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Recently, a reconfigurable DNA nunnery (domino array) was created with four-way DNA junction motif to realize stepwise transformation by the information relay between neighbouring four-way junction units. Here, the authors generate a DNA domino array with same sequences at every junction and use it as a platform to study how the design of DNA bases at junctions influences the kinetics and thermodynamics of transformation of four-way junctions in reconfigurable DNA nanoarrays.

This study used fine-mapping to analyze genetic regions associated with bipolar disorder, identifying specific risk genes and providing new insights into the biology of the condition that may guide future research and treatment approaches.

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).

Ru isotopes are proposed as tracers for core–mantle interaction on Earth, and anomalies for ocean island basalts from Hawaii are reported that have higher ε¹⁰⁰Ru than the ambient mantle.

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.

Global metal ore extraction has increased almost fourfold since 1970. This Review explores the drivers, patterns and environmental consequences of the growth of metal ore extraction and discusses interventions to reduce negative impacts across metal supply chains.

Whole-genome sequencing, transcriptome-wide association and fine-mapping analyses in over 7,000 individuals with critical COVID-19 are used to identify 16 independent variants that are associated with severe illness in COVID-19.

The authors took a multimodal approach to characterize the differential transcriptome and epigenetic landscape between distinct regions of the embryonic mouse forebrain, revealing many unexplored presumptive promoter-enhancer interactions.

Analysing camera-trap data of 163 mammal species before and after the onset of COVID-19 lockdowns, the authors show that responses to human activity are dependent on the degree to which the landscape is modified by humans, with carnivores being especially sensitive.

With this protocol rat livers can be kept viable for up to 96 h and transplanted successfully. The livers are first loaded with cryoprotectants to prevent ice formation and protect against hypothermic injury, and they are then cooled to –6 °C without freezing.

Cellular nuisance compounds are a burden in chemical biology and drug screening. Here the authors profile prototypical cytotoxic and nuisance compounds using the cell painting assay to systematically characterise cellular morphologies associated with compound-dependent cellular injury and nuisance activity.

Multi-ancestry meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies for self-reported physical activity during leisure time, leisure screen time, sedentary commuting and sedentary behavior at work identify 99 loci associated with at least one of these traits.

A large genome-wide association study of more than 5 million individuals reveals that 12,111 single-nucleotide polymorphisms account for nearly all the heritability of height attributable to common genetic variants.

Genomic and functional analysis of intratumor heterogeneity in pediatric glioma uncovers early clonal divergence and stable spontaneous cooperation between subclonal populations throughout tumor evolution.

Allostery is a hallmark of cellular function and important in every biological system, but difficult to artificially mimic. Here, the authors report an approach to study aspects of allostery in artificial systems, using a DNA origami domino array structure which, upon binding of trigger DNA strands, undergoes a stepwise allosteric conformational change that can be monitored by a double FRET probe.

Pathogenic bacteria can aggregate to form biofilms and develop tolerance to antibiotics. Here, the authors use a proteomics approach to study the development of tolerance to the antibiotic colistin in Pseudomonas aeruginosabiofilms, and show that co-treatment with a second compound kills the tolerant cells.

A study of the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in England between September 2020 and June 2021 finds that interventions capable of containing previous variants were insufficient to stop the more transmissible Alpha and Delta variants.

Openshaw and colleagues find myeloid inflammation and complement activation signatures in patients with long COVID who were previously hospitalized.

Multi-ancestry genome-wide analyses identify new risk loci for age-related macular degeneration. Ancestry-specific analyses identify distinct effects at major risk loci, including smaller effect sizes for CFH risk alleles in haplotypes of African ancestry.

Chronic infection with SARS-CoV-2 leads to the emergence of viral variants that show reduced susceptibility to neutralizing antibodies in an immunosuppressed individual treated with convalescent plasma.

Sera from vaccinated individuals and some monoclonal antibodies show a modest reduction in neutralizing activity against the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2; but the E484K substitution leads to a considerable loss of neutralizing activity.

Due to increasing disturbance of peatlands, Southeast Asian rivers are thought to play a major role in the transfer of CO₂to the atmosphere. Here, the authors present data collected from six Indonesian and Malaysian rivers and show that the region is not an outgassing hotspot as previously assumed.

Super-resolution pMINFLUX microscopy is combined with FRET and enables co-tracking of two fluorophores without photoswitching.

Dedicated cells in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex map an animal s instantaneous position in space; by contrast, its future goal ___location is represented in the orbitofrontal cortex, a structure within the broader circuit.

Copper oxides (CuO) can selectively catalyze the electrochemical reduction of CO₂ to hydrocarbons and oxygenates. Here, the authors study the activity and morphological evolution of 2D CuO nanosheets under applied electrode potentials to conclude the primacy of dendritic shapes and involvement of a new coupling pathway.

The human transcriptome from 300 tissues and cell lines reveals novel non-coding RNAs.

Culturing transposon-mutant libraries in pools can mask complex phenotypes. Here the authors present microfluidics mediated droplet Tn-Seq, which encapsulates individual mutants, promotes isolated growth and enables cell-cell interaction analyses.

Penetrance of variants in monogenic disease and clinical utility of common polygenic variation has not been well explored on a large-scale. Here, the authors use exome sequencing data from 77,184 individuals to generate penetrance estimates and assess the utility of polygenic variation in risk prediction of monogenic variants.

Bacteria can grow as free living planktonic cells or as part of surface-associated biofilms. Here the authors show, for the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, that cells recently dispersed from biofilms are physiologically different from, and more virulent than, planktonic and biofilm cells.

By careful microscopic examination of in vitro fertilization (pages 47–52) Simerly et al. demonstrate the paternal origin of the human centrosome and reveal steps at which fertilization may fail.

COVID-19 can be associated with neurological complications. Here the authors show that markers of brain injury, but not immune markers, are elevated in the blood of patients with COVID-19 both early and months after SARS-CoV-2 infection, particularly in those with brain dysfunction or neurological diagnoses.

Investigation of variation in three cohorts has identified multiple genetic signals associated with the pregnancy-specific liver disorder, intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, giving insight into the disease which can cause preterm birth and stillbirth.

“The combination of stimuli responsive nanomaterials and 3D printing leads interesting applications in the fields of soft robots and actuators. Here, the authors present a 3D printing approach for the fabrication of liquid metal nanoparticles-polymer composites acting as light controlled soft robots which can lift weights, grasp and release items”.

The Omicron variant evades vaccine-induced neutralization but also fails to form syncytia, shows reduced replication in human lung cells and preferentially uses a TMPRSS2-independent cell entry pathway, which may contribute to enhanced replication in cells of the upper airway. Altered fusion and cell entry characteristics are linked to distinct regions of the Omicron spike protein.

Size and shape of the brain are, among others, influenced by the dimensions of the skull. Here, the authors report genome-wide association studies for head circumference and intracranial volume in children and adults and the identification of nine common or low-frequency variants associated with these traits.

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.

Using a combination of electrophysiological and neurochemical techniques the authors report that deep and superficial CA1 pyramidal neurons behave differently during hippocampal sharp-wave ripples, with deep cells becoming hyperpolarized and superficial cells undergoing depolarization. The study also reveals some of the microcircuit mechanisms that underlie this spatiotemporal specialization, including the involvement of CA2 pyramidal cells and the role of perisomatic inhibition.

The burden of mosaic chromosomal alterations in blood-derived DNA, a type of clonal hematopoiesis, is associated with an increased risk for diverse types of infections, including sepsis and pneumonia.

Whole-genome sequencing and phenotype data sharing are introduced in a national health system to streamline diagnosis and to discover coding and non-coding variants that cause rare diseases.