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Converting atmospheric nitrogen (N2) to ammonia (NH3) is challenging. Here, the authors develop a photoelectrochemical biohybrid system for fixing N2 into NH3, which consists of Cu2O/TiO2 nanowires and the N2-fixing diazotroph Azotobacter vinelandii.

A reinforcement learning-based virtual reality system, implementing a series of sport sessions with coaching, was as effective as standard physical activity in reducing fat mass in adolescents, with positive effects on cognition.

Zhang et al. show that YAP binds to TDP-43 to promote TDP-43 multimerization and phase separation. YAP and TDP-43 may co-localize in multiple cell types in oxidative stress and in brain samples from individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen that causes nosocomial and community-acquired infections. Here, the authors determine that human neutrophil α-defensin HNP1 can promote A. baumannii biofilm formation.

Study shows PTSD predisposition shares distinct genes and genomic regions with several cardiovascular conditions. Here the findings reveal neuronal, immune, and metabolic pathways, and repurposed drug targets that further the understanding of the comorbidity.

Castleman disease encompasses a group of disorders characterised by abnormal lymph node morphology. Here the authors use single cell and spatial transcriptomics to assess the stromal, immune and interaction architecture of different subtypes of Castleman disease, indicating potential ligand-receptor interactions between immune cells.

This study demonstrates how the mesostructure of nanoporous carbon electrodes influences ion dynamics, providing mechanistic insights and strategies for the technological advancement of fast-charging electrochemical energy storage systems.

Shi and colleagues present a spatial microfluidic holographic integrated platform for label-free, high-dimensional analysis of cancer heterogeneity, achieving very high accuracy in classifying cancer types, breast cancer subtypes, and blood cells.

Capturing and separating perfluorinated gases is critical due to their environmental concerns. However, microporous adsorbents show slow mass transfer within micropores limiting their performance in applications. Here, the authors report fluorinated mesoporous covalent organic frameworks for the storage of octafluoropropane and perfluorocyclobutane and separation from other gases mixtures.

Fan et al. show that cTAGE5 is essential for adipogenesis and adipose tissue development. Mechanistically, cTAGE5 promotes pro-insulin receptor processing, which mediates actin cytoskeleton remodeling and lipolysis during the adipocyte differentiation.

Using two cohorts, Liu, Ge, Xiao, Lu and colleagues perform plasma metabolomics and lipidomics, linking reduced sarcosine to sarcopenia diagnosis. In mice, they demonstrate that sarcosine enhances muscle repair, boosts adipose thermogenesis and preserves muscle mass via macrophage modulation.

The powdery mildew resistance of the MLIW170/PM26 locus, which originated from wild emmer wheat, is determined by a genetically linked atypical NLR gene pair, TdCNL1 and TdCNL5, with TdCNL1 encoding an atypical nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat protein integrating a potassium-dependent sodium-calcium exchanger ___domain.

DeepRETStroke is a deep learning system using retinal photographs to detect silent brain infarction and predict future stroke events.

R9AP is a key receptor for entry of Epstein–Barr virus into human epithelial and B cells, and interacts directly with the viral glycoprotein gH/gL complex to mediate virus–host membrane fusion.

Chronic care manages long-term, progressive conditions, while acute care handles short-term ones. Here, authors show chronic conditions account for most of the global health burden, with 68% of DALYs and 93% of YLDs attributed to chronic care needs.

A nanobody was identified that targets the N-terminal fragment of the adhesion G-protein-coupled receptor ADGRG2, allosterically enhances activation by the natural agonist dehydroepiandrosterone and restores signaling in mutant receptors.

A combination of metagenomic data from experimental and natural warming with microbial culturing experiments shows that warming increases the potential of evolution of antibiotic resistance in soil bacteria.

Efficient adenine base editors for mitochondrial DNA are achieved with evolved TadA deaminases.

The first outbreaks of mpox outside Africa in 2022 were caused by clade II but cases of a new clade Ib have been increasing in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring countries since 2024. Here, the authors describe a case report and public health investigation of the first detected case of mpox clade Ib in China.

Two types of amyloid-β protein (1–42) (Aβ₄₂) fibrils are known to form in the insoluble fraction of diseased human brains. Now, another type of Aβ₄₂ fibril (type III) has been identified in the soluble fraction of Alzheimer’s disease brain using cryo-electron microscopy. These studies also reveal differences in ligand–fibril interactions between fibril types.

Worldwide, the number of only-child families is increasing. This research examines how growing up without siblings affects adult brain structure, function and connectivity, cognition, personality and mental health.

First-instar orchid mantis nymphs avoid predators by mimicking black-red assassin bugs, whereas those in later instars avoid predators and attract prey by camouflaging themselves as lighter-coloured flowers. Here the authors use developmental transcriptomics, evolutionary genomics and predation experiments to reveal that this ontogenetic colour change is regulated by a pigment transporter called Redboy that emerged in Polyneoptera 284–197 million years ago.

Polygenic risk scores for Alzheimer’s disease derived from individuals of European ancestry can show improved performance in multiancestry settings after incorporating genome-wide association summary statistics from diverse populations.

Organic phosphorescence materials offer advantages for bioimaging applications, but most of them are excited exclusively by ultraviolet light, which poses risks to living organisms. Here, the author report doped materials with white-light activated phosphorescence activity, and a bioimaging mode in which these phosphorescent materials are first concentrated within the organism and then excited.

High mobility group A1 (HMGA1) has been identified to play a role in tumour progression but its involvement in anti-tumour immunity of esophagael squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unclear. Here the authors report that the inhibition of STING-mediated anti-tumour immunity by HMGA1 results in promotion of ESCC tumorigenesis.

Socioeconomic status is multidimensional and can change over time. Xu, Lui, Ji et al. found dimension-specific, late-stage-specific and change-specific socioeconomic effects on brain, cognition, personality and emotion.

It is challenging to purify and prepare large amount of methacrylated proteins from cells. Here, the authors develop genetic code expansion technology to site-specifically incorporate ε-N-Methacryllysine into proteins and identify the post-translational modification ε-N-methyl-ε-N-methacrylation.

Cyclic and mirror-image variants of de novo-designed proteins effectively bind and clear small-molecule drugs in vivo in less than 30 min, highlighting the applicability of computational tools to produce protein antidotes.

A gene-edited pig liver transplanted into a human recipient remains functional after 10 days and indicates that porcine organs could help meet the growing demand for liver transplants.

Spontaneous parthenogenesis in sunflower has been used to develop a scalable doubled haploid breeding system.

The mechanism of HIV-1 latency reversal remains unclear. The authors suggest that PRMT3 drives the reversal by enhancing chromatin accessibility to form a transcriptional hub containing TEAD4 and P-TEFb at the viral promoter.

The genomic epidemiology of Acinetobacter baumannii, which is rising in virulence and multidrug resistance, was explored. This study examined bloodstream infection isolates from Chinese patients in 2011–2021, revealing increased genetic diversity and dominance of highly virulent ST208.

The role of germline variation in cancer remains underexplored. Here, the authors investigate the landscape of germline structural variants on tumour DNA methylation across pediatric brain and central nervous system tumour patients and suggest disease implications.

A light-inducible RNA base editor fine-tunes gene expression for therapeutics.

Mutations in the TP53 gene are linked to cancer progression and drug resistance. Here, the authors show that mutant p53 inhibits stress granule formation, leading to increased apoptosis and enhanced sensitivity to the ER stress-inducing chemotherapy drug sorafenib in preclinical models of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Liu and colleagues examine how severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 variants evade CD8⁺ T cell epitope recognition.

Here, the authors leverage whole-genome sequencing from >88,000 diverse individuals to uncover 18 BMI-related genetic signals, including novel variants in participants of African genetic ancestry, highlighting the value of diversity in genetic discovery.

Covalent organic framework membranes have shown great potential for liquid-phase molecular separations in recent years; however, non-standardized reporting hinders further progress. This Comment proposes best practices to enhance reproducibility, scalability and future industrial applications in the field, covering membrane synthesis, characterization and performance evaluation.