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Highly potent neutralizing nanobodies (Nbs) are of great interest as potential COVID-19 therapeutics. Here, the authors show that potent neutralizing Nbs targeting the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein are also effective against convergent variants of concern of the virus. They determine eight Nb-bound spike protein cryo-EM structures, classify the binding epitopes of the Nbs and discuss their neutralization mechanisms.

Using an electrolyte micro-emulsion strategy, a lithium anode and high-voltage cathode can be simultaneously stabilized by liquid–liquid interfacial tension to achieve high-energy-density lithium-metal batteries.

In animals, H3K4me1 marks enhancers. Here the authors show that in land plants H3K4me1 is recognized by a specific reader protein, which interacts with an H3K36 methyltransferase, to direct the establishment of H3K36me2 and H3K36me3.

The antiangiogenic agent apatinib has been shown to clinically improve responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors in several cancer types. Here the authors report the results of a phase II clinical trial of camrelizumab (anti-PD1) and apatinib plus induction chemotherapy and concurrent chemoradiotherapy in stage N3 nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

A cryo-EM structure of amyloid fibrils formed in vitro with recombinant human PrP provides insights into fibril architecture and the potential role of disease mutations.

Stem cells are highly resistant to viral infection, irrespective of any interferon response. Here the authors discover that VAMP5 as a potent cell-autonomous defense factor protects ESCs from various viruses’ infection, including SARS-CoV-2 by interacting with RNA replication complexes to defend against viral infection.

Rare-earth permanent magnets are engineered with a complex microstructure of composition and phase, grains and grain boundaries, and it is this complex structure which leads to the magnetic performance. Here, Giron and coauthors, through thorough microstructural analysis, demonstrate that the grain microstructure, not grain boundaries, are primarily responsible for optimal magnetic properties.

Natural deep-mantle peridotites from eastern China reveal Fe-Ni alloys and Fe³⁺-rich olivine, providing direct evidence of iron disproportionation and slab recycling from the mantle transition zone beneath the eastern Asia big mantle wedge.

The authors propose a strategy of embedding ultra-weak polar regions in the strong polar fluctuation matrix in (Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3-based lead-free ceramics to achieve substantial enhancements of energy storage properties.

Shape-memory materials hold great potential for actuators and aims to improve them focus on increasing the maximum strain that they exhibit in response to a stimulus. Here the authors demonstrate a large shape-memory effect in bismuth ferrite, observing a maximum strain of up to 14%.

Here, the authors reveal progressive conformational changes of α-synuclein fibrils upon binding with polysaccharide heparin, suggesting that biopolymers have a crucial role in remodeling the structures and pathological activities of amyloid fibrils.

Catalytic asymmetric click reactions of azides and alkynes for chiral triazole synthesis remains a challenge, due to the limited catalytic systems and substrate scope. Herein, the authors report the enantioselective azidation/click cascade reaction of N-propargyl-β-ketoamides via copper catalysis, affording a variety of chiral 1,2,3-triazoles.

In this work, Urem et al. characterize the mode of action as well as mechanism of reduced susceptibility related to a class of antimicrobials that is in development for the treatment of infections with Gram-positive pathogens.

Hydrogen gas can drive detachment of protective surface oxides from metal substrates and this process is accelerated at moderately elevated temperatures relevant to applications. Here the authors use environmental transmission electron microscopy to monitor associated void coalescence processes and clarify roles that diffusion and hydrogen-vacancy complexes play.

Coal is widely used for energy generation, but has not been considered for possible functional materials. Here, the authors report the one-step formation of graphene quantum dots from coal at yields of up to 20%, which is advantageous when compared with their syntheses from sp²-type carbon structures.

Maturation of functional eggs in mammalian follicles is crucial for ovarian physiology. Here, Biswas et al. report that compressive stress by contractile theca cells or extrinsic perturbations can impact overall follicle mechanics, somatic cell signalling and functional growth of follicles, revealing insights into follicle mechanosensing and biophysical control of ovarian biology.

An interface modification strategy has been developed to uniformly distribute high-density sub-10 nm coherent MgO particles in an Al matrix, resulting in high strength and creep resistance at temperatures up to 500 °C.

Chen et al. show that redox signals activate ADAR1 to fix faulty RNA pieces during DNA copying, ensuring smooth replication and protecting genome stability.

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.

Integrative analyses of transcriptome and whole-genome sequencing data for 1,188 tumours across 27 types of cancer are used to provide a comprehensive catalogue of RNA-level alterations in cancer.

DNA nanostructures of increasing complexity have been designed using scaffolded origami or single-stranded tiles and bricks. Here the authors demonstrate the construction of complex structures using a wireframe approach that overcomes limitations of using scaffolding.

A direct correlation between the monolayer Pt nanocluster size and the number of interfacial perimeters on Pt/α-MoC_1-x catalysts was established by combining sacrificial CO adsorption per Pt atom, DFT calculations, and CO chemisorption measurements.

Single-crystal metal foils with high-index facets are promising for 2D epitaxy, catalysis and electronics, however fast and deterministic preparation is challenging. Here authors selectively activate the abnormal growth of high-index facets, thus realising the deterministic preparation of single-crystal Cu, Ni and Au foils with high-index facets.

By combining a deep mutational scanning strategy with molecular modelling, electron microscopy as well as cellular and biochemical approaches, the authors identify key amino acids in the C-terminal domain of the Zika virus envelope protein (E) that regulate viral replication in mosquito and human cells.

An inverse design strategy is reported for the organization of nanoscale matter using DNA-programmable bonds and the fabrication of hierarchically ordered 3D assemblies.

AFM measurements of peptoids assembling into sheets and networks show that the crystallization mechanism is determined by the molecular structure, where the addition of a hydrophobic segment alters the crystal formation process into a two-step pathway.

DNA demethylation enzyme TET1 is a known oncogene in leukemia. Here, the authors discover that TET1 is involved in GPX4-dependent and -independent ferroptosis in acute myeloid leukemia via the regulation of GSH synthesis enzyme GCLC and BH4 synthesis enzyme GCH1.

Optical heterostructures have potential in integrated photonics and optoelectronics but are challenging to prepare in single-component systems. Here, the authors report an intrinsic optical heterostructure in an organic nanosheet, with enhanced fluorescence in an inner zone.

Metastatic cancer cells rely on metabolic flexibility to survive. Here, the authors show that metastatic breast cancer cells use lactate for mitochondrial oxidation via the CD147/MCT1/LDHB complex to sustain stemness and promote metastasis.

Hypersonic and aerospace applications motivate development of materials with improved resistance against ablation and oxidation at high temperatures. Here authors demonstrate a quaternary carbide, where sealing by surface oxides, slow oxygen diffusion and a graded structure yield improved ablation resistance over established ceramics.

Body-centred cubic metals rarely show twinning during deformation. Here, the authors use high resolution transmission electron microscopy to show tungsten, a body-centred cubic metal, spontaneously undergoes detwinning when unloaded.

The question for the structure-reactivity relationship of cobalt-based catalysts for the carbon monoxide hydrogenation is as old as the reaction itself. Here the authors show kinetic hysteresis for a potassium-promoted cobalt-manganese oxide catalyst to be driven by the Co-Co₂C phase transition.

A template-assisted route inspired by coordinating etching was utilized for the synthesis of noble metal-free, ternary through octonary, hollow HEO nanocubes through optimization of the coordinating etchant and reaction conditions.

Si-based all-solid-state batteries face application challenges due to the requirement of high external pressure. Here, authors prepare a double-layered Si-based electrode by cold-pressing and electrochemical sintering that enables all-solid-state batteries operating free from external pressure.

Here the authors present a methodical cryo-EM analysis to show how a T4 bacteriophage gp41 helicase hexamer and a gp61 primase assemble with a template-primer into an active primosome.

Visible light-induced glycosylation reactions are achieved by either photoactivating a photosensitizer or using a stoichiometric activator, while glycosylation via a photoactive glycosyl donor was so far not reported. In this study, the authors develop a photosensitizer free visible-light-mediated glycosylation approach using photoactive 2-glycosyloxy tropone as the donor, obtaining a wide range of O-glycosides or oligosaccharides.

The area of catalytic dehydrogenation is largely dominated using precious metals. Here the authors introduce a new class of more affordable Co-based catalysts, where highly dispersed single-metal sites work synergistically with small, well-defined nanoparticles to enable efficient formic acid dehydrogenation

There is a long-standing trade-off between piezoelectric coefficient and mechanical quality factor for piezoceramics. Here, authors embed local defect dipoles into phase boundary engineering to relieve this relationship in (K, Na) NbO3 piezoceramics.

A strategy based on the design of a composite coating that enables slip-enhanced close-contact melting inside sealed phase-change thermal batteries to improve charging rates enables high-performance thermal energy storage over a wide range of temperatures.

Confining high-entropy nanoparticles in molecular sieves enhances catalytic performance but lacks scalable synthesis methods. This study presents a versatile quenching strategy, producing uniform HE-NPs@MSs with high propane dehydrogenation activity.

Inorganic molecular crystal films of antimony trioxide can be fabricated using thermal evaporation deposition and used as a van der Waals dielectric in molybdenum disulfide field-effect transistors.

Bacteria of the genus Streptomyces have complex life cycles involving cellular differentiation and multicellular structures that have never been observed in archaea. Here, the authors show that several halophilic archaea display a life cycle resembling that of Streptomyces bacteria, undergoing cellular differentiation into mycelia and spores.

Targeted multielement substitution of a lead-free relaxor ferroelectric perovskite distorts the lattice structure and induces strong polar disorder, leading to high-polar-entropy ferroelectric oxides with a high electrocaloric effect and long lifetime.

Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) uses the very low-density lipoprotein receptor (VLDLR) to infect cells of different species. This study finds that the ecto LA repeats of VLDLR binds EEEV at three distinct sites, generating multiple different binding modes that facilitate the cross-species transmission of EEEV.

Bi₂Te₃ materials suffer from brittleness, limiting their application for thermoelectric harvesting. By depositing ordered nanocrystals onto single-wall carbon nanotubes, a flexible material is formed that achieves ZT of 0.89 at room temperature.

Here, Lu and co-workers show the synthesis of high-quality, nitrogen-doped, mesoporous graphene particles using CVD with MgO as the catalyst and template. When used as the anode for a lithium ion battery, their unique architecture allows for excellent rate performance and cycling stability.