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Some biological macromolecules can control their own assembly into elegant hierarchical structures. Synthetic supramolecules are catching up fast, promising new advances for optical and biomedical materials. See Letter p.364
Sources of incandescence emit their radiation across a broad spectrum. The finding that metamaterials can be used to tune the sources' emission spectrum makes these emitters an attractive prospect for some applications.
Tumours increase their consumption of the amino acid tryptophan to evade immune control. But how does this work? A study shows that the main product of this consumption binds to a receptor involved in the immune system. See Article p.197
A model proposes that falling sea levels shifted the make-up of volcanic gases on the early Earth, triggering a chain of events that may have allowed photosynthesis in the ocean to oxygenate the atmosphere. See Letter p.229
Quantum computing architectures based on hybrid systems require strong coupling and information exchange between their constituent elements. These two features have been achieved in one such hybrid setting. See Letter p.221
Some fruit odours sexually arouse male fruitflies. The response is mediated by olfactory neurons that are sensitive to food smells and plug into the brain's neural circuit for sexual behaviour. See Letter p.236
Laser light has been used to cool a nanomechanical resonator to its lowest energy state. The result opens the door to testing the principles of quantum mechanics and to applications in quantum information processing. See Letter p.89
Macular degeneration is a leading cause of blindness in the elderly in the developed world. Hope for prevention and treatment comes from the discovery of a protective mechanism against oxidative damage to the eye. See Letter p.76
Two remarkably well-preserved skeletons of the hominin species Australopithecus sediba, found at Malapa, South Africa, show an intriguing combination of features, and open up a debate about the origins of the genus Homo
The signature of the self-interactions that a colloid in solution undergoes has been observed. The observation has implications for single-particle studies of soft matter and biological systems. See Letter p.85
A previously unsuspected genetic mechanism underlies a type of muscular dystrophy common in Japan. A therapeutic approach based on this finding and tested in mice has come up with encouraging results. See Letter p.127
Mishandling of calcium ions by cardiac cells causes the heart to malfunction. The discovery of a crucial modification to a calcium pump inside the cell opens up a potential way to correct this. See Letter p.601
The global uptake of carbon by land plants may be greater than previously thought, according to observations based on the enigmatic Keeling curve of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide. See Letter p.579
G-protein-coupled receptors initiate signalling pathways by forming complexes with agonist molecules and G proteins. The first crystal structure of such a complex is both reassuring and provocative. See Article p.549 & Letter p.611
The identification of the closest analogue of Earth so far, orbiting another star, suggests that small planets are common, and that the discovery of a candidate habitable planet in an alien star system could be just around the corner.
Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity has passed a rigorous test on the scale of galaxy clusters. But the test does not rule out a popular alternative model of gravity. See Letter p.567
The mammalian immune system can fight a myriad of pathogens. In part, this involves a superfamily of cytoplasmic receptors that dictate assembly of specific pro-inflammatory inflammasome complexes. See Letters p.592 & p.596
