Volume 595 Issue 7867, 15 July 2021

Any plan to create an intergovernmental science panel on food science and policy must protect its independence.

The systems of science must reward honesty about mistakes to speed progress.

Samples collected over several decades help scientists to trace the path taken by Streptococcus suis.

The protein-based substance found in the leg joints of beetles and at least one other insect is a superb lubricant.

Wild boars have destroyed three of the four known specimens of a bizarre plant in the forests of Malaysia.

Diffuse Milky Way formation might have been depleted by star-hurling black holes.

A layer of carbon atoms preserves a painting’s vibrant hues — and can be applied and removed without damage.

Clues to the forces generated by the planet’s core emerge from observations intended for satellite navigation.

Fish that have been exposed to the highly addictive stimulant for several weeks show signs of withdrawal if deprived of the drug.

The latest science news, in brief.

Russia’s vaccine is in use in nearly 70 nations, but its adoption has been slowed by controversies and questions over rare side effects, and it has yet to garner World Health Organization approval.

Medical researchers are beginning to shift their focus away from COVID-19 — but the pandemic could continue to affect studies focused on other diseases.

Amid a COVID surge in Africa, vaccine promises from richer nations are not enough to bring an early end to the pandemic, experts say.

A growing share of infections among unvaccinated youths in countries with high vaccination rates is putting the spotlight on the role of young people in the pandemic.

A slew of studies suggests that mixing vaccines provokes potent immune responses, but scientists still want answers on real-world efficacy and rare side effects.

Genome studies have discovered some genetic risk factors for disease — and could point to treatments.

Scientists are mapping correlations between race, poverty and heat in cities, and suggesting solutions to reduce the dangers.

Scientists who speak different languages can bring science to a whole new audience — and use it to their advantage, says Jamie Sugrue.

Faculty and staff members at Utrecht University will be evaluated by their commitment to open science.

Evolutionary ecologist Germán Orizaola Pereda analyses how species have been affected, 35 years after the world’s worst nuclear accident.

Atmospheric measurements show that deforestation and rapid local warming have reduced or eliminated the capacity of the eastern Amazonian forest to absorb carbon dioxide — with worrying implications for future global warming.

Small molecules produced and modified by gut microorganisms can influence human physiology. An atlas of metabolic outputs of diverse gut microbes offers new ways to decipher the microbial mechanisms behind their production.

Precise measurements of the position of a levitating nanosphere have been used to control forces that damp the nanosphere’s motion — potentially opening the way to quantum control of larger objects.

Determining the duration of protective immunity to infection by SARS-CoV-2 is crucial for understanding and predicting the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinical studies now indicate that immunity will be long-lasting.

This Perspective reviews the recent technical developments in the components of the fuel cell stack in proton-exchange membrane fuel cell vehicles and outlines the road towards large-scale commercialization of such vehicles.

Observations of ¹³CO in the atmosphere of a young, accreting super-Jupiter indicate a ¹³C-rich atmosphere, which is attributed to the accretion of carbon from ices enriched in ¹³C through fractionation.

Optimal quantum control of an optically trapped nanoparticle in its ground state is demonstrated at room temperature, using Kalman filtering to track its quantum trajectory in real time.

Quantum control of an optically levitated nanoparticle with a mass of just one femtogram is demonstrated in a cryogenic environment by feedback-cooling the motion of the particle to the quantum ground state.

Repetition codes running many cycles of quantum error correction achieve exponential suppression of errors with increasing numbers of qubits.

Aircraft observations of atmospheric carbon dioxide and monoxide concentrations in Brazil show higher carbon emissions in eastern Amazonia than in the western part, which are linked to increased ecosystem stress and fire occurrence.

Analysis of shallow-water marine carbonate samples from 101 stratigraphic units allows construction of a record of lithium isotopes from the past 3 billion years, tracking the evolution of the global carbon and silicon cycles.

Ancient mitochondrial DNA from sediments reveals the sequence of Denisovan, Neanderthal and faunal occupation of Denisova Cave, and evidence for the appearance of modern humans at least 45,000 years ago.

In a mouse model of congenital myasthenia caused by mutations in the Dok7 gene, agonist antibodies against MUSK restore synaptic function and survival.

The gut microbiota in mice can modulate social behaviour by influencing activity in stress-related brain areas.

A microbiome-focused metabolomics pipeline and interactive metabolomics profile explorer are a powerful tool for the characterization of gut-resident microorganisms and the interactions between microorganisms and their host.

SARS-CoV-2 infection induces long-lived bone marrow plasma cells that correlate with anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike protein antibody titres in individuals who have recovered from COVID-19.

Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 continue to evolve 6 to 12 months after infection in patients who have recovered from COVID-19, increasing in potency and breadth with time.

The authors report on prospective exploratory analyses of circulating tumour DNA in an urothelial carcinoma immunotherapy clinical trial.

BET proteins regulate a reversible transcriptional switch that governs fibroblast activation in heart disease through the transcription factor MEOX1.

The authors describe a role for the non-coding antisense transcripts produced at promoters in regulating ligand-induced activation of gene transcription.

Cryo-electron microscopy structures show that metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 forms a dimer to which only one G protein is coupled, revealing the basis for asymmetric signal transduction.

Cryo-EM structures of human calcium-sensing receptor reveal intrinsic asymmetry in the receptor homodimer upon activation that is stabilized by calcimimetic drugs adopting distinct poses in the two protomers, priming one protomer for G-protein coupling.