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Complex traits present challenges for gene mapping and molecular characterization. Here, the authors develop a 16-generation intercross line of chickens to explore the genetic architecture of complex traits in chicken.

Negative regulator of thermotolerance 1 (NAT1) is identified as a negative regulator of thermotolerance in rice through the NAT1–bHLH110–CER1/CER1L module. Modifying NAT1 by targeted gene editing increases wax deposition and enhances thermotolerance in rice.

The effects of non-reacting components on polyatomic reactions are still largely unclear. Here, the authors show through a combined experimental and theoretical study of the D + CH₄ reaction that the CH₃ umbrella bending mode serves as a reporter mode, revealing how the D atom dynamically approaches CH₄.

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.

He and colleagues develop LucaOne, a biological foundation model pre-trained on nucleic acid and protein sequences from 169,861 species. It shows an emerging understanding of molecular biology’s central dogma, enhancing bioinformatics analysis and helping explore unknown aspects of molecular biology.

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.

How spatial gene expression patterns are orchestrated by enhancers is not fully elucidated. Here the authors present a computational framework called eSpatial revealing a “spatial enhancer code,” where divergent enhancer combinations regulate spatial gene expression during development and diseases.

The role of Leflunomide in αPD1-induced cardiotoxicity remains unclear. Here, the authors show that leflunomide mitigates αPD1-induced cardiac toxicity in melanoma-bearing mice through modulation of the microbiota-indole-3-propionic acid-heart axis.

The burden of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection is exacerbated due to the emergence of antiviral drug resistance and a lack of effective antibodies. Here the authors construct a bispecific nanobody that blocks receptor binding and prevents gD-gH/gL interaction, and show that it protects against HSV-1 and HSV-2 infection in mice.

This study shows how auditory cortex activation and cognitive function develop during a six-month follow-up after gene therapy in children with congenital deafness.

This study characterised the landscapes and changes of RNA m6A in brains of individuals with or without Alzheimer’s disease, and revealed roles of a promoter antisense RNA next to MAPT in neuronal gene regulation that promote neuronal survival.

Water behaves different at interfaces and under confinement compared to the bulk. Here the authors use metadynamics simulations and show that water interfacial reactivity also differs between nanodroplet and thin film confinements due to entropy effects.

Diffusion models have shown promise in content generation, however, like many forms of generative AI, this comes with high computation cost, exacerbated by standard von Neuman computing architectures. Here, Cheng et al present a magnetoelectric memory for in-memory computing and demonstrate diffusion-based image generation on an 80×80 array.

LipidIN is an advanced framework designed for flash platform-independent lipid annotation. Featuring a comprehensive 168.5-million lipid fragment library with the intelligent models, LipidIN improves annotation accuracy, speed, and coverage.

Insights into how the linker histone H1 promotes chromatin alterations and allows repair of DNA damage are described.

Quantum-network protocols based on photon-atom interfaces have stimulated a great demand for single-photon sources with narrow bandwidth. Here the authors report the generation of entangled photon pairs with controllable bandwidth and coherence time from a Doppler-broadened hot atomic vapour cell.

Lai et al. present a spatially resolved atlas of human atherosclerotic plaques, revealing cellular heterogeneity and identifying lymphoid structures and their potential functions and implications.

This study uses machine learning to design a coolhouse film that regulates temperature and water evaporation to maximize plant photosynthesis efficiency. The film selectively transmits the sunlight needed for photosynthesis, improving crop yield and survival rates in hot, arid regions.

This study introduces a ChickenGTEx atlas of regulatory variants across 28 tissues and illustrates its utility in deciphering association signals for 39 complex traits in chickens.

Lipid droplets (LDs) and endosomes play crucial roles in cellular processes, yet their interplay is poorly understood. Here, the authors develop an LD-specific probe, AP1-coumarin, and reveal dynamic interactions between LDs and endosomes, regulating lipid homeostasis.

Topochemical polymerization (TCP) emerges as a leading approach for synthesizing single crystalline polymers, but the untapped potential of performing TCP in a liquid medium with solid-state structural fidelity presents unsolved challenges. Here, the authors reveal details of single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformation during the TCP of chiral azaquinodimethane monomers through in situ crystallographic analysis while spotlighting a rare metastable crystalline phase.

Medium-sized-ring compounds are challenging synthetic targets in organic chemistry. Here the authors report an intramolecular dearomative [5 + 4] cycloaddition of naphthalene-derived vinylcyclopropanes to construct these molecules under visible-light irradiation and a proper triplet photosensitizer.

H5N1 avian influenza viruses can be highly pathogenic. Here, the authors show that H5N1 infection leads to increased serum levels of angiotensin II in patients and mice, and that administration of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 ameliorates lung injury in infected mice.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have improved our understanding of the genetic basis of lung adenocarcinoma but known susceptibility variants explain only a small fraction of the familial risk. Here, the authors perform a two-stage GWAS and report 12 novel genetic loci associated with lung adenocarcinoma in East Asians.

How obesity causes cardiac dysfunction is not fully understood. Here, the authors show that a high fat diet inhibits the activity of RabGAP AS160 in the heart, causing pathological metabolic remodeling and altering calcium signaling.

The enzyme cGAS induces innate immune responses upon recognition of cytosolic DNA. Here, using in vitro and in vivo models, the authors identify DNA-PK as a negative regulator of cGAS signalling.

Reversible phase transitions between the β and λ phases of Ti₃O₅ under moderate conditions still remain challenging. Here, the authors report elemental substitution and (001) crystal plane compression strategies to achieve accessible heat storage

Atropisomers with a chiral C-N axis are useful for natural products synthesis and as ligands in asymmetric catalysis. Here, the authors reportt a π-π interaction and dual H-bond concerted control strategy in enantioselective C-H amination affording configurationally stable N-C atropisomers.

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.

The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) regulates a variety of physiological processes in plants. A molecule involved in chlorophyll biosynthesis, the H-subunit of Mg-chelatase functions as an ABA receptor. This interaction controls seed germination and stomatal movement.

Molecular probes that can detect aqueous sulphides could help to elucidate their roles in biological signalling. Qianet al. develop two sulphide-selective fluorescent probes and demonstrate their ability to image free sulphide in living cells.

Li et al. report the sublattice decoupling in Rb₆Re₆S₈I₈ upon compression, in which [Rb₆I₂]⁴⁺ framework can be selectively amorphized while the [Re₆S₈I₆]^4- clusters keep in ordered state, leading to emission-to-photocurrent switching at 15 GPa, which can retain when back to ambient condition.

Kdm2a demethylates H3K36me2 to mediate fast-to-slow-twitch myofiber transition and reshape skeletal muscle metabolic flexibility under metabolic stress conditions.

A quantum microsatellite, with a payload weighing only 23 kilograms, in combination with portable ground stations that weigh merely 100 kilograms, is capable of performing space-to-ground real-time quantum key distribution.

The realization of translucent color organic solar cells with competitive efficiency, visible transparency and hue remains a critical challenge. Here, the authors fabricate translucent organic solar cells with a Fabry–Pérot microcavity optical coupling layer for applications in science and art.

Prenylation is a common step in the synthesis of many natural products, and enantioselective variants require the use of enzymatic catalysts. Now, You and co-workers report a palladium phosphoramidite catalyst capable of enantioselective, dearomative prenylations across a broad range of starting materials, and demonstrate its power in a number of natural product syntheses.

Wafer-scale two-dimensional transition metal selenides, with high structural quality and environmental stability, can be obtained by two-step vapour deposition in oxygen-free conditions. The grown films maintain robust superconductivity even after harsh treatments.

The impact of breakage fusion bridge (BFB) cycles on tumour heterogeneity and clinical outcomes remains poorly understood. Here, the authors develop OM2BFB, an algorithm to detect and reconstruct BFB amplifications using optical genome maps and use it to study BFB events across 2557 primary tumours and cancer cell lines.

A strategy is reported that improves the performance and lifetime of lithium-ion batteries by adding organic Li salt after assembly, which decomposes during cell formation, liberating Li ions and expelling organic ligands as gases.