Reviews & Analysis

Atomically thin semiconductors have been made by transferring the oxide 'skin' of a liquid metal to substrates. This opens the way to the low-cost mass production of 2D semiconductors at the sizes needed for electronics applications.

The starfish Acanthaster planci destroys coral reefs. Whole- genome sequences provide clues to the proteins that mediate A. planci outbreaks — information that might be used to help protect coral. See Letter p.231

The structure of the angiotensin II type 2 receptor reveals a potential mode of self-blocking action. This might explain its lack of signalling, and opens up avenues of investigation into its function and role in disease. See Article p.327

Planets and most asteroids revolve around the Sun in the same direction. But an asteroid that shares Jupiter's orbit has been revolving in the opposite direction for about a million years. See Letter p.687

Stem-cell divisions are thought to be essential to tumour growth. Targeted removal of a specific stem-cell population reveals its role in tumour development and in the growth of tumours formed by cell migration to distant sites. See Article p.676

An iron complex has been made that has a long-lived excited state and emits light at room temperature as a result of a charge-transfer process. This breakthrough might allow the production of cheap solar cells. See Letter p.695

Subpopulations of neurons fire at specific geographical locations, providing a mental map of an animal's position in space. The finding that the circuitry can also support auditory maps sheds light on the neuronal structure of cognition. See Letter p.719

The cell divisions that occur when a larva develops into an adult Caenorhabditis elegans worm were described in a cell-lineage map in 1977. The work has provided the foundation for many discoveries about developmental mechanisms.

Do human consumption habits affect groundwater depletion as a result of international food trade? A global analysis indicates that they do, and shows which products and countries have the biggest impact. See Letter p.700

Modification of methyl groups attached to DNA alters gene expression, and mutations that deregulate this methylation are common in some leukaemias. Drugs that target aberrant methylation are emerging as promising therapeutics.

Mosquitoes flap their long, thin wings four times faster than similarly sized insects. Imaging and computational analysis of mosquito flight illuminates some aerodynamic mechanisms not seen before in animal flight. See Letter p.92

Genome sequencing of Mycobacterium abscessus strains that infect the lungs suggests a possible shift in the bacterium's mode of infection from environmental acquisition to human transmission. This finding has clinical implications.

The vibrational excitations of nanostructures have been mapped using state-of-the-art electron microscopy. The results improve our understanding of these excitations, which will aid the design of nanostructures. See Letter p.529

The standard dinosaur evolutionary tree has two key branches: the 'bird-hipped' Ornithischia and the 'reptile-hipped' Saurischia. A revised tree challenges many ideas about the relationships between dinosaur groups. See Article p.501

Marine protected areas are being implemented at an accelerating pace, and hold promise for restoring damaged ecosystems. But glaring shortfalls in staffing and funding often lead to suboptimal outcomes. See Article p.665.

Structural insights into adiponectin receptors provide evidence that these proteins have an inherent enzymatic activity, which gives them the ability to propagate signalling by their ligand, the hormone adiponectin. See Letter p.120

The sign of a material's charge carriers is usually reflected in the sign of the 'Hall voltage'. But for a structure inspired by chain mail, altering its geometry inverts the Hall voltage, even if the charge carriers are unchanged.

A polysaccharide called rhamnogalacturonan II is a major component of some fruits, but humans rely on their gut microbiota to digest it. The microbes and processes responsible for this digestion have now been revealed. See Article p.65