in 3006 mouse knockout strains and identify 52 new candidate genes for genetic hearing loss.

The ‘boson peak’ refers to an extra peak in the terahertz vibrational spectrum of glasses. It is now shown that for liquids of highly symmetric molecules the boson peak can be singled out by means of depolarized Raman scattering; the peak is linked to the formation of clusters of about 20 molecules.

A CalpL–CalpT–CalpS cascade mediated by cyclic oligoadenylates is identified as a mechanism to detect viral RNA and activate subsequent antivirus responses in microorganisms.

Tripartite ATP-independent periplasmic (TRAP) transporters are widespread in bacteria and archaea. Here, the authors used cryo-EM and a range of biophysical techniques to study the structure of function of the sialic acid TRAP transporter HiSiaQM.

The first lasing results at SwissFEL, an X-ray free-electron laser, are presented, highlighting the facility’s unique capabilities. A general comparison to other major facilities is also provided.

The spatiotemporal regulation of membrane scaffolds recruitment and coupling between membrane deformation and fission in endocytosis are unclear. Here the authors show that lipid conversion at endocytic pits recruits SNX9, which couples local membrane constriction to fission in endocytosis.

Ten years after the discovery of the Higgs boson, the ATLAS  experiment at CERN probes its kinematic properties with a significantly larger dataset from 2015–2018 and provides further insights on its interaction with other known particles.

Polo-like kinase 1 is a key regulator of mitosis and is a candidate for drug development to treat cancer. Here, reduced expression of polo-like kinase 1 in adult mice has a minor impact on animal physiology, suggesting that polo-like kinase 1 inhibitors may be useful in the killing of tumour cells while sparing normal cells.

The G protein–coupled receptor F2rl1 translocates from the plasma membrane to the nucleus of retinal ganglion neurons to control Vegfa expression and retinal angiogenesis.

The Impact of Genomic Variation on Function Consortium is combining single-cell mapping, genomic perturbations and predictive modelling to investigate relationships between human genomic variation, genome function and phenotypes and will provide an open resource to the community.

Electrophysiology combined with correlated light and electron microscopy confirms the long-standing assumption that the size of a synapse is proportional to its strength, and reveals that neocortical synapses may have greater computational capacity than thought.

Iceberg-trajectory models along with multi-proxy evidence from sediment cores from the Indian Ocean show that northward shifts in Antarctic iceberg melt redistributed freshwater in the Southern Ocean during the Pleistocene.

The characterization of a contractile injection system anchored in the thylakoid membrane of Anabaena reveals structural features linked to the unique localization and function of this cyanobacterial nanomachine.

Massively parallel but cost-effective testing is essential to monitor the spread of pathogenic agents. Here the authors present SARSseq, which uses a dual indexing strategy in a multiplexed RT-PCR reaction to diagnose SARS-CoV-2 at scale.

Proteome activity has a major role in cancer progression and response to drugs. Here, the authors use comprehensive proteomic and phosphoproteomic data, in conjunction with drug-sensitivity screens, to generate a community resource consisting of landscapes of pathway and kinase activity across different cell lines

Gross et al. show that Atg13 and Atg17 are dispensable for pexophagy during phosphate starvation in yeast. Instead, the metabolite sensor Pho81 binds the Atg1 kinase complex via Atg11 to promote Atg11 phosphorylation by Atg1 and pexophagy.