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The use of chiral molecules for optoelectronics remains underexplored. Here, the authors perform Mueller matrix spectroscopy on thin films of enantiopure prolinol functionalized squaraines and report an extraordinarily high circular dichroism, thus providing a benchmark material for chiroptical applications.

A high-resolution, global atlas of mortality of children under five years of age between 2000 and 2017 highlights subnational geographical inequalities in the distribution, rates and absolute counts of child deaths by age.

Longitudinal data in electronic health records could be used to improve definitions of patient clusters and therefore inform precision medicine interventions. Here, the authors introduce VaDeSC-EHR, a machine learning model that uses patient longitudinal trajectories and time-to-event data to define clusters.

On-farm experiments in 54 fields in Switzerland show that inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can promote crop yield, and inoculation success can be predicted using soil microbiome indicators.

Branched organoids embedded in collagen gels can recapitulate the phenotypic landscape and pronounced molecular and morphological heterogeneity of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

“In-depth cell-selective proteomics and secretomics has remained challenging. Here, the authors devise an optimised azidonorleucine labelling, mass spectrometry method and detect over 10,000 proteins in a pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma model.

Clay-sized particles bind organic matter and sequester carbon and nitrogen in soils, yet extent and localization of organic matter coverage remain unclear. Using NanoSIMS, Vogel et al.chemically image soils at ultra-high resolution and show that only particles with rough surfaces react with organic matter.

An online approach for the DNA methylation-based classification of central nervous system tumours across all entities and age groups has been developed to help to improve current diagnostic standards.

Dicer proteins direct RNA-interference activities. Imler and colleagues show that Dicer-2 induces Vago-dependent antiviral response in flies and that Dicer proteins are related to RIG-I viral sensors.

Proteasomal degradation of EZH2 in AML patients in response to therapy triggers the expression of stem cell markers and has been identified as an epigenetic pathway leading to acquired drug resistance. Treatments aimed to restore EZH2 expression in relapsed AML patients have shown clinical efficacy and constitute a viable approach to re-sensitize tumors to chemotherapy.

Inhibition of XPO1-mediated nuclear export by selinexor represents a promising therapeutic strategy in acute myeloid leukemia. Because XPO1 is not specific for tumor-suppressive proteins, selinexor may also activate pro-oncogenic processes. A study now shows that inhibition of selinexor-induced, purinergic receptor–mediated AKT activation potentiates its anti-leukemic activity.

Müller-Tidow and colleagues demonstrate that hotspot DNMT3A mutations found in clonal hematopoiesis and acute myeloid leukemia render cancer cells sensitive to the DNMT1 inhibitor azacitidine through focal DNA demethylation, viral mimicry and interferon activation.

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.

A connection between centrosomes and chromosomes is a key feature of mitotic spindles. Here the authors generate 3D reconstructions of whole mitotic spindles in earlyC. elegansembryos and show that chromosomes are anchored by the entire spindle network and that connections through kinetochore microtubules are few and likely very transient.

High salt intake changed the gut microbiome and increased T_H17 cell numbers in mice, and reduced intestinal survival of Lactobacillus species, increased the number of T_H17 cells and increased blood pressure in humans.

A disturbed microbial network characterizes relapsing refractory Crohn’s disease and antedates disease recurrence after surgical removal of the active disease segment.

NFAT2 is a transcription factor that has been linked with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), but its functions in CLL manifestation are still unclear. Here the authors show, by analysing mouse CLL models and characterising biopsies from CLL patients, that NFAT2 is an important regulator for the anergic phenotype of CLL.

Zhou et al. show that in the context of AML1-ETO-driven leukaemia, AES and DDX21 induce small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA)–ribonucleoprotein (RNP) formation and this is important for self-renewal of leukaemic cells.

The genome of the wild grass Brachypodium distachyon (Brachypodium), a member of the Pooideae subfamily, is sequenced. The Pooideae are one of three subfamilies of grasses that provide the bulk of human nutrition and may become major sources of renewable energy. Availability of the genome sequence should help establish Brachypodium as a model for developing new energy and food crops.

This work presents a quantitative draft of the mouse proteome and phosphoproteome constructed from 41 healthy tissues covering 15 major anatomical systems and 66 cell lines.

Saur and colleagues provide an overview of single-cell analyses in pancreatic cancer and discuss their implications for our understanding of heterogeneity and plasticity in the tumor and its microenvironment.

The analysis of the function of acylamino acid-releasing enzymes (AARE) in Physcomitrella and Arabidopsis reveals a connection between AARE and plant ageing, suggesting a unified concept of ageing may exist across domains of life.

Dietary salt can have direct effects on immune cell subsets as well as indirect effects through intestinal dysbiosis. We are beginning to appreciate that high salt diets not only are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease but also have marked effects on immune responses.

In an inter-laboratory study, the authors compare the accuracy and performance of three optical density calibration protocols (colloidal silica, serial dilution of silica microspheres, and colony-forming unit (CFU) assay). They demonstrate that serial dilution of silica microspheres is the best of these tested protocols, allowing precise and robust calibration that is easily assessed for quality control and can also evaluate the effective linear range of an instrument.

The authors provide protocols for rapid and scalable genome engineering in somatic cells of the liver and pancreas through both viral and nonviral delivery of CRISPR components into living mice.