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Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are typically built by linking metal centres with organic bridges. By using metal–diimine complexes as linkers, researchers have now immobilized these photoresponsive moieties into a MOF scaffold, which enabled them to observe a different excited state from that occurring in solution, and study a photoreaction crystallographically.

Djeghloul, Cheriyamkunnel et al. apply chromosome sorting to isolate active and inactive X chromosomes and report a role for Hbo1 and Msl histone acetyltransferase complexes in preserving active X chromosomes in female cells during mitosis.

A cryo-electron microscopy structure of the light-harvesting–reaction centre (LH1–RC) complex of the photosynthetic bacterium Blastochloris viridis suggests factors that underlie the large redshift in the absorption spectrum of bacteriochlorophyll in the complex and that promote quinone–quinol translocation across the LH1 ring.

Carbonaceous minerals in 3.8-billion-year-old rocks from West Greenland have been used as evidence for early life on Earth. Geochemical analyses of similar carbon minerals in 3.75- to 4.2-billion-year-old rocks from Canada show that they can be derived from subsequent alteration more than a billion years after the initial formation.

The Galactic Centre is orbited by two objects that look like gas and dust clouds but behave more like stars, and now four additional similar objects are reported.

A discrepancy exists between the low diffusion coefficients and near-unity charge collection efficiencies achieved in practical halide perovskite solar cells. Here, the authors explain this through the discovery of strong heterogeneity in vertical charge diffusivities in a 3D perovskite film.

Whole-genome sequencing, transcriptome-wide association and fine-mapping analyses in over 7,000 individuals with critical COVID-19 are used to identify 16 independent variants that are associated with severe illness in COVID-19.

Base editing of the pathogenic trinucleotide repeat expansions underlying Huntington’s disease and Friedreich’s ataxia introduces repeat interruptions that reduce somatic expansion in patient cells and mice.

The species threat abatement and restoration (STAR) metric quantifies the contributions that abating threats and restoring habitats offer towards reducing species’ extinction risk in specific places.

The understanding of how a singlet exciton separates into triplet states in organic semiconductors is crucial to the design of efficient organic solar cells. Here, Lukmanet al. identify the role played by charge-transfer states during triplet formation through side-group engineering of pentacenes.

Manipulating nitrogen vacancies in nitrogen-doped diamond is important for quantum information processing. Here the authors use a two-colour excitation to redistribute the localized trapping charges in type-1b diamonds.

Self-assembled perovskite nanoplatelets emit linearly polarized light, enabling the realization of red perovskite light-emitting diodes with a 74.4% degree of linear polarization.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have improved our understanding of the genetic basis of lung adenocarcinoma but known susceptibility variants explain only a small fraction of the familial risk. Here, the authors perform a two-stage GWAS and report 12 novel genetic loci associated with lung adenocarcinoma in East Asians.

Interfacial polarization influences catalytic reactions occurring at solid–liquid interfaces, but its measurement was previously limited to conductive materials. Now redox-active molecules enable electrochemical potential measurements of metal catalysts, even on insulating supports.

Oxygen is essential for plant life. Here the authors define new functions and components of the plant oxygen sensing mechanism providing an understanding of the biochemistry of sensing and physiological responses allowing plant roots to survive in the soil.

We show frequency domain mirrors that provide reflections of optical mode propagation in the frequency domain. We theoretically investigated the mirror properties and experimentally demonstrate it using polarization and coupled-resonator-based coupling on thin film Lithium Niobate.

Senescent cells increase with ageing and may cause inflammatory conditions, but how this accumulation is mediated is still unclear. Here the authors show that senescent cells express HLA-E to suppress NKG2A-mediated natural killer and CD8 T cell activation to avoid targeted elimination, while blocking NKG2A helps promote immunity against senescent cells.

The phonon density of states in diamond is engineered using phononic crystals to suppress single-phonon processes that induce decoherence in individual quantum emitters.

The soluble neurotrophic factor GDNF promotes trans-synaptic adhesion through its co-receptor GFRα1. Here, the authors describe the structural basis for GDNF-GFRα1 adhesion and reconstitute assemblies bridging membranes, demonstrating that binding of either the RET receptor or proteoglycans can disrupt this adhesive function.

Lysine fatty acylation is an important protein posttranslational modification but mammalian lysine fatty acyl transferases have remained unknown so far. Here the authors report that the human N-terminal glycine myristoyltransferases 1 and 2 catalyze the addition of myristoyl chains to specific lysine residues and show that they myristoylate ARF6 lysine 3, which explains the unusual membrane binding properties of ARF6.

The chlorophyll biosynthetic enzyme NADPH:protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase, which catalyses a light-driven reaction involving hydride and proton transfers is examined. It is determined that prior excitation of the enzyme–substrate complex with a laser pulse induces a more favourable conformation of the active site and increases the catalytic efficiency of the coupled hydride and proton transfer reactions. Spectral changes in the mid-infrared after the absorption of one photon reveal significant conformational changes in the enzyme.

A pyramidal cell type and the 5-HT_2A receptor in the medial frontal cortex have essential roles in psilocybin’s long-term drug action.

Superconducting qubits operate at microwave frequencies, but it is much more efficient to transmit information optically. Now, a superconducting qubit has been controlled with an optical signal by using a microwave–optical quantum transducer.

Concerns about energy and transport poverty are critical to the net-zero transition but are growing in the wake of recent global events. This study presents findings from focus groups with the public and expert interviews in the United Kingdom on support for different policy options to address these challenges.

Here, the authors show that a single substitution in mouse P1, outside of its arginine core and independently of its charge, suffices to alter sperm chromatin structure and associated developmental outcomes.

ARPC1B is a component of the actin-related protein 2/3 complex (Arp2/3), which is required for actin filament branching. Kahret al. show that ARPC1B deficiency in humans is associated with severe multisystem disease that includes platelet abnormalities, eosinophilia, eczema and other indicators of immune disease.

Fibre optic event horizons have been described in the time domain where a soliton-induced refractive index barrier modifies the velocity of a probe. Here, Webb et al.describe horizon dynamics in the frequency domain in terms of cascaded four-wave mixing between discrete single-frequency fields.

Suppressed Dexter transfer is needed to achieve efficient and stable hyperfluorescence, but complex matrices must be involved. A molecular design strategy has been proposed where Dexter transfer can be substantially reduced by an encapsulated terminal emitter, leading to ‘matrix-free’ hyperfluorescence.

The BAM complex is assisted by periplasmic chaperones, such as SurA, in its folding and insertion of proteins into the bacterial outer membrane. Here, the authors use disulphide bond engineering to trap transient protein complexes and solve their cryoEM structures to shed light on the cycle of SurA arrival, OMP delivery, and handover to BAM.

The interaction of localized and conduction electrons in some heavy fermion materials is believed to give rise to a Kondo insulating state. Kushwaha et al. present evidence that Ce3Bi4Pd3 is a Kondo insulator with a gap small enough to be driven into a Fermi liquid phase with accessible magnetic fields.

Realizing efficient blue-emitting organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with long operational lifetime is key to the development of future display technologies. Here, the authors report efficient host-guest and host-free OLEDs featuring designed carbene-metal-amide-type deep-blue photoemitters.

A low singlet-triplet energy gap, necessary for delayed fluorescence organic semiconductors, results in a small radiative rate that limits performance in OLEDs. Here, the authors show that it is possible to reconcile these conflicting requirements in materials that can access both high oscillator strength intramolecular excitations and intermolecular charge transfer states.

The authors describe a new cephalopod from the Carboniferous (Mississippian) Bear Gulch Lagerstätte of Montana, USA. This specimen extends the fossil record of vampyropods back by ~82 million years and changes our understanding of their evolution.

McNally et al. identify the retriever complex as required for endosomal cargo recycling. Retriever binds SNX17, the CCC and WASH complexes to govern cell surface expression of integrins, receptors and transporters.

An exciting genome-wide association study in the British population for seven common diseases. This analysis confirms previously identified loci and provides strong evidence for many novel disease susceptibility loci.

Development of a broad-spectrum β-lactamase inhibitor capable of combatting multidrug-resistant pathogens, including Acinetobacter baumannii.

To determine long-range linkage between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the repeat-containing region of a disease-related gene, Liu et al. develop SNP linkage by circularization (SLiC) and lay the groundwork for using allele-specific RNA interference to target insertion or deletion mutations in disease-associated genes.

Photosynthesis uses only a limited range of solar radiation. Here, Graysonet al. genetically incorporated the yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) chromophore into a bacterial photosystem, and show that energy harvested by reaction centre–YFP complexes can augment photosynthesis in vivo.

Minerals are known to stabilize organic carbon in sediments, affecting biogeochemical cycles and global climate, but the mechanism is not understood. Here, the authors suggest that manganese oxides can trap organic carbon and may act as a ‘mineral pump’, transforming carbon between labile and refractory forms.

During photosynthesis, energy is transferred from photosynthetic antenna to reaction centers via ultrafast energy transfer. Here the authors track energy transfer in photosynthetic bacteria using two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy and show that these transfer dynamics constrain antenna complex organization.

The in-tissue architectures of β-amyloid and tau pathology in a postmortem Alzheimer’s disease donor brain are determined, showing fibril heterogeneity is spatially organized by subcellular location and suggesting applications to a broad range of neurodegenerative diseases.

Phase-resolved mid-infrared observations from JWST of the hot gas giant WASP-43b detect a day–night difference of 659 ± 19 K. Comparison with climate models shows that the observations are compatible with cloudy skies, at least on the nightside, and the lack of methane detection suggests the presence of disequilibrium chemistry.

Analysing gut microbial time series from wild baboons, the authors show that microbiome dynamics are rarely synchronized across hosts in shared environments but are highly individualized even within the same social groups.

The pathogenic bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis causes periodontal disease and depends on porphyrin from host sources. Here the authors show that the P. gingivalis haem uptake system protein A (HusA) mediates the uptake of exogenous porphyrin, present its solution NMR structure and show how HusA can be exploited as a drug target.