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MRGPRX1 is a key GPCR expressed in the DRG for itch perception, generating scratch or avoidance behaviors. Here, authors provide structural and pharmacological insights into itch sensation, activation and G-protein signaling downstream of MRGPRX1.

“Dissolved oxygen (DO) sustains river ecosystems, but the effects of hydrological extremes remain poorly understood. Here it is shown that sudden floods cause abrupt declines in DO, suggesting that increased future flooding may lead to the degradation of aquatic ecosystems.

The heterochromatic 'condensates' may not be conserved across mammals. This study highlights the influence of host genome on nuclear architecture and challenges the hypothesis that heterochromatin and MeCP2 undergo phase separation.

Genome-wide association analysis of gout and urate identifies 148 new loci, implicating biological pathways and prioritizing candidate genes involved in inflammatory processes.

Proteins are translocated across membranes through the Sec61/SecY channel. Here, the authors present the structure of a translocating peptide chain trapped inside the SecA-SecY complex which suggests how peptides are actively moved through the channel.

Arkitekt is an open-source platform that facilitates the implementation of complex quantitative bioimaging workflows in real time, from acquisition to visualization and analysis.

A new framework enables a pan-cancer reference set of copy number signatures derived from allele-specific profiles from different experimental assays.

Whole-genome sequencing analysis of individuals with primary immunodeficiency identifies new candidate disease-associated genes and shows how the interplay between genetic variants can explain the variable penetrance and complexity of the disease.

Electron charge and spin shuttling is a promising technique for connecting distant spin qubits. Here the authors use conveyor-mode shuttling to achieve high-fidelity transport of a single electron spin in Si/SiGe by separation and rejoining of two spin-entangled electrons across a shuttling distance of 560 nm.

The similar tertiary folds of toxins from two diverse biological sources indicates a functional relevance for this common motif

The Pharma Proteomics Project generates the largest open-access plasma proteomics dataset to date, offering insights into trans protein quantitative trait loci across multiple biological domains, and highlighting genetic influences on ligand–receptor interactions and pathway perturbations across a diverse collection of cytokines and complement networks.

Myosin motors perform many fundamental functions in eukaryotic cells by providing force generation, transport or tethering capacity. Here, the authors show that a single phosphorylation event can modulate actin-activated ATPase activity and change the mechanical properties of myosin-VI.

An integrative framework to simultaneously interrogate the dynamics of the transcriptome and proteome at subcellular resolution that combines two methods, localization of RNA (LoRNA) and a streamlined density-based localization of proteins by isotope tagging (dLOPIT).

A new cryo-EM structure of human DNA-PKcs in complex with a Ku70/80 heterodimer and DNA reveals how Ku80–DNA-PKcs interactions create a scaffold to mediate DNA double-strand break repair.

Analysis of monkeypox virus (MPXV) isolates circulating in Nigeria before the 2022 global outbreak of MPXV sheds light on the diversification of the virus that eventually gave rise to the 2022 MPXV lineage.

A standardized checklist of all known vascular plants shows the distribution of island native and endemic species, identifies their conservation status and highlights the need for actions to conserve them.

A deep-learning-based approach enables automatic identification of synaptically connected neurons in electron microscopy datasets of the fly brain.

Understanding the effect of vaccination on emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern is of increasing importance. Here, James et al. report that two doses of vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine induce more robust immune responses to the B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 SARS-CoV-2 lineages than does natural infection.

A new framework is proposed for assessing the risks of the atmospheric transformation products of commercial chemicals, combining laboratory and field experiments, advanced techniques for screening suspect chemicals, and in silico modelling.

Newly synthesized proteins are targeted to the SecY protein-conducting channel for translocation across the membrane; here, cryo-electron microscopy structures of inactive and active ribosome–channel complexes are presented, revealing that ribosome binding does not result in major structural changes to transmembrane regions of the channel, and that stable channel opening requires loop insertion of the translocating nascent chain.

Combined patch clamp recording, biocytin staining and single-cell RNA-sequencing of human neurocortical neurons shows an expansion of glutamatergic neuron types relative to mouse that characterizes the greater complexity of the human neocortex.

A proximity labelling-based approach for mapping nuclear protein–protein interactions is described that could advance epigenetic drug discovery.

The functions of the highly reduced mitochondria (mitosomes) of microsporidians are not well-characterized. Here, the authors show that theTrachipleistophora hominismitosome is the site of iron–sulfur cluster assembly and that its retention is likely linked to its role in cytosolic and nuclear iron–sulfur protein maturation.

Specific neurons in the fly brain that are activated when males are aroused modulate visual processing to underlie courtship.

A citizen-science approach is used to map the vaginal microbiome of 3,345 women and identify associations with health, life-course and lifestyle factors.

Many current immunoassays require multiple washing, incubation and optimization steps. Here the authors present Ratiometric Plug-and-Play Immunodiagnostics (RAPPID), a generic assay platform that uses ratiometric bioluminescent detection to allow sandwich immunoassays to be performed directly in solution.

A reanalysis of the Voyager 2 flyby of Uranus shows that it occurred during an extreme compression of the planet’s magnetosphere by the upstream solar wind. This would have had significant effects on the measurements made during the flyby.

Sera from vaccinated individuals and some monoclonal antibodies show a modest reduction in neutralizing activity against the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2; but the E484K substitution leads to a considerable loss of neutralizing activity.

A new 'metal mimic' mutagenesis approach that captures a T5 flap endonuclease complex with an intact DNA substrate provides structural evidence that the single-stranded 5′ flap generated by Okazaki-fragment synthesis threads through the flap endonuclease enzyme.

A new culture system makes it possible to grow mouse embryos and study their development outside the uterus up to the point of late organogenesis.

Volatile aldehydes can be enriched in esophageal adenocarcinoma patients’ breath. Here, the authors reveal corresponding metabolic changes in EAC tumours, which may be caused by impaired detoxification of endogenous metabolites.

Small molecules stabilising a distorted TNF trimer can inhibit TNF signaling, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. Here, the authors characterize the inhibitor-bound TNF-receptor complex structurally and biochemically, showing that the inhibitors alter TNF-receptor binding stoichiometry and cluster formation.

Cryo-EM structures of human DNA-dependent protein kinase in intermediate and active states reveal the molecular mechanism of the allosteric activation of the atypical kinase complex, explaining why it is DNA dependent.

Copy number signatures characterize different types of chromosomal instability and predict drug response.

This study introduces a method utilizing homotrimeric nucleotide blocks to achieve accurate counts of RNA molecules in both bulk and single-cell sequencing data.

A dark-matter filament connecting the galaxy clusters Abell 222 and Abell 223 has been detected from its weak gravitational lensing signal.

Local microbiome composition influences treatment efficacy of chemotherapy in colon cancer via modulation of tolerogenic versus immunogenic ileal intestinal epithelial cell death, which in turn influences follicular helper T cell priming.

Bicyclic peptides can inhibit biological targets hard to address with small molecules. Here, the authors combine two orthogonal ring-closing reactions to produce bicyclic peptides with improved bioactivity thereby providing a strategy that can greatly improve the structural diversity of such peptides.

From 1980 to 2018, the levels of total and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased in low- and middle-income countries, especially in east and southeast Asia, and decreased in high-income western countries, especially those in northwestern Europe, and in central and eastern Europe.

Analyses of phenotypic variety in Fungi show that fungal body plans diversified episodically over time and appear distinct because of the extinction of intermediate forms, similar to what has been described in animals.

Coincidence detection is a fundamental neural operation, developed to an extreme in the computation of interaural time differences for sound localization. This study utilizes intracellular in vivo recordings and pharmacological manipulations in the medial superior olive of Mongolian gerbil to reveal that maximal coincidence is not just determined by the timing of synaptic inputs, but also by intrinsic neural properties.

Structure-guided peptide phage display combined with activity-based sorting results in the identification of zymogen activator peptides (ZAPtides) that selectively bind and activate the serine protease–like pro-HGF zymogen to promote Met signaling.

Coordinated programs of gene expression drive brain development. Here, the authors use human embryonic stem cells and foetal cortical tissue as well as available GWAS statistics and analysis of genetic variants associated with neuropsychiatric disorders and cognition revealing a convergence on transcriptional programs regulating excitatory cortical neurogenesis.

Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia is characterised by a range of genetic aberrations. Here, the authors use multi-omics profiling of ALL cell lines to connect molecular phenotypes and drug responses to provide an interactive resource of drug sensitivity.

A multimodal atlas of retinal organoid development shows spatial interactions over time.

Tandem solar cell structures combine high- and low-bandgap materials, allowing a broader spectral absorption of solar radiation. The authors report the synthesis of a high performance low-bandgap polymer which enables fabrication of a tandem solar cell with a certified power conversion efficiency of 10.6%.

Lead halide perovskites are developed for a number of optoelectronic applications. Here, Cho et al. use a thermal gradient to achieve directional crystallization of methyl ammonium lead iodide films. The periodic microarrays exhibit anisotropic charge transport properties.