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Electric fields in the solar atmosphere are not studied as widely as the magnetic fields mainly due to small, short living signals. Here, the authors show measurement of an electric field associated with magnetic diffusion triggering an energetic event in the solar atmosphere.

Humanity’s Last Exam, a multi-modal benchmark at the frontier of human knowledge, is designed to be an expert-level closed-ended academic benchmark with broad subject coverage.

Achieving charge separation with minimal energy loss remains a key challenge in photocatalysis, but traditional approaches often suffer from rapid charge recombination or inefficient energy utilization. Now it has been shown that symmetry-breaking charge separation within organic crystalline nanoparticles can generate long-lived charge-separated states, enabling efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production.

The authors show computationally optimized, multilayer scattering structures in the mid-infrared for high efficiency imaging. Multispectral and polarization sorting devices are fabricated via two-photon lithography and characterized optically.

Different plasma modes in various Galactic environments are identified on the basis of a synchrotron polarization analysis. These results open up the study of interstellar turbulence and demonstrate its importance in all relevant processes including cosmic ray transport and star formation.

Ricca et al discover a new family of tubular pili in Microcystis aeruginosa, a harmful algal bloom-forming cyanobacterium. These pili are crucial for buoyancy by forming cell micro-colonies, which increases drag and prevents sinking. The pili also enrich microcystin and co-localize with iron-enriched extracellular matrix components, suggesting a vital role in bloom proliferation.

An integrated structural biology approach uncovers the structural complexity of the intrinsically disordered region (IDR) within the TRPV4 ion channel. Multiple stimulatory and inhibitory elements were identified within the IDR that modulate channel activity in a lipid-dependent manner.

Single atomic layers of transition metal dichalcogenides are semiconductors with possible applications in spintronics. Here, the authors demonstrate tuning of the spin-orbit splitting in molybdenum tungsten diselenide by altering the alloy’s composition, impacting valley polarization and light emission yield.

MLL4 (KMT2D) loss of function, as found in Kabuki syndrome, affects the chromatin compartmentalization of Polycomb proteins and changes the nuclear architecture. Inhibition of ATR reestablishes mechanosignaling of mutant mesenchymal stem cells and their commitment to becoming chondrocytes.

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.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes can be modified into bright and biocompatible agents for high resolution whole-animal imaging at wavelengths in the 1100–1700 nm region.

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is commonly preceded by a prodromal period. Here, the authors report the presence of large plasma Aβ aggregates from patients with mild cognitive impairment, which associate with low level AD-like brain pathology as observed by 11C-PiB PET and 18F-FTP PET and lowered CD18-rich monocytes.

Using three-dimensional correlative light and electron microscopy of Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites in postmortem brains of Parkinson’s disease patients, researchers show that the major constituents are membranes rather than proteinaceous filaments.

Manufacturing perovskite solar cells in dust-free environments is expensive and not practical in some settings. Here, the effect of non-conductive dust settling on small-area devices during manufacture is assessed, finding only minor drop-off in some performance metrics

The mechanism by which proteins become polarized to a specific cortical site in budding yeast cells has been a topic of recent debate. Slaughter et al.show that differing diffusion rates of Cdc42 within plasma membrane environments sustain the polarized state.

Microplastics have spread across the globe and reached even the most remote locations, but an understanding of their origins remains largely elusive. Here the authors quantify and characterise microplastics across the North Pole, finding that synthetic fibers like polyester are dominant and likely sourced from the Atlantic Ocean.

This study reveals the structural basis of auxin import by the AUX/LAX family. LAX3 binds auxin as well as herbicides via a proton-coupled mechanism, which offers insights into hormone recognition that is essential for lateral root growth.

Cellular fluidics provides a platform of unit-cell-based, three-dimensional structures for the deterministic control of multiphase flow, transport and reaction processes.

Methods for the analysis of metabolites in cells often require sample disruption and lack spatio-temporal resolution. Here, the authors show that Raman spectroscopy can directly detect fumarate in living cells and animal tissues ex vivo.

Weak lower crustal flow in Tibet has been invoked to reconcile geophysical observations, yet viscosity estimates vary from 10¹⁶ to 10²¹ Pa·s. Here the authors show that viscous buckling of the upper crust in response to lower crust flow (viscosity ~10²⁰ Pa·s) is responsible for the observed extension in Tibet.

The clinical application of new sequencing techniques is expected to accelerate pathogen identification. Here, Bradley et al. present a clinician-friendly software package that uses sequencing data for quick and accurate prediction of antibiotic resistance profiles for S. aureus and M. tuberculosis.

Thylakoid K⁺/H⁺ exchange by KEA3 optimizes photosynthesis during light fluctuations. Here, the authors show that a combination of stromal pH, ATP, ADP and NADP⁺, NADPH induces structural re-arrangements required for KEA3 regulation in vivo.

PIN transporters are key players in distributing phenoxyacetic acid herbicides. Mutagenesis and cryo-EM structures elucidate substrate specificity and transport mechanisms, paving the way for improved synthetic auxin development and herbicide-resistant crops.

Complexes that form between oppositely charged polyelectrolytes may be solid or liquid. Here, Perry et al.show that chirality in polypeptides can determine the state of those complexes based on a propensity for hydrogen-bond formation.

A statistical mechanics approach unveils how urban layout influences flood hazards linking flood risk to factors like ground slope, porosity, building arrangement symmetry, and chord length, offering a scalable model applicable worldwide.

This study employs a physics-informed AI model to reconstruct the last glaciation of the European Alps with high accuracy. The approach reduces ice thickness errors by 200–450%, yielding insights into ice velocities, temperatures, volumes, and paleoclimate during the Last Glacial Maximum.

High-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells offer efficient solutions to complex fuel cell challenges, including fuel flexibility and heat management. Here the authors demonstrate that laser-scribed membranes improve fuel cell durability and boost peak power density by over 50%, providing a more stable and scalable approach for high performance fuel cells.

Analysis of exchange processes is time consuming by two-dimensional exchange NMR spectroscopy. Here the authors demonstrate a single-scan ultrafast Laplace NMR approach based on spatial encoding to measure molecular diffusion, with an increase by a factor six in the sensitivity per unit time.

Plankton communities in the top 150 m of the nutrient-depleted, oligotrophic global ocean that are most associated with carbon export include unexpected taxa, such as Radiolaria, alveolate parasites, and Synechococcus and their phages, and point towards potential functional markers predicting a significant fraction of the variability in carbon export in these regions.

Here the authors report new human fossils from Tam Pà Ling cave, Laos, consisting of a cranial and a tibial fragment, dated to 68–86 thousand years ago. This find confirms that Homo sapiens were present in Southeast Asia by this time and the shape of the fossils indicates they may have descended from non-local populations.

Unique microorganisms of a fossil river delta in the Atacama Desert unveil the current limits of life detection on Mars.

Organic fluorescent nanoparticles have potential biomaterials applications due to their low-toxicity and ‘green’ synthesis. Here, a series of self-assembled nanoparticles and polymers are synthesized with intense visible fluorescence stemming from chromophores of hydrogen-bonded monoacylglycerol clusters.

Brain-machine interfaces are hindered by neuroinflammation. Here, the authors found that bacterial sequences invade the brain post-microelectrode implantation. Antibiotic-treated mice showed reduced bacterial presence and altered neuroinflammatory profile, temporarily improving recording performance.

Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) is a genetic disorder which is associated with kidney and liver pathology, including liver fibrosis. Here the authors develop and characterize human liver organoids with a ARPKD mutation, and find that they show aspects of the pathology, including fibrosis.

Synaptic vesicle fusion involves a multi-protein assembly called the SNARE complex that is tightly regulated both spatially and temporally. Here Kavanagh et al. show that after vesicle fusion and SNARE complex disassembly in the synapse, the SNARE protein syntaxin1a is sequestered in a monomeric form by munc18-1, preventing ectopic SNARE complex assembly.

Singlet fission, a spin-allowed conversion of a spin-singlet state into a pair of spin-triplet excitons, may be useful for the development of next-generation photovoltaics. Ultrafast coherence measurements now show that vibrational motions play a critical role in fission as they facilitate the mixing of triplet-pair states with singlet excitons.

One of the largest continental microplates on Earth is situated in the center of the East African Rift System, and oddly, the Victoria microplate rotates counterclockwise with respect to the neighboring African tectonic plate. Here, the authors' modelling results suggest that Victoria microplate rotation is caused by edge-driven lithospheric processes related to the specific geometry of rheologically weak and strong regions.

Significant mass-wasting perturbations can be caused by 5–30 year return period extreme rainfall and by earthquake induced landscape preconditioning damage.

New Zealand has been relatively successful in controlling COVID-19 due to implementation of strict non-pharmaceutical interventions. Here, the authors demonstrate a striking decline in reports of influenza and other non-influenza respiratory pathogens over winter months in which the interventions have been in place.

Implementing a nucleic acid preconcentration method can improve the sensitivity of microfluidic analysis systems. Here Friedrich et al. concentrate DNA by many orders of magnitude using pressure-driven flow, which could lead to a simple and practical microanalysis platform.

The physical properties of biomaterials affect cell behaviour. Here, the authors investigate how stiffness and degradation of hydrogels affect signalling pathways that modulate the maintenance of stemness of neural progenitor cells.

A new methodology uses intravital time-gated mid-infrared optoacoustic signals for accurate non-invasive measurements of glucose concentrations in blood-rich volumes of the skin.