Volume 537 Issue 7621, 22 September 2016

Current trends indicate that research is starting to become a preserve of the privileged.

Reform to 2007 law brings visibility to negative trial results.

A popular assumption that there is a conflict between the Church and the research world should be dispelled, says Kathryn Pritchard.

The week in science: 16–22 September 2016

After decades of rocky relations, they are working together to trace indigenous communities’ ancestry.

Next-generation space-weather model will map the danger facing power grids.

First results from Gaia probe also seem to solve old controversy over Pleiades cluster.

Accusations of impropriety feature in escalating dispute.

Two-thousand-year-old bones could yield first DNA from an ancient shipwreck victim.

A special issue explores the study of inequality, and how socio-economic divides affect the science workforce.

Around the world, poverty and social background remain huge barriers in scientific careers.

Wages for top scientists are shooting skywards while others are being left behind.

Mike Savage calls on sociologists to resolve their differences over definitions of social class to allow better analyses of inequality.

Periodic rises and falls in the gap between the rich and poor over centuries indicate that inequality will not grow forever, argues Branko Milanovic.

Peter Piot ponders two books on the epidemic that offer important lessons from an avoidable catastrophe.

Barbara Kiser reviews five of the week's best science picks.

Particle physicist who helped to explain the dominance of matter in the Universe.

A technical feat achieved by two independent groups has enabled resolution of the molecular structure of a form of the amyloid-β protein that is thought to play a major part in Alzheimer's disease.

A simple technique has been developed that produces holograms made of sound waves. These acoustic landscapes are used to manipulate microscale objects, and offer great potential in medical imaging and selective heating. See Letter p.518

Four studies detail changes in how DNA is wrapped around histone proteins and in molecular modifications to histones that occur after fertilization. The results shed light on the early regulation of gene expression. See Letters p.548, p.553 & p.558

The origin of hot Jupiters, large gaseous planets in close orbits around stars, is unknown. Observations suggest that such planets are abundant in stellar clusters, and can result from encounters with other celestial bodies.

Potassium released from dying tumour cells has now been found to suppress the activity of T cells of the immune system. Enhancing the removal of potassium from T cells restores their ability to attack cancer. See Letter p.539

Two 'failed' materials can perform much better when united. Such a combination exhibits magnetization and electric polarization up to room temperature, providing a basis for new magnetoelectric devices. See Letter p.523

When did life first arise on Earth? Analysis of ancient rocks in Greenland that contain structures interpreted as bacterial in origin suggest that Earth might have been an abode for life much earlier than previously thought. See Letter p.535

Careful study of the famous fossil ‘Lucy’, a hominin who died over 3 million years ago, suggests that she died as a result of multiple injuries sustained in a fall–probably out of a tall tree.

Identification and characterization, using a comprehensive embryonic phenotyping pipeline, of 410 lethal alleles during the generation of the first 1,751 of 5,000 unique gene knockouts produced by the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium.

Gravity and shape measurements for Ceres obtained from the Dawn spacecraft mission show that it is in hydrostatic equilibrium with its inferred normalized mean moment of inertia of 0.37, suggesting that Ceres has a rocky chondritic core overlaid by a volatile-rich icy shell.

Holograms for sound waves, encoded in a 3D printed plate, are used to shape sound fields that can be used for the contactless manipulation of objects.

A single-phase multiferroic material is constructed, in which ferroelectricity and strong magnetic ordering are coupled near room temperature, enabling direct electric-field control of magnetism.

A new way of activating the electrodes in solid oxide cells involves applying an electrical potential to trigger the exsolution of metal catalysts to the electrode surface; the success of this technique raises the possibility of regenerating the electrodes during operation.

Field data from an iodine-rich, coastal environment point to the molecular steps involved in the formation of new aerosol particles from iodine vapours over coastal regions.

Stromatolite fossils formed around 3,700 million years ago in what is now Greenland predate the previous oldest fossil evidence for life on Earth by more than 200 million years.

Potassium ions released by necrotic cells in tumours impair T cell function by increasing the intracellular potassium concentration in vitro and in vivo.

Accumulation of fumarate resulting from mutations in fumarate hydratase,which are associated with renal and other cancers, is shown to induce epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition—a process associated with cancer initiation.

Three papers in this issue of Nature use highly sensitive ChIP–seq assays to describe the dynamic patterns of histone modifications during early mouse embryogenesis, showing that oocytes have a distinctive epigenome and providing insights into how the maternal gene expression program transitions to the zygotic program.

Three papers in this issue of Nature use highly sensitive ChIP–seq assays to describe the dynamic patterns of histone modifications during early mouse embryogenesis, showing that oocytes have a distinctive epigenome and providing insights into how the maternal gene expression program transitions to the zygotic program.

Three papers in this issue of Nature use highly sensitive ChIP–seq assays to describe the dynamic patterns of histone modifications during early mouse embryogenesis, showing that oocytes have a distinctive epigenome and providing insights into how the maternal gene expression program transitions to the zygotic program.

Algae rely on blue-light-sensitive phototropin to trigger induction of LHCRS3, allowing it to dissipate energy from excess light that would otherwise compromise the fitness of the organism.

The high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy structure of the kainate receptor GluK2 subtype in its desensitized state is reported, which reveals that desensitization is attained by establishing a ring-like structure in the ligand-binding domains.

A feeling that good performance is not adequately rewarded is pervading the research world.

A way to pass the time.

Lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) highlight the diverse ways in which the failure of a single organelle can bring cells to their knees. Most are rare and poorly understood, making the development of therapies a daunting task.

Problems with the lysosome cause more than just lysosomal storage disorders. This crucial cellular component has a surprising role in several common and complex conditions.

Most rare diseases lack even one approved treatment. Regulators have tried to encourage drug development, but advocacy groups are having to fight to get the research done.

Treatments that can cross the blood–brain barrier are needed if doctors are to treat the devastating neurological symptoms of many lysosomal storage disorders.

In the 1980s, bone-marrow transplants transformed the lives of children with fatal lysosomal diseases. Researchers are now working on another revolutionary treatment.

Two competing hypotheses about Parkinson's and Gaucher's diseases need to be knitted together, say Anthony H. Futerman and John Hardy.

It is now feasible to test babies for several lysosomal storage disorders, but this goes against the gold standard for screening that was established nearly 50 years ago. The ethical issues raised are forcing a rethink of the way that newborns are screened.

The quest to understand lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) has left researchers grappling with questions that have implications for other diseases too.