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Students are turning to generative AI chatbots like ChatGPT to support their physics learning. Here, I examine one student’s interactions with ChatGPT on an exam recuperation assignment and the student’s reflections on the process.

Hypoglycemia is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition for people with insulin dependent diabetes, but preventative hypoglycemia therapies are elusive. Here, the authors report the use of catechol and boronic acid chemistry to design a self-crosslinkable hydrogel-based microneedle patch that delivers Zinc-Glucagon at low glucose levels and prevents insulin-induced hypoglycemia.

Cryo-EM structures of the E2 envelope glycoprotein of hepatitis C virus (HCV) bound to antibodies from infected individuals reveal a new neutralizing epitope to target for HCV vaccine development

The theory-guided synthesis of a tungsten-based W₂TiC₂T_x MXene from a non-MAX nanolaminated ternary carbide (W,Ti)₄C_4−y is reported. The tungsten-rich basal plane of the W₂TiC₂T_x MXene is then examined for the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction using a combined experimental and theoretical approach.

A photonic processor capable of running advanced artificial intelligence models with near-electronic precision is introduced, marking a substantial step towards post-transistor computing technologies.

Somatic mutations within antibody framework regions (FWR) can alter structural flexibility, but their role in maturation of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) is unclear. Here the authors show how FWR mutations impact interdomain conformational flexibility and paratope plasticity during bnAb development.

Caveolae in arteriolar endothelial cells—but not those in neighbouring smooth muscle cells—have a key role in neurovascular coupling, an essential function for meeting acute brain energy demand.

The cryo-EM structure of Mycobacterium smegmatis arabinosyltransferase B EmbB involved in mycobacterial cell wall biosynthesis provides insights into the substrate binding and reaction mechanism. Mapping of the ethambutol resistance associated mutations onto the structure suggests the ___location of the drug binding site.

Here the authors report genome-wide profiling of tRNA modifications using Induro-tRNAseq and uncover coordinated changes across cell types and tissues that underlie the basis of protein homeostasis.

The effect of defects on MXene structural transitions in high-temperature environments is shown. Further, defect occupied alkali cations are shown to improve MXenes’ phase stability and control surface diffusion related phase changes.

The design of efficient and stable oxygen evolution catalysts has implications for water splitting and metal-air battery technology. Here, the authors fabricate double perovskite nanofibers and demonstrate the favourable effects of co-doping and nanostructuring on oxygen evolution performance.

The structure of the GLP-1 receptor complexed with its ligand offers insight into the mechanism of class B G-protein-coupled receptor activation.

The photosynthetic production of oxygen in the ocean is thought to have begun at least 2.7 billion years ago. The geochemistry of marine sediments deposited 2.6 billion years ago suggests that ocean margins were oxygenated at least 100 million years before the first significant increase in atmospheric oxygen concentrations.

C-fibre polymodal nociceptors in primates have been classified into two groups based on their sensitivity to mechanical stimuli. Here, Wooten et al.describe how the differences in the response speed of the receptors to stimuli suggest that these should be considered as three separate groups.

A general protein language model guides protein evolution with 20 or fewer variants needed for testing.

Synthetic globular polymers of several million molecular weight are expected to exhibit unique properties but are difficult to synthesize. Here the authors synthesize such dendritic polymers that show unique lubrication properties and act as molecular ball bearings due to their 3D compact structure, size, solubility, hydration and low intrinsic viscosities.

The crystal structure of the GP1–GP2 complex of the prototypical arenavirus LCMV in prefusion form sheds light on the conformational changes that the arenavirus glycoprotein undergoes to cause fusion.

Rhesus macaque TRIMCyp (RhTC) is a potent antiviral that inhibits the replication of diverse HIV viruses. New studies reveal that RhTC has evolved to become conformationally dynamic, and that RhTC can be engineered to switch from a single conformation that can target only HIV-1 to a dynamic state that can target multiple viral strains.

Joint lubrication is important for minimizing friction between articulating joint surfaces and for preventing cartilage wear that can otherwise exacerbate osteoarthritis. This Review examines the advantages and disadvantages of various strategies for restoring normal joint lubrication.

Pre-intercalation with alkali-metal ions is attractive for accessing higher reversible capacity and improved rate performance in Li-ion batteries. Topochemical single-crystal transformations in a tunnel-structured positive electrode are used to clarify the effect of pre-intercalation in modifying the host lattice and altering diffusion pathways.

OligoFISSEQ combines Oligopaints with fluorescence in situ sequencing to enable the 3D mapping of many regions across the genome in human cells to interrogate genome organization at improved genomic resolution. OligoFISSEQ is compatible with immunochemistry and OligoSTORM for super-resolution imaging.

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.

Cofactor F₄₂₀ plays crucial roles in bacterial and archaeal metabolism, but its biosynthetic pathway is not fully understood. Here, the authors present the structure of one of the enzymes and provide experimental evidence for a substantial revision of the pathway, including the identification of a new intermediate.

A design pipeline is presented whereby binding proteins can be designed de novo without the need for prior information on binding hotspots or fragments from structures of complexes with binding partners.

Sea otters recolonizing an estuary in California indirectly reduce erosion by reducing burrowing crab abundance, suggesting that restoring predators could be a key mechanism to improve the stability of coastal wetlands and other ecosystems.

Modification of the internal and external surface chemistry of microporous zeolite and metal–organic framework nanocrystals leads to a generalizable strategy to aqueous porous liquids and impart high gas-carrying capacities to liquid water.

The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) is a regulator of plant growth, development and responses to environmental stresses. Recently, the PYR/PYL/RCAR family of START proteins was found to bind ABA and mediate inactivation of downstream effectors. The crystal structures of apo and ABA-bound receptors as well as a ternary PYL2–ABA–PP2C complex is now reported and analysed, revealing a gate–latch–lock mechanism underlying ABA signalling.

A small community of scientists has taken a do-it-yourself approach to microscopy: when the right tool for the job doesn’t exist, make it.