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Flexible electronic devices are widely considered to have significant potential for a range of applications. Here the authors present a bendable and transparent memory based on graphene electrical contacts and silica as the memory element.

Cavity optomechanics can exploit optical forces to achieve all-optical signal processing, but most schemes are limited to a narrow wavelength range. Using a cavity optomechanical design system with two optical channels, Liet al. show broadband readout and all-optical amplification of radio-frequency signals.

Autoreactive T cells are eliminated as they encounter self-antigens during transit through the thymus. Uedaet al. reveal that mice lacking the Hippo homologue Mst1 develop autoimmunity as a result of impaired integrin-dependent T cell migration through this negatively selective niche.

Endothelial cells provide a vital barrier system to the passage of water and ions but not large plasma proteins. Using fluorescently labelled dextrans, the authors show that regions of high or low adherens junction density differentially restrict the passage of molecules up to 70 kDa in size.

Sodium-gated ion channels open and close in response to the flow of ions. Here, McCusker et al.report the open structure of a sodium-gated ion channel pore from a bacterial homologue, and show, by comparison with the closed structure, that the movement of a C-terminal helix is sufficient to open the channel.

Protein encapsulation in molecular cages has the potential to alter protein function and aid crystallization. Here, ubiquitin is encapsulated within a giant coordination cage; the protein is attached to a bidentate ligand, and the cage self-assembles upon addition of capping ligands and Pd(II) ions.

In the inner ear, sound waves produce movements in hair cell sterocilia, triggering the opening of ion channels. Hakizimana and colleagues show that the resultant currents change the length of sterocilia, and that these length changes alter the efficiency by which sound is converted into electrical signals.

Ultrafast demagnetization occurs when magnetically ordered solids are exposed to femtosecond light pulses, yet the exact spin-transfer mechanism is still debated. Combining ultrashort X-rays and infrared laser pulses, Pfauet al. show the importance of spin transport between domains in thin magnetic films.

Causal order is a concept that is engrained in the standard understanding of time, both in classical and quantum mechanics. Oreshkovet al.generalize the standard formalism of quantum theory to a framework with no pre-existing causal order, and find a new class of correlations that have no analogue in the classical world.

The design of chemical photoswitches could potentially lead to the development of novel therapeutics that regulates neurotransmission. In this study, a light-sensitive modified derivative of propofol is shown to activate GABA_A receptors in Xenopusoocytes, rat ganglion cells and mouse cerebellar slices.

T- and X-shaped polyphilic liquid crystals can generate ordered structures with potential nanotechnology applications. Here, the inability of polyphiles to achieve optimal packing and complete nanophase separation is exploited to produce a flexible two-dimensional honeycomb with giant octagonal and square cylinders.

The analysis of food web properties under different environmental conditions informs us how the ecosystem functions. Here, Tunneyet al. use post-glacial lakes as model ecosystems to show how macroscopic patterns of food webs vary with changes in habitat and resource accessibility.

Adult neurogenesis in the mammalian brain is implicated in the storage and processing of memories. Vivaret al.label afferents to new dentate gyrus granule cells and find that they receive direct input from the perirhinal and lateral entorhinal cortex and that these inputs enable spatial pattern separation.

The physical properties of organic metals have generally been described in terms of a highly correlated Luttinger liquid. Using angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, Kisset al. measure the Fermi surface of (BEDT-TTF)₃Br(pBIB), and find that, in contrast to other systems, it can be described as a Fermi liquid.

Continuous variable quantum key distribution allows secure communication that is more robust against channel losses than discrete approaches, yet is strongly affected by noise. Madsenet al.devise a continuous scheme for modulated entangled states that is more tolerant to noise and loss than other protocols.

It has been controversial whether the sizes of different regions of the brain can evolve independently of each other. This study identifies genetic loci responsible for independent size regulation in different brain regions, and finds brain size to be regulated independently of body size.

The charge-transfer characteristics of conjugated molecules are important in determining their electronic properties. Using resonant photoemission spectroscopy, Batraet al. quantify the through-space charge transfer in two model conjugated systems with femtosecond resolution.

Well-defined, monodisperse colloids of semiconducting polymers are required as new photonic and optoelectronic materials. Here, a Suzuki–Miyaura dispersion polymerization is used to produce monodisperse sub-micrometer particles of a range of semiconducting polymers.

Vascular calcification is commonly associated with advanced stages of atherosclerosis. Woldtet al. show that the nuclear hormone receptor PPARγ in vascular smooth muscle cells protects mice from vascular calcification by inhibiting Wnt5a signalling triggered by activation of the cell-surface receptor LRP1.