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Laser shock experiments on an iron-water phase reveal its density, melting, and electronic changes under extreme pressures. The results suggest dense deep magma oceans and show that iron-water reactions can greatly shrink and densify super-Earths.

The Arabian Sea and eastern tropical Pacific oxygen minimum zones were better oxygenated during the warm Miocene, but with regional complexities, according to analysis of trace elements and nitrogen isotopes in planktonic foraminifera.

Cancer cachexia is a systemic syndrome characterized by dramatic weight loss and decline in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle mass. Here, the authors show that overexpression of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), a secreted cytokine, suppresses de novo lipogenesis and induces cachexia in mice.

This work reports enhancements of radicals, vibrational states, and ammonia output in N₂/H₂ plasmas by ferroelectric barrier discharge, with evidence from time-resolved laser diagnostics, expanding plasma routes to cleaner chemical production.

A nickel-catalysed vicinal diborylation method is described, which can install two different boron functional groups on aromatic rings in a regioselective and site-selective manner, enabling the rapid synthesis of complex molecular building blocks.

The stability and performance of organic electrochemical transistors can be improved using a two-step technique in which oxygen is first removed from the solvent and then a chemical dopant is introduced into the organic mixed ionic–electronic conductor.

There are no vaccines or antivirals available against enterovirus D68. Here, the authors report Jun6504 as a 2C inhibitor and show that it provides broad-spectrum antiviral activity against EV-D68, EV-A71, and CVB3 and potent antiviral efficacy in a neonatal neurological mouse model of EV-D68 infection.

A couple-close approach used to build semisaturated ring systems from dual radical precursors allows sampling of regions of underexplored chemical space, leading to an annulation that can be used for late-stage functionalization of pharmaceutical scaffolds.

The use of biocatalysis to support early-stage drug discovery campaigns remains largely untapped. Here, engineered biocatalysts enable the synthesis of sp³-rich polycyclic compounds through an intramolecular cyclopropanation of benzothiophenes, affording a class of complex scaffolds potentially useful for fragment-based drug discovery campaigns.

Alkynes found in natural products are typically assembled by metal-dependent enzymes. The enzyme BesB instead forms a terminal alkyne-containing amino acid using pyridoxal phosphate as a cofactor. Here, the authors use structural and mechanistic investigations to identify the key features of BesB that allow it to carry out its fascinating chemistry.

The bicyclo[1.1.1]pentane (BCP) motif has drawn increasing attention recently in drug discovery. Now, a programmable bis-functionalization strategy has been developed to modularly access bridge-substituted BCP scaffolds, based on the inherent chemoselectivity of BCP bis-boronates (3° > 2°). This strategy should enable further structure–activity relationship studies of BCP-containing drug candidates and open the door to unexplored chemical space.

An inadequate supply of cofactors often limits the production of target molecules in metabolic engineering. Here, the authors report cofactor engineering through decompartmentalization of the yeast mitochondrial metabolism to improve succinic acid production in Issatchenkia orientalis.

Increased salinity of Subantarctic Mode Water during the initial phase of the Last Deglaciation could have enhanced deep water formation in the North Atlantic, according to proxy records from a sediment core in the southern Indian Ocean.

A ²H and ¹³C tracing strategy was used for efficient determination of glycolytic thermodynamics, revealing near-equilibrium glycolytic steps enabling rapid flux adaptation and, in Clostridium cellulolyticum, enhanced ATP yield.

Fifty years of plankton and water samples show that the proportion of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in the ocean now substantially differs from the Redfield ratio, probably reflecting a reduction in phosphorus limitation.

The Grignard reaction represents one of the most powerful carbon-carbon bond forming reactions and is the subject of continual study. Here, the authors report a halide effect on the diastereoselectivity of 1,2-addition reactions to β-hydroxy ketones involving Grignard reagents, serving as a foundation for the rapid production of C4’-modified nucleosides with diversifiable positions at the nucleobase and C4’.

Acrylics and acrylates have become important building blocks for the chemical industry, but their efficient synthesis remains a challenge. Here, the authors report the first example of the catalytic aerobic partial oxidation of allyl ether to its acrylate ester derivative using a Li ion promoted mesoporous manganese oxide under mild conditions.

Amines are predominant motifs in pharmaceuticals, but complex amines are challenging to generate. Now, enabled by triple Au–H/Au+/Au–H relay catalysis, the synthesis of complex and structurally diverse amines by a direct reductive hydroamination of alkynes with nitroarenes is reported. Catalytic intermediates were isolated to elucidate the mechanism.

Hemoproteins have recently emerged as promising biocatalysts for carbene transfer reactions but mechanistic understanding of the interplay between productive and unproductive pathways in these processes is limited. Here, the authors use a combination of spectroscopic, crystallographic, and computational tools to elucidate the mechanism of a recently reported myoglobin-catalyzed cyclopropanation reaction with diazoketones.

Using the concept of dynamic orbital selection distinct organic radical species can be differentiated, enabling direct coupling of aromatics with alcohols or carboxylic acids.

Expanding the biocatalysis toolbox for C–N bond formation is of great value. Now, a biocatalytic amination strategy using a new-to-nature mechanism involving nitrogen-centred radicals has been developed. The transformations are enabled by synergistic photoenzymatic catalysis, providing intra- and intermolecular hydroamination products with high yields and levels of enantioselectivity.

The authors develop a computational tool to design NMR pulses, based on the GRadient Assisted Pulse Engineering approach, that can calculate optimal pulse shapes on the fly during the measurements, to match specific samples and hardware, overcoming the limitations of pre-designed pulses.

Cancer cells rely on NADPH to manage oxidative stress and support biosynthesis. Here, the authors show that glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) ablation suppresses KRAS-driven lung tumours with LKB1 deficiency, but not with P53 deficiency, by impairing NADPH production, suggesting a potential therapeutic strategy.

Cooperative paramagnetism refers to a strongly correlated state without long range magnetic order that occurs in frustrated magnetic systems between the Neel temperature and Curie-Weiss temperature. Here, using resonant elastic magnetic and inelastic x-ray scattering, Terilli et al find a spectrally sharp gapped magnetic excitations that persists above the Neel temperature in Y₂Ir₂O₇, implying a cooperative paramagnetic phase.

The formation of weak chemical bonds at or near thermodynamic potential is a challenge in chemical synthesis and catalysis. A bifunctional iridium hydride catalyst has now been discovered that absorbs visible light and promotes proton-coupled electron transfer to a range of substrates—creating element–hydrogen bonds—using dihydrogen as the terminal reductant.

A dual interfacial hydrogen-bond passivation strategy and a hybrid copper–iodide are used to fabricate deep-blue light-emitting diodes with excellent external quantum efficiency and lifetime.

Ultramicroporous solids hold great promise for hydrocarbon separation, but uncovering their design principles remains challenging. Now, a series of ultramicroporous zirconium metal–organic frameworks with tunable microporosity and pore structure have been prepared by combining isophthalate-based octatopic or hexatopic organic linkers and Zr₆ nodes; these materials can separate hexane isomers as a function of branching.

Samples from the asteroid (101955) Bennu, returned by the OSIRIS-REx mission, include sodium-bearing phosphates and sodium-rich carbonates, sulfates, chlorides and fluorides formed during evaporation of a late-stage brine.

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) since the Last Interglacial is reconstructed, showing orbital-scale shifts in ACC position driven by eccentricity and precession, possibly counteracting the predicted southward shift due to global warming.

Pentameric ligand-gated ion channels are modulated by anionic phospholipids. Here, by capturing an open-channel conformation of ELIC, the authors demonstrate the structural details of channel activation and a leaflet-specific mechanism for modulation by phosphatidylglycerol.

Understanding protein dynamics is a complex scientific challenge. Here, authors construct coarse-grained molecular potentials using artificial neural networks, significantly accelerating protein dynamics simulations while preserving their thermodynamics.

In the forearc regions of Costa Rica, helium and carbon isotope data reveal that about 20 per cent less carbon is being transported into the deep mantle than previously thought.

Baek et al. report the formation of a discrete island–convex dome morphology in perovskite by solvent engineering to improve the outcoupling efficiency in NIR LEDs. 2D/3D heterostructures are constructed to further increase the efficiency to 31.4% with a peak radiance of 929 W sr⁻¹ m⁻² at 798 nm.

Garnet-type LLZO electrolytes are considered among the most promising solid-state electrolytes for all-solid-state batteries; however, numerous challenges need to be addressed before they are integrated into a cell. By precipitating amorphous zirconium oxide onto grain boundaries, increased ionic conductivity is observed and dendrite growth is suppressed.

The dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor, fluorofolin, shows potent activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and selectively eliminates P. aeruginosa from mixed-species bacterial cultures.

A manganese-catalysed oxidative C(sp³)–H methylation method allows a methyl group to be selectively installed into medicinally important heterocycles, providing a way to improve pharmaceuticals and better understand the ‘magic methyl effect’.

Decadal changes in land surface wind speed are well known, but their ecosystem impacts remain unclear. This study suggests that wind speed changes significantly affect vegetation productivity by altering water availability and stomatal conductance.

Accurate non-invasive biomarkers to diagnose MASLD-related fibrosis are urgently needed. Here the authors show a disease mechanism-related blood-based biomarker panel consisting of three biomarkers which is able to accurately identify MASLD patients with mild or advanced hepatic fibrosis.

Aerobic glycolysis is a hallmark of fast-growing cells, but it is unclear whether glycolysis was selected for its speed. Glycolysis produces ATP slower than respiration (per protein mass) and is beneficial for rendering cells robust to hypoxia.

Direct and stereospecific C(sp³)–C(sp²) cross-coupling reactions are highly desirable for the construction of complex molecular scaffolds. Now, using stable and easily accessible alkyl sulfinates as coupling reagents, a modular and programmable sulfurane-mediated coupling method has been developed for the installation of various hindered alkyl bioisosteres, such as trifluoromethyl cyclopropyl, to (hetero)aromatics.

The SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid (N) protein serves multiple roles in the viral lifecycle. Phosphorylation toggles N between these roles by altering N’s conformation, its material properties when phase separated with RNA, and its membrane interactions.

Insulin-activated ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) regulates glucose metabolism. Here the authors report that its disruption in a mouse model of ataxia-telangiectasia leads to insulin resistance, glutamine dependence, and selective Purkinje cell degeneration, while α-Ketoglutarate supplementation shows promise in mitigating neurodegeneration.

In this largest whole-exome sequencing study of epilepsies to date, the Epi25 Collaborative identified extremely rare variants that confer risk for diverse epilepsy subtypes, highlighting roles in synaptic transmission and neuronal excitability.

Gold samples can be heated to more than 14 times their melting point while retaining their crystalline structure, far surpassing the predicted entropy catastrophe threshold and suggesting a substantially higher or potentially no limit for superheating.

The pairing mechanism in kagome superconductors is still not fully understood. Now, CsV₃Sb₅, which belongs to this family, is shown to have orbital-selective pairing with two distinct superconducting domes that are not separated by any phase boundary.

The development of a universal protein coarse-grained model has been a long-standing challenge. A coarse-grained model with chemical transferability has now been developed by combining deep-learning methods with a large and diverse training set of all-atom protein simulations. The model can be used for extrapolative molecular dynamics on new sequences.

Analysis of palaeoceanographic proxies sensitive to oxygen-deficient zone extent and intensity show that the eastern tropical Pacific was well oxygenated during the warm Miocene, agreeing with model simulations that suggest that the recent deoxygenation trend may eventually reverse.

Iron-catalysed [2+2] cycloaddition/oligomerization of neat butadiene affords (1,n′-divinyl)oligocyclobutane—a telechelic, crystalline material consisting of 1,3-enchained cyclobutyl units. This oligocyclobutane can be chemically recycled to pure butadiene using the same iron catalyst employed in its synthesis, demonstrating design principles for next-generation plastic materials that can be returned to pristine monomer.

A pore-modulated pyrolysis reactor that enables catalyst-free and energy-efficient upcycling of plastic waste is demonstrated. The graded-pore structure imposes molecular-weight-dependent transport barriers, establishing a gating effect that enhances product selectivity and yields aviation fuel precursor (C₈–C₁₈) with high efficiency.

The separation and purification of C6 cyclic hydrocarbons by thermal distillation is an energy intensive process which may be replaced by alternative energy-efficient adsorptive techniques. Here, the authors report a chain-like coordination polymer which facilitates complete separation of benzene, cyclohexene, and cyclohexane via an ideal molecular sieving mechanism.