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Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) establishes chronic infection in human, but the underlying mechanistic insights are lacking. Here the authors use single cell RNA and TCR sequencing to profile peripheral blood and mucosal cells from infected patients to report alterations in macrophage differentiation and T cell gene signature that may contribute to persisting H. pylori infection.

A genome-wide association meta-analysis study of blood lipid levels in roughly 1.6 million individuals demonstrates the gain of power attained when diverse ancestries are included to improve fine-mapping and polygenic score generation, with gains in locus discovery related to sample size.

It is extremely difficult to separate tritium from radioactively contaminated water. Here the authors introduce catalytic hydrogen isotope exchange to water distillation, realizing excellent detritiation performance.

Oxidative stress contributes significantly to postmenopausal osteoporosis by impairing osteoblast function, but its precise mechanisms remain unclear. Here, the authors show that estrogen deficiency reduces GPX4 expression, leading to phospholipid peroxidation that impairs osteoblastogenesis, while GPX4 activators including 6- and 8-Gingerols can mitigate these effects.

Developing tactile sensors that can interact with the environment and withstand mechanical stress is challenging. Here, the authors introduce a flexible tactile sensor inspired by insect antennae, enhancing robotic manipulation, navigation, and environmental recognition.

Small size, precise steering, and visualized functional treatment are crucial for robotic interventional diagnosis and treatment. Here, the authors introduce a fiberscopic robot which integrates maneuvering, imaging, and biomedical operation abilities in the sub-millimeter scale

A scenario analysis explores how China, the largest global aquaculture producer, can boost food production, reduce eutrophication and lower carbon dioxide emissions by adjusting growth rates and supporting structural transformations of different aquaculture production systems.

A recombinant vaccine that targets the receptor-binding ___domain of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 induces a potent antibody response in immunized mice, rabbits and non-human primates, and protects primates from infection with the virus.

An analysis of 24,202 critical cases of COVID-19 identifies potentially druggable targets in inflammatory signalling (JAK1), monocyte–macrophage activation and endothelial permeability (PDE4A), immunometabolism (SLC2A5 and AK5), and host factors required for viral entry and replication (TMPRSS2 and RAB2A).

Inbreeding depression has been observed in many different species, but in humans a systematic analysis has been difficult so far. Here, analysing more than 1.3 million individuals, the authors show that a genomic inbreeding coefficient (FROH) is associated with disadvantageous outcomes in 32 out of 100 traits tested.

The ectoenzyme CD73 is often elevated in tumour environments and targeting this protein is a tumour therapeutic target. Here the authors characterise a therapeutic anti-CD73 antibody cocktail which is more effective than either antibody alone and suggest a molecular mechanism of how this antibody cocktail functions.

The authors develop a deep learning framework for 3D ligand pharmacophore mapping, enabling binding pose prediction, lead discovery, and target fishing. Using this approach, they identify structurally different inhibitors for human glutaminyl cyclases.

Strong magnetic interfacial coupling in van der Waals heterostructures provides a new platform for discovering novel physics and effects. Here, the authors report the formation of skyrmion lattice in the WTe₂/Fe₃GeTe₂ van der Waals heterostructure and a Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction with a large energy density of 1.0 mJm⁻².

Despite the significance of mosquitos for human health, little research has focused on their phylogeny. Here, the authors present a resolved phylogenetic history of mosquitoes based on phylogenomics showing that these major disease vectors radiated coincidentally with geologic events and the diversification of their hosts.

β-Branched aromatic α-amino acids are valuable building blocks in natural products and pharmaceutically active compounds, but their synthesis is challenging due to the presence of two stereocenters. Here, the authors design phenylalanine ammonia lyases variants for the direct asymmetric synthesis of β-branched aromatic α-amino acids and reveal the reasons for enzyme’s inability to accept β-methyl cinnamic acid.

A meta-transcriptomic analysis of the viromes of 2,438 mosquitoes of 81 species from across China identifies geographic hotspots of mosquito virus diversity, links between mosquito virome composition and host phylogeny, and a suggestion of long-distance mosquito dispersal.

Viral diversity and abundance in bats are incompletely understood. Here, analyzing individual bat viromes, the authors observe a high frequency of co-infection and spillover among the animals and identify viruses with the potential to infect humans or livestock.

A genome-wide association study of critically ill patients with COVID-19 identifies genetic signals that relate to important host antiviral defence mechanisms and mediators of inflammatory organ damage that may be targeted by repurposing drug treatments.

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.

Topological terms arise naturally in gauge theories but have been difficult to implement in quantum simulators. Now, a tunable topological θ-angle is demonstrated with a cold-atom platform.

A large number of marketed drugs contains a chiral carboxylic acid scaffold. Here, the authors report the asymmetric hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids to α-chiral carboxylic acids using a cobalt catalyst bearing an electron-donating chiral diphosphine ligand.

Eliminating the substrate-specific constraints in alkene hydroalkylation reactions, where heteroatom-containing substrates are often required to achieve enantioselectivity, remains a challenge. Now a cobalt-hydride catalyst is shown to overcome heteroatom constraints through C–H···π interactions between substrates and catalysts, enabling the efficient construction of chiral tertiary carbon centres at the benzyl position.

Chinese breast cancer patients have not been well represented in clinical sequencing studies. Here the authors analyse the mutational landscape of 1,134 Chinese breast cancer patients, finding actionable targets and a higher prevalence of p53 and Hippo pathway mutations compared to Western cohorts.

Based on a newly developed deep-learning model for predicting the binding affinities of protein–protein interactions, the effects of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein variants on binding to the ACE2 receptor and neutralizing antibodies were analyzed and used to predict immune escape and viral evolution.

The therapeutic approaches directly targeting activated β-catenin in liver cancers are restricted by toxicities. Here the authors identify that the solute carrier transporter SLC13A3 is upregulated by activation of β-catenin and silencing of SLC13A3 induces ferroptosis, which could be exploited as a therapeutic opportunity in β-catenin-driven liver cancers.

Cyprinids fish species contain multiple subgenomes as a result of past duplications. Here, Xu et al. report new genomes of 21 cyprinid fish and conclude that observed subgenome dominance patterns are likely due to both maternal dominance and transposable element densities in each polyploid.

A trans-ancestry meta-analysis of GWAS of glycemic traits in up to 281,416 individuals identifies 99 novel loci, of which one quarter was found due to the multi-ancestry approach, which also improves fine-mapping of credible variant sets.

The essential nutrient magnesium is mainly stored in the plant vacuole. Arabidopsis proteins identified by homology to a yeast Mg transporter mediate vacuolar Mg sequestration.

Although the role of FGFs in cardiovascular disease has attracted extensive attention, the potential role of FGF18 in pathological cardiac hypertrophy remains unknown. Here, the authors show the cardioprotective effect of FGF18 is mediated by maintaining redox homeostasis through FYN/Nox4 signaling.

The mechanism of parturition initiation remains elusive. Here, authors show that epithelium is an underestimated site for parturition initiation via epithelial PGF2a regulated by SHP2-COX1/COX2.

Climate models typically predict an increase in Indian summer monsoon rainfall with anthropogenic warming. Correcting for precipitation biases in the tropical western Pacific using an emergent constraint methodology, however, reduces the magnitude of these increases by ∼50%.

Pollen tube growth is guided towards ovules. Here the authors show that a bHLH transcriptional factor CsALC functions in pollen tube emergence towards ovules to regulate female fertility in cucumber and promotes the expression of two rapid alkalinization factors CsRALF4/19 in the ovary.

Here, the authors report 5 loci interacting with smoking/alcohol for serum lipids using a new method akin to Mendelian randomization. They unveil significant heritability through gene-environment interaction and mediation, enhancing understanding of complex trait genetics.

The Drosophila R8 photoreceptor separates signals for image perception and circadian photoentrainment by co-releasing histamine and acetylcholine, and this segregation is further established in the postsynaptic circuitry in the medulla.

The central circadian clock in Drosophila is made up of ~ 150 anatomically distributed neurons; the circuits underlying photoentrainment is unclear. This study describes ex vivo patch-clamp recording of the eye-mediated light response of all known circadian clock neurons, and shows that they are organized in parallel circuits centered around a hub.

The solid-electrolyte interphase is crucial for most batteries, but its characterization is challenging. Here, authors develop a depth-sensitive plasmon-enhanced Raman spectroscopy method to enable in-situ and nondestructive resolving of its structure and chemistry as well as formation mechanisms.

Variation and evolution of DNA methylation during maize domestication remain largely unknown. Here, the authors generate genome and methylome sequencing data as well as HiChIP-based interactome data to investigate the adaptive and phenotypic consequences of methylation variations in maize.

Cognitive function is associated with health and important life outcomes. Here, the authors perform a genome-wide association study for general cognitive function in 300,486 individuals and identify genetic loci that implicate neural and cell developmental pathways in this trait.

Recently, the theory of Hawking radiation of a black hole has been tested in several analogue platforms. Shi et al. report a fermionic-lattice model realization of an analogue black hole using a chain of superconducting transmon qubits with tuneable couplers and show the stimulated Hawking radiation.

The second messenger cAMP modulates a wide range of important biological processes. Here, the authors developed a fluorescent indicator termed G-Flamp1, which can accurately report levels of cAMP in living cells.

This Review explores the state-of-the-art applications of artificial intelligence in small-molecule drug development, from target identification and drug synthesis up to clinical trial design and conduct.

Hurricanes in the Earth’s low atmosphere are known, but not detected in the upper atmosphere earlier. Here, the authors show a long-lasting hurricane in the polar ionosphere and magnetosphere with large energy and momentum deposition despite otherwise extremely quiet conditions.