Nature

Fast-spreading COVID variant can elude immune responses

Evidence that a variant of the coronavirus identified in South Africa might compromise immunity sparks concerns about vaccine effectiveness.

What new COVID variants mean for schools is not yet clear

Children are no more susceptible to these lineages than adults are — and closing schools on the basis of incomplete information could have repercussions.
Dyani Lewis

News 21 Jan 2021
‘Inspired choice’: Biden appoints sociologist Alondra Nelson to top science post

Scientists praise US president’s selection of the bioethics and social inequality specialist to help lead the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Nidhi Subbaraman

News 21 Jan 2021
Lessons from the host defences of bats, a unique viral reservoir

Unique biological traits of bats and adaptive evolution associated with flight confer immunotolerance of viral infection that may help to make bats special reservoir hosts for viruses.
Aaron T. Irving
Matae Ahn
Lin-Fa Wang

Perspective 20 Jan 2021
Daily briefing: Why cats love catnip

Catnip activates cats’ opioid systems (and protects them from mosquitos). Plus, ten computer codes that transformed science and what new SARS-CoV-2 variants mean for schools.
Flora Graham

Nature Briefing 21 Jan 2021
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Current Issue 21 Jan 2021

News & Comment

Why did the world’s pandemic warning system fail when COVID hit?

Nearly one year ago, the World Health Organization sounded the alarm about the coronavirus, but was ignored.
Amy Maxmen

News 23 Jan 2021
Are COVID vaccination programmes working? Scientists seek first clues
Smriti Mallapaty

News 22 Jan 2021
What new COVID variants mean for schools is not yet clear
Dyani Lewis

News 21 Jan 2021
‘Inspired choice’: Biden appoints sociologist Alondra Nelson to top science post
Nidhi Subbaraman

News 21 Jan 2021
Fast-spreading COVID variant can elude immune responses
Ewen Callaway

News 21 Jan 2021
COVID research updates: COVID vaccines might lose potency against new viral variants

News 21 Jan 2021
Ten computer codes that transformed science
Jeffrey M. Perkel

News Feature 20 Jan 2021

Latest Reviews & Analysis

- Lessons from the host defences of bats, a unique viral reservoir
  
  Unique biological traits of bats and adaptive evolution associated with flight confer immunotolerance of viral infection that may help to make bats special reservoir hosts for viruses.
  
  Aaron T. Irving
  Matae Ahn
  Lin-Fa Wang
  
  Perspective 20 Jan 2021
- Reversal of immune-cell shutdown protects the ageing brain
  
  Immune cells called macrophages have been found to shut down major metabolic pathways during ageing. Restoring metabolism in these cells is sufficient to alleviate age-associated cognitive decline in mice.
  
  Jonas J. Neher
  
  News & Views 20 Jan 2021
- Mechanical memory written and read remotely
  
  A device has been developed that consists of mechanical bits, analogous to the magnetic bits used in computer hard drives. Information encoded in the bits programs the mechanical properties of the device.
  
  Corentin Coulais
  
  News & Views 20 Jan 2021
- Electrons broken into pieces at crystal defects
  
  Fractional electric charges have been observed at crystal defects in artificial structures resembling materials called topological crystalline insulators. Such fractional charges could have various engineering applications.
  
  Carmine Ortix
  
  News & Views 20 Jan 2021
- Anti-ageing effects of protein restriction unpacked
  
  Two animal studies show that restricting the dietary intake of branched-chain amino acids can extend lifespan by modulating the mTOR signalling pathway. But more research is needed before this diet should be recommended in people.
  
  Cristal M. Hill
  Matt Kaeberlein
  
  News & Views 14 Jan 2021
- Accurate machine learning in materials science facilitated by using diverse data sources
  
  Rohit Batra
  
  News & Views 14 Jan 2021
- Repeat DNA expands our understanding of autism spectrum disorder
  
  Anthony J. Hannan
  
  News & Views 13 Jan 2021
- Giant photon avalanches observed in nanoparticles
  
  Andries Meijerink
  Freddy T. Rabouw
  
  News & Views 13 Jan 2021
- Food for thought about the immune drivers of gut pain
  
  Stuart M. Brierley
  
  News & Views 13 Jan 2021
- Cosmic electromagnetic bomb sheds light on the origins of γ-ray bursts
  
  Christopher Thompson
  
  News & Views 13 Jan 2021

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Latest Research

NINJ1 mediates plasma membrane rupture during lytic cell death
Nobuhiko Kayagaki
Opher S. Kornfeld
Vishva M. Dixit

Article 20 Jan 2021
A reprogrammable mechanical metamaterial with stable memory

A reprogrammable mechanical metamaterial constructed of bistable unit cells that can be switched independently and reversibly between two stable states with distinct mechanical properties using magnetic actuation is demonstrated.
Tian Chen
Mark Pauly
Pedro M. Reis

Article 20 Jan 2021
Lake heatwaves under climate change

Modelling and remote sensing show that by the end of the twenty-first century, lake heatwaves will be several degrees Celsius warmer and some will be months longer, with potentially major adverse consequences for lake ecosystems.
R. Iestyn Woolway
Eleanor Jennings
Stephen C. Maberly

Article 20 Jan 2021
A stable low-temperature H₂-production catalyst by crowding Pt on α-MoC

A stable, low-temperature water–gas shift catalyst is achieved by crowding platinum atoms and clusters on α-molybdenum carbide; the crowding protects the support from oxidation that would cause catalyst deactivation.
Xiao Zhang
Mengtao Zhang
Ding Ma

Article 20 Jan 2021
Dopamine-based mechanism for transient forgetting

A dopamine neuron that underpins transient forgetting in Drosophila is activated by the presentation of interfering stimuli immediately before memory retrieval, modulating this retrieval by stimulating a dopamine receptor in mushroom body neurons.
John Martin Sabandal
Jacob A. Berry
Ronald L. Davis

Article 20 Jan 2021

Collections

Allergies

The role of an allergist has been likened to that of a detective, superior powers of observation, chance encounters and the rejection of evidence have all delivered medical breakthroughs.

Nature Outlook 02 Dec 2020