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In plants and algae, isoamylases drive phytoglycogen-to-amylopectin conversion. Here, the authors show that ISA1 and ISA2 form a heterocomplex that coordinately trims glucan branches to promote starch granule formation, defining a key step in starch biosynthesis.

Chromosome-level genome assemblies of allotetraploid Nicotiana tabacum and its ancestors, along with their transcriptomes, epigenomes and genotype and phenotype data for 5,196 N. tabacum germplasms, provide insights into genome evolution and complex trait regulation.

A newly identified coronavirus isolated from farmed minks can use the receptor ACE2 to infect cells of different mammalian species, including human cells, which has implications for potential zoonotic spillover events.

Realizing organic p–n junctions based on ordered crystalline materials with dimensions comparable to the exciton diffusion length of most organic semiconductors remains a challenge. Here, the authors report a strategy to form molecular monolayer crystal-based p–n junctions with thickness below 5 nm.

Monitoring the early-stage healing of severe traumatic nerve injuries is essential to gather pathological information for timely interventions. Here, the authors introduce a biodegradable and restorative neural interface for wireless real-time tracking.

Middle-aged individuals are more susceptible to obesity, but the mechanisms are unclear. Here, the authors show that extracellular vesicles from adipose progenitor cells in middle-aged individuals lack miR-145-5p, driving inflammation, and that restoring miR-145-5p could prevent midlife obesity.

Genomic analyses of Citrus species including haplotype-resolved genomes of Citrus sinensis and Citrus aurantium highlight the origin of sweet orange and provide a strategy for de novo domestication of perennial crops.

Creating well-defined hollow two-dimensional structures from small organic molecules, particularly those with controlled widths and numbers of segments, remains a formidable challenge. Here the authors report the fabrication of well-defined concentric, hollow 2D platelets with programmable widths and numbers of segments.

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.

Single reference genomes and short-read sequencing data are not enough to harness the full genetic variation of a species. Here, the authors report pan-genome of Arabidopsis thaliana based on chromosomal-level genomes of 32 accessions and identify variations associated with local adaptation.

The authors show that SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells in the lung are key to fighting infection and persist after viral clearance, contributing to long-term immunity and protection.

Thin films of halide perovskites are promising for solar cell technology but they do not perform well at the band edge due to the low optical absorption. Herein, Chen et al. fabricate a high efficiency single crystal perovskite solar cell with thicker single crystals to harvest the below-bandgap photons.

Ferroelectrics, which exhibit excellent charge separation ability, suffer from poor photocatalytic activity. The authors unveil the limitations in charge extraction and offer strategies to design high-performance photocatalysts by eliminating surface defects.

XPR1 is the only known protein that exports inorganic phosphate from cells. This study demonstrates that XPR1 uses a channel-like mechanism for phosphate transport, offering insights into potential therapeutic strategies for XPR1-linked diseases.

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.

Achieving visible-light-driven CO₂ photoreduction in ambient air is significant yet challenging. Here, the authors introduce strain into layered In₂S₃ at atomic scale for promoted CO₂ activation and boosted photogenerated charge carrier separation in atmospheric CO₂ photoreduction.

The existing recycling methods for spent lithium-ion batteries face high entropy-increasing problems. Here, authors propose a galvanic leaching strategy that can recover battery metals without crushing mixing or additional reductants, and achieve a 30-fold increase in leaching kinetics.

The authors demonstrate a significant influence of canopy structure on autumn phenology in temperate forests, mediated by microclimate regulation. Incorporating this relationship into autumn phenology models enhances their prediction accuracy and reduces previously projected delays in autumn phenology.

The authors identify one emerging H2N2 AIV, reveal the molecular basis of human-type receptor binding of the H2N2 AIV and pandemic strains, and evaluate the public risk of H2N2 AIV by its infection, transmission and mammalian-adaptation features.

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) and PAF-like phospholipids were identified as propagators of ferroptosis, whereas PAFAH2 suppressed synchronized ferroptosis and, thus, prevented tubular cell death in acute kidney injury.

Amino acid changes in a newly identified spike epitope enabled the Delta variant to evade a population antibody response.

Glia abnormalities drive the progression of demyelinating diseases. Here, the authors show that reactivated astrocytes secrete clusterin to impede remyelination by blocking astrocytic removal of myelin debris and oligodendrocyte precursor cell differentiation in mouse models of demyelination.

Wood-based electronics are typically constrained in their ability to undergo complex shape deformation. Here, authors integrate transparent wood film and cellulose-based conductive ink for flexible electronic origami devices that have been demonstrated as a proof-of-concept for human motion sensors.

Convergence of heavy or light chains in antibodies recognising pathogens could drive mutations in these pathogens. Here the authors examine antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and find that a conserved VL6-57 light chain recognising a conserved motif in the spike protein is associated with virus mutations and could drive changes in SARS-CoV-2 omicron variants.

Examining the interplay of environmental exposure with the airway microbiome provides insights for possible intervention in lung health.

Optoelectronic neural interfaces allow for non-genetic and remote modulation of neural activity. Here, the authors propose a biodegradable, flexible and miniaturized neural interface based on molybdenum-modified silicon diodes that allows transdermal neuromodulation and promotes nerve regeneration.

It is well-accepted that the two dimensional layered halide perovskite can improve the device stability of perovskite solar cells but the operation mechanism remains unclear. Here Lin et al. reveal the real morphology of the hot-cast layered perovskite solar cells and understand the working mechanism.

The authors show that the lncRNA-derived microprotein SMIMP, which is shown to promote tumor formation, regulates cohesin core subunit binding to cis-regulatory elements and alters the expression of tumor-suppressive cell cycle regulators.

Cross-ancestry genome-wide association studies of 3,414 brain imaging phenotypes in Chinese Han and white British participants identify autosomal and X-chromosomal associations in more diverse populations.

The formation of secondary organic aerosol in Chinese megacities is dominated by the condensation of anthropogenic organic vapours, according to measurements across three urbanized regions.

Given the importance of the chiral α-benzyl cyclic carbonyl motif in pharmaceutically active compounds, various transformations have been developed to access chiral compounds containing this motif but they often include harsh reaction conditions. Here the authors develop a one-pot concurrent chemoenzymatic cascade reaction and demonstrate the synthesis of α-benzylcyclic ketones with high enantioselectivity.

The authors report a general strategy for in vivo protein activation using light-controlled proximal decaging directed by in silico screening.

Glacial-interglacial cycles drove lithium-rich brine formation in the Qarhan Salt Lake in China, according to Th dating and fluid inclusion analyses in halite, and paleotemperature reconstructions.

The establishment of a pre-metastatic niche is a key step preceding metastasis formation. Here the authors show that tumor-intrinsic Lin28B, a RNA-binding protein, has an essential role in the formation of an immune-suppressive pre-metastatic niche, promoting lung metastasis of breast cancer.

Creating flexible acoustoelectric devices with ultrathin thickness, high elasticity, stable conductivity, and high electromechanical energy conversion capability poses a challenge. Zhang et al. present a liquid crystal mediated technique that creates an elastic piezoelectric nanomembrane with double noise reduction, offering promise for auditory system reconstruction and other acoustoelectric conversion applications.

Genome-wide association meta-analyses in populations of East Asian and European ancestries identify variant–trait associations for 44 hippocampal traits and provide insight into the genetic architectures of hippocampal and subfield volumes.

In situ real-time water pollution monitoring provides a fast and convenient way to detect water pollutants, but the development of detectors with high sensitivity is still challenging. Portable organic photodetectors fabricated with a colloid processing approach achieve highly sensitive and accurate monitoring of trace pollutants in water.