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Understanding collective behaviour is an important aspect of managing the pandemic response. Here the authors show in a large global study that participants that reported identifying more strongly with their nation reported greater engagement in public health behaviours and support for public health policies in the context of the pandemic.

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.

Large-effect variants in autism remain elusive. Here, the authors use long-read sequencing to assemble phased genomes for 189 individuals, identifying pathogenic variants in TBL1XR1, MECP2, and SYNGAP1, plus nine candidate structural variants missed by short-read methods.

How inflammation spreads from the skin to the joints in psoriatic disease is unclear. Here, the authors show that joint-resident fibroblasts can control differentiation of infiltrating skin-derived myeloid precursors that can become inflammatory macrophages.

Quantitative image-based cytometry and spatial analysis of proliferation reveal how multiple signalling pathways integrate over time to coordinate both cell cycle entry and exit in epithelial monolayers.

Comparative genomics and high-resolution mass spectrometry reveal the biosynthetic gene clusters, and vast chemical diversity of natural products that they encode, in Photorhabdus and Xenorhabdus, bacteria that interact with hosts as symbionts and entomopathogens.

In the phase 1/2 CASTLE basket trial, autologous CD19 CAR-T cell therapy in patients with treatment-refractory systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis or idiopathic inflammatory myopathy was safe, with improved disease activity and patient-reported global health in most patients.

The stability of interactions across trophic levels is crucial for ecosystem resilience but remains poorly understood. This study shows that loss of tree diversity destabilizes specialist herbivores, offering new insights into the mechanisms of pest outbreaks.

De novo and inherited dominant variants in genes encoding U4 and U6 small nuclear RNAs are identified in individuals with retinitis pigmentosa. The variants cluster at nucleotide positions distinct from those implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders.

Large-scale analyses of bird species traits reveal that land-use change reduces resilience of key ecological functions more than previously thought.

Photonic crystal microresonators permit precise control of nonlinear optical processes. By suppressing specific parasitic processes, they enable the efficient and robust generation of single-mode squeezed vacuum states of light.

The authors demonstrate dual-probe multi-messenger imaging of high-energy-density plasmas based on laser-wakefield-accelerated electrons. This enables spatiotemporally resolved simultaneous probing of plasma hydrodynamics and electromagnetic field evolution with both x-ray and electron beams.

Implementation of ultralong transients on an Orbitrap mass spectrometer improves mass resolution, sensitivity and accuracy of charge determination in the analysis of large macromolecular ions.

The flagship paper of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes Consortium describes the generation of the integrative analyses of 2,658 cancer whole genomes and their matching normal tissues across 38 tumour types, the structures for international data sharing and standardized analyses, and the main scientific findings from across the consortium studies.

The lack of stable and versatile bicyclo[1.1.1]pentyl reagents hinders their broader adoption as aryl bioisosteres in drug discovery. Now, a stable, bifunctional iodobicyclo[1.1.1]pentylmethyl thianthrenium (IBM-TT⁺) reagent is developed for modular bicyclo[1.1.1]pentane bioisostere production.

Polygenic scores for body mass index and obesity constructed using data from 5 million people with different ancestries were associated with distinct weight gain trajectories from early childhood to adulthood.

A light-sheet microscope built from off-the-shelf components enables high-resolution clear tissue imaging.

Feng et al. report a dynamic template-assisted strategy for depositing perovskite nanowire arrays across areas 12 times larger than the template itself, on diverse substrates. Large-area pixelated photodetectors with a responsivity of 1660A W⁻¹, detectivity of 3.9E14 Jones, and linear dynamic range of 160.3 dB are achieved.

ChReef is an optogenetic actuator for sustained optogenetic control of excitable cells in a variety of preclinical applications.

Analyses of 2,658 whole genomes across 38 types of cancer identify the contribution of non-coding point mutations and structural variants to driving cancer.

Topological phases with knotted configurations in momentum space have been challenging to realize. Here, Lee et al. provide a systematic design and measurement of a three-dimensional knotted nodal structure, and resolve its momentum space drumhead states via a topolectrical RLC-type circuit.

C–H functionalization is a key reaction in organic synthesis. Now a selenoxide reagent has been developed for the formation of arylselenonium salts via C–H functionalization of DNA conjugates with high selectivity. The arylselenonium salts participate in various transformations to forge new C–C and C–X bonds.

The enteric nervous system regulates gut function but is difficult to study due to sparse neuron distribution and gut motion. Here, the authors showcase a bioelectronic implant for electrophysiological monitoring of the enteric neural activity in freely-behaving animals.

Urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UCAR) is associated with various clinical outcomes such as kidney disease and cardiovascular disease. Here, the authors report genome-wide meta-analysis in over 500,000 individuals and find 68 UACR loci, followed by statistical fine-mapping, gene prioritization and experimental validation in flies.

This prospective cohort study of patients with cancer incorporated antemortem follow-up visits and rapid autopsy analyses, and reports that spikes—rapidly increasing levels—of circulating tumor cell clusters, observed immediately before and at the time of death, along with tumor masses infiltrating large vessels, were cancer-related events associated with patient mortality.

Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling between (hetero)aryl (pseudo)halides and base-sensitive and Lewis-basic (hetero)arylboronic acids is challenging, owing to potential side reactions and catalyst poisoning. Now, the Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling of arylthianthrenium salts with (hetero)arylboronic acids, under acidic conditions, is reported, enabling the efficient coupling of base-sensitive and Lewis-basic (hetero)arylboronic acids.

Attosecond control of electrons in nanostructures requires resolving dynamics in the optical near field. Now, an experiment finds low-energy spectral stripes that track subcycle electron emission and allow the isolation of attosecond electron bursts.

Phase-stabilized frequency combs are critical for optical precision measurements. They have now been realized in a chip-scale format with CMOS compatible electrical control

Few brain regions' functions have been debated as intensely as those of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. A computational model now suggests that seemingly diverse cingulate responses may be explained by a single construct, 'negative surprise', which occurs when actions do not produce the expected outcome.

As presented at the ESMO Congress 2025, in the single-arm phase 2 IKF/AIO PHERFLOT trial, the perioperative combination of FLOT chemotherapy with anti-PD-1 and anti-HER2 monoclonal antibodies led to a pathological complete response rate of 48.4% in patients with resectable HER2+ esophagogastric adenocarcinoma, meeting the prespecified co-primary endpoint.

Hypothalamus participates in systemic metabolic processes, while high calorie intake increases immune activation in the central nervous system. Here the authors show that reduced regulatory T cells in the hypothalamus contribute to elevated immune activation in a high calorie environment, thereby prompting a potential therapy target for metabolic diseases.

Intermediate-coverage long-read sequencing in 1,019 diverse humans from the 1000 Genomes Project, representing 26 populations, enables the generation of comprehensive population-scale structural variant catalogues comprising common and rare alleles.

This flagship study from the European Solve-Rare Diseases Consortium presents a diagnostic framework including bioinformatic analysis of clinical, pedigree and genomic data coupled with expert panel review, leading to 500 new diagnoses in a cohort of 6,000 families with suspected rare diseases.

Understanding deregulation of biological pathways in cancer can provide insight into disease etiology and potential therapies. Here, as part of the PanCancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) consortium, the authors present pathway and network analysis of 2583 whole cancer genomes from 27 tumour types.

Analysis of cancer genome sequencing data has enabled the discovery of driver mutations. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium the authors present DriverPower, a software package that identifies coding and non-coding driver mutations within cancer whole genomes via consideration of mutational burden and functional impact evidence.

Multi-omics datasets pose major challenges to data interpretation and hypothesis generation owing to their high-dimensional molecular profiles. Here, the authors develop ActivePathways method, which uses data fusion techniques for integrative pathway analysis of multi-omics data and candidate gene discovery.

Using sequencing and haplotype-resolved assembly of 65 diverse human genomes, complex regions including the major histocompatibility complex and centromeres are analysed.

This study examines the outcomes of dietary shifts across intrinsic and instrumental conservation perspectives, finding that most conservation benefits already come from a partial shift to healthier, more plant-based diets, whereas greater benefits depend on more targeted conservation action.

A global network of researchers was formed to investigate the role of human genetics in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity; this paper reports 13 genome-wide significant loci and potentially actionable mechanisms in response to infection.

Hydrofunctionalization of α-olefins with mineral acids usually proceeds with Markovnikov selectivity. Now, a strategy based on synergistic phase transfer and photoredox catalysis is developed to facilitate anti-Markovnikov addition of aqueous hydrochloric and nitric acid to unactivated alkenes.

1,3-Disubstituted bicyclo[1.1.1]pentanes are linear bioisosteres for para-substituted benzene rings; however, the lack of practical reagents for the introduction of bicyclopentane currently impedes their application, especially in drug development. Now, stable thianthrenium-based bicyclopentane reagents are reported and their use in O-, N- and C-alkylation reactions demonstrated.

Real-time quantum feedback control can be used to cool quantum systems to their motional ground states, but this has been so far achieved via classical probe fields. Here the authors report feedback cooling of a mechanical oscillator using a squeezed field, reporting higher cooling rate over classical light.

Cross-coupling reactions between aryl halides and alcohols using copper are challenging due to the energetically demanding oxidative addition of copper into aryl halides. Now, this high-barrier step is bypassed using an energy transfer or direct excitation strategy for copper-mediated cross-coupling reactions. This process enables the use of aryl chlorides as electrophiles and alcohols, amines and fluoride as nucleophilic coupling partners.

Intermolecular cyclization reactions using nitrogen-containing building blocks are scarce. Now, bifunctional sulfilimines have been shown to enable the modular construction of a diverse range of N-heterocycles by reacting with alkenes in a single photocatalysed step. Both sulfilimines and alkenes are easily accessible, providing access to a wide range of N-heterocycles with different ring types, ring sizes and substituents on the skeleton.

Artificial intelligence (AI) system is known to improve dermatologists’ diagnostic accuracy for melanoma. This group applies the eye-tracking technology on dermatologists when diagnosing dermoscopic images of melanomas and reports improved balanced diagnostic accuracy when using an X(explainable) AI system comparing to the standard one.

A large genome-wide association study of more than 5 million individuals reveals that 12,111 single-nucleotide polymorphisms account for nearly all the heritability of height attributable to common genetic variants.

Exome sequencing within a structured diagnostic process for rare diseases in Germany shows how facial image analysis and machine learning can guide variant prioritization and uncover many ultrarare diseases.